2nd Edition

Crime Control, Politics and Policy

By Peter J. Benekos, Alida Merlo Copyright 2006
    250 Pages
    by Routledge

    298 Pages
    by Routledge

    This book reviews concepts, information and points of view that help to explain the context and constraints of the criminal justice system. The chapters summarize developments in public policy and crime control, and interweave themes central to the discussion: the impact of ideology, the role of the media, and the politicization of crime and criminal justice.

    1. Dynamics of Criminal Justice 2. Police: Maintaining a Delicate Balance 3. The Court Conundrum: Confronting the Consequences of Policy 4. Punishment and Prisons: Correctional Policy in Crisis 5. Juvenile Justice: Deconstructing Adolescence and Dismantling the Juvenile Court 6. Criminal Justice Policy: The Legacy of Get-Tough Legislation 7. Changing Course

    Biography

    Peter J. Benekos is Professor Emeritus of the Criminal Justice Department at Mercyhurst University. He has conducted research and published in the areas of juvenile justice, corrections, and public policy, and is the co-author of a number of books. Before his long career in teaching and research, he served as corrections counselor with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections in both prison and community-based corrections settings. Dr. Benekos is a recipient of the Mercyhurst University Teaching Excellence Award as well as the Founders Award and Outstanding Mentor Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS). He is past president of the Northeastern Association of Criminal Justice Sciences and an ACJS trustee. 

    Alida V. Merlo is Professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). Her current research interests include juvenile justice, criminal justice policy, and women and the law. She is the past president of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS), and is the recipient of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Fellow Award, Founder’s Award, and Outstanding Mentor Award, as well as the 2016 Coramae Richey Mann Leadership Award from the ACJS Minorities and Women Section. Dr. Merlo serves on the editorial board of Crime & Delinquency, the International Journal of Police Science and Management, and Women & Criminal Justice. Merlo was selected as IUP Distinguished University Professor in 2020–21.