Classics of Criminology, 4th Edition

This inclusive collection is organized into three sections, each of which opens with a brief editorial introduction to provide context. Section I, The Classic Descriptions of Crime, contains writings whose primary contribution is descriptive, although they also offer important theoretical insights. These works illuminate with great clarity certain aspects of the phenomenon of crime. Section II, Theories of Causation of Crime, covers over two centuries of theorizing about the causes of crime. Most of these writings are specifically about crime, although some emphasize larger social issues that have direct implications for criminology. Section III, The Social Response to Crime, includes writings that variously describe, theorize about, or advocate specific social responses to crime. Some of the best works on the criminal justice process as it operates internally and as it functions in its social setting are included here.