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MOST RECENT REVIEWS
Between 2002 and 2008, a juvenile court judge in rural Pennsylvania sent hundreds of children to jail in exchange for millions of dollars in kickbacks from a private juvenile detention facility. Investigative journalist William Ecenbarger explores the scandal in what our reviewer Kristin Henning calls a "compelling and accessible narrative that weaves together the details of the scandal with profiles of those involved, the historical context of Luzerne County with disturbing personal experiences of detained youths, and juvenile justice research with arguments for reform." The result is a "riveting exposé on the need for juvenile justice reform." Read On » |
In her review of Human Trafficking Around the World: Hidden in Plain Sight by Stephanie Hepburn and Rita J.Simon, Anita Lavorgna points out that these authors provide yet another example of the preconceived notions that surround this issue. The common perception that human trafficking consists almost exclusively of the sexual exploitation of girls and children in certain remote corners of the world means that problems such as labour trafficking, domestic trafficking, and the trafficking of men are largely ignored. “An unfortunate consequence of this limited understanding,” notes Lavorgna, “is that official anti-trafficking responses are often insufficient or badly implemented.” Read On » |
Soldier, Sailor, Beggarman, Thief: Crime and the British Armed Services Since 1914 by Clive Emsley addresses the complexities of crime and the armed services, comparing and contrasting military law and civilian law. Reviewer Georgina Sinclair cites the author’s point that the “coexistence of military and civilian law provided the potential for confusion and friction.” This can then result in the use of informal systems of justice and so-called “unwritten law.” Read On » |
A critical introduction to the philosophy of punishment that also presents the author's ambitious ‘unified theory’ of punishment, which advocates ‘punitive restoration’ as a response to violations of rights. Read On » |
Crime, Courtrooms and the Public Sphere in Britain, 1700-1850, edited by David Lemmings, describes the history of the relationship between the British criminal courts and the British public over one and a half centuries. Our reviewer, Carolyn B. Ramsey, says the book “provides a vivid picture of a rising print culture that largely supplanted the physical presence of ordinary folk at criminal trials.” As a consequence, although the public indeed learned more about criminal justice, what they learned, Ramsey points out, was largely confined to a perspective that was “friendly to the prosecution, confident of the fairness of convictions, and condemnatory of the wrongfulness of defendants’ conduct.” Read On » |
The dozen essays in this interesting collection endeavor, with varying degrees of success, to promote interdisciplinary engagement with fundamental questions about international criminal justice. Read On » |
Robert Bohm is one of the preeminent scholars of capital punishment in the United States. His latest book on what has been essentially a lifetime of work is Capital Punishment’s Collateral Damage. Our reviewer, Wanda D. Foglia, calls it “an informative, moving overview of the death penalty from the perspectives of the many different players in the process.” The death penalty is not a topic about which one can remain neutral, and Bohm is no exception. He has never been a supporter. That said, Foglia points out that this most recent book “drives home the point that the death penalty causes a lot of pain.” And that pain is experienced by all those who participate in the process of dispensing capital punishment. Read On » |
As Susan Dewey points out, there is a serious absence of solid, empirical research with respect to certain aspects of sex trafficking and sex work. Street Sex Workers’ Discourse: Realizing Material Change Through Agential Choice by Jill McCracken is a step in the direction of rectifying that situation. McCracken’s two years of research involved participant observation at social services agencies, content analysis of media coverage, and interviews with individuals involved in some aspect of street-based sex work -- including those engaged in sex work, social services, policing, activism, healthcare, and research. “The book’s primary strength,” says Dewey, “lies in its respectful, careful consideration of perspectives gleaned from both women involved in street-based sex work as well as those with professional or activist investment in the issue.” Read On » |
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