Considering race and ethnicity as organising principles in why, how, where and by whom crimes are committed and enforced, this volume argues that dimensions of race and ethnicity condition the very laws that make certain behaviours criminal, and the determination of who becomes a victim of crime under which circumstances.

Considering race and ethnicity as organising principles in why, how, where and by whom crimes are committed and enforced, this volume argues that dimensions of race and ethnicity condition the very laws that make certain behaviours criminal, and the determination of who becomes a victim of crime under which circumstances.

This edited volume explores the dynamics of race, crime, and the criminal justice system in the United States today. The book gives equal attention to the links between images of color and images of crime as well as the ramifications of criminal justice policies and practices. Changes to the new edition include the following: * Revised introductory and concluding chapters that more clearly outline the focus and selection of the racial and ethnic groups discussed. * The book further examines the ways in which gender, religion, culture, sexuality, and sexual orientation are central components of racialized constructions. * A new chapter provides examples of current criminal justice practices and crime control policies on racial and ethnic groups, including law enforcement policies, prosecution and sentencing, and imprisonment. * Brief, framing introductions underscore why each chapter is important and how it fits into the book's overarching themes. * Each chapter includes discussion questions and a list of relevant websites. * An accompanying Instructor's Manual prepared by David R. Montague is new to the Third Edition.

This is an examination of criminological perspectives that have been used to contextualise criminal behaviour among racial/ethnic minorities. Starting with a review of select biblical doctrines, this text also examines an array of biological, sociologial, cultural, conflict, social control and feminist perspectives.

"Stowell examines the impact of immigration on violent crime. Criminological theory, and particularly social disorganization theory, has held that immigration is inextricably linked to crime. Stowell tests whether patterns of neighborhood-level violence are partially attributable to the population characteristics of an area, and, in particular, to its nativity composition. His analyses offer both support for and challenges to social disorganization theory. Consistent with theoretical expectations, immigration is found to be indirectly associated with levels of violence. Little support, however, is found for the notion that immigrants are a largely homogeneous population, or that immigration is positively associated with property crime. The results call for a refinement of the disorganization theory, one that is sensitive to the differences among the foreign-born population and one that does not assume a negative impact of immigration on neighborhood social structure and violence."--BOOK JACKET.