Examines gangs throughout the United States in over eighty entries covering topics such as history, the wide range of communities where gangs form, and their increasingly complex lifestyle.

This two-volume set integrates informative encyclopedia entries and essential primary documents to provide an illuminating overview of trends in gang membership and activity in America in the 21st century. Gangland: An Encyclopedia of Gang Life from Cradle to Grave includes extended discussion of specific gangs; types of gangs based on ethnicity and environment (rural, suburban, and urban); recruitment and retention methods; leadership structure and other internal dynamics of various gangs; impacts of gang membership on extended family; the historical evolution of gangs in American society; depictions of gang life in popular culture; violent and nonviolent gang activities; and programs, policies, agencies, and organizations that have been crafted to combat gang activities. In addition, the encyclopedia includes a suite of primary sources that offer a look into the personal experiences of gang members, examine efforts by law enforcement and public officials to address gang activity, and address wider societal factors that make eradicating gangs such a difficult task.

Written by two of the most prominent criminologists in the field, Race and Crime, Fourth Edition examines how racial and ethnic groups intersect with the U.S. criminal justice system. Award winning authors Shaun L. Gabbidon and Helen Taylor Greene provide students with the latest data and research on White, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian-American, and Native American intersections with the criminal justice system. Rich with several timely topics such as biosocial theory, violent victimizations, police bias, and immigration policing, the Fourth Edition continues to investigate modern-day issues relevant to understanding race/ethnicity and crime in the United States. A thought-provoking discussion of contemporary issues is uniquely balanced with an historical context to offer students a panoramic perspective on race and crime. Accessible and reader friendly, this comprehensive text shows students how race and ethnicity have mattered and continue to matter in the administration of justice.

The world of gangsters is big business and stretches way beyond the Sicilian Mafia who have been most often depicted on the silver screen in films such as the 'Godfather' trilogy and 'Scarface'. The book is arranged in chapters geographically showing the history of organized crime in different territories around the world, the legendary figures, the famous heists and busts and the power these organizations still exert today. As many of the crime syndicates are interlinked in their day-to-day dealings, or have origins in other organizations, the book is fully cross-referenced to help the reader. Chapters include The Sicilian Mafia and its development in coast-to-coast America under the guidance of the likes of Al Capone and ‘Bugsy’ Siegel; the gangsters of Marseilles and Paris; the Russian and other Eastern Bloc Mafia; the Triads of Asia; The Jamaican Yardies; the African/American crimelords that control the poorer areas of Los Angeles and New York; and the legendary London gangsters, typified by the Kray twins’ stranglehold on London during the 1960s.

From concerns about juveniles' incorrigibility at the turn of the century to school violence in the 1990s, adults have attempted to understand, control, and prevent juvenile violence. Yet, juvenile violence takes many forms, including both violence by juveniles and violence against juveniles, and has various causes and consequences. Since juvenile violence cannot be understood without examining the social context of a given time, this comprehensive encyclopedia provides a historical overview of many significant time periods and offers entries about many types of juvenile violence. It covers competing theories of youth violence; issues such as gender, race, and educational status; and the criminal justice system's methods for dealing with both victims and offenders over time. Additionally, several topics that receive little attention in traditional volumes about juvenile violence, such as hazing, systemic violence in schools, peaceable schools, are covered in these pages. Each entry utilizes current sources, making the book as up-to-date as possible. The front and back matter offer important information, including a chronological list of significant events related to juvenile violence and book and Web resources. Authors represent many different fields, including Sociology, Psychology, Education, History, Social Work, Political Science, Policing, and English. This offers readers a diversity of perspectives and information from a variety of sources. Confronting a difficult and often-misunderstood subject, this encyclopedia is essential to a better understanding of juvenile violence.