NCJ Number
175269
Date Published
1989
Length
167 pages
Annotation
In reviewing the writings of today's Marxist criminologists, this book shows how they have broadened their vision; in addition to crime causation, they examine the political and economic interests that influence the formation of law and justice.
Abstract
Following an introductory review of Marxism and the emergence of radical criminology, nine chapters examine the following topics: Marxist methods and concepts, Marxist theories on state and law, the radical concept of crime, conflict and labeling approaches, crime causes, traditional contributions to radical criminology, policing in America, the American court system, and a critical interpretation of punishment and corrections. In spite of the differences among the criminologists profiled in this book, each provides a sharp contrast to traditional criminological thought, and each in his own way is informed by a Marxist analysis of capitalist society. When important differences emerge among the criminologists examined, the authors note these disagreements and state their own position. Radicals argue that observed crime patterns are generated by capitalistic social and economic structures, leading some of them to suggest that the primary change in emphasis should promote the transition to socialism. This impractical revolutionary transformation of American economic and social structures, however, does little to inform immediate reforms in the criminal justice system. Other radical criminologists, however, use a piecemeal approach in suggesting realistic and practical reforms in criminal justice policy. These include equal justice in the bail system, the abolition of mandatory sentences, the prosecution of corporate crimes, increased employment opportunities, and the promotion of community alternatives to imprisonment. Radical criminologists' main theme is that crime cannot be significantly reduced or prevented through a criminal justice system; rather, changes in the social and economic structures that perpetuate criminogenic conditions must be made. 480 references and a subject index