First published in 1984, Ideas on Institution is a review of the major English-language literature of the past two decades on the experience of living in institutions - hospitals, mental hospitals, prisons. The survey opens with a consideration of the writings of Erving Goffman, Michael Foucault, and Thomas Szasz. They shattered the liberal consensus that the purpose of imprisonment was to reform. Instead, their work argued that the purpose of prisons and mental hospitals was social control, and that prisons created criminals, and mental facilities created mental illness. Part II looks at four British studies : Russell Barton's Institutional Neurosis which suggested the existence of a new disease entity; Peter Townsend's The Last Refuge, a study of old people in residential care; The Morrisses' Pentonville, a study of a London prison which became a classic in criminology; and Sans Everything, a symposium which paved the way for a series of official hospital enquiries in the 1970s. Part III examines David Rothman's two historical studies on how and why the U.S. constructed institutions, and how and why reform movements failed; N.N. Kittrie's The Right to be Different, a wide-ranging attack on the compulsory treatment of a variety of 'deviants', including the mentally ill, juvenile delinquents and drug abusers; Cohen and Taylor's Psychological survival, a disturbing analysis of the lives of long-term prisoners in a maximum security wing; Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment on the malignant effects of prison conditions on the personalities of both prisoners and their guards; and King and Elliott's study of Albany Prison, showing how a promising therapeutic experiment went wrong. This book will be of interest to students of history, gerontology, sociology, social policy, penology, psychology and political science.

Jess McDonald was a true crime junkie and Line of Duty sofa sleuth with a strong sense of injustice. Under a year later, she was a fully qualified detective in the London Metropolitan Police. The Direct Entry Scheme was a controversial new programme devised to tackle a recruitment crisis in the force. Jess was one of a hundred of the first rookies to go through an intense twenty-week training course, bypass time in uniform and fly solo as a detective investigating serious crime. In Jess's incisive, original and eye-opening memoir she takes us from bizarre training rituals to harrowing encounters with the perpetrators and victims of violent crime against women and girls, exploring what it really means to be responsible for 'keeping London safe for everyone'. We see the immense pressure she is put under as she struggles to adapt to her extraordinary new circumstances - and weighs up whether she, or any of the other Direct Entry detectives - can survive in the force as it is.

This handbook presents cutting-edge research that compares different criminal procedure systems by focusing on the mechanisms by which legal systems seek to avoid error, protect rights, ground their legitimacy, expand lay participation in the criminal process, and develop alternatives to criminal trials, such as plea bargaining, as well as alternatives to the criminal process as a whole, such as intelligence operations. The criminal procedures examined in this book include those of the United States, Germany, France, Spain, Russia, India, Latin America, Taiwan, and Japan, among others. This book explores a number of key topics in the field of criminal procedure: the role of screening mechanisms in weeding out weak cases before trial; the willingness of different legal systems to suppress illegally obtained evidence; the ways legal systems set meaningful evidentiary thresholds for arrest and pretrial detention; the problem of wrongful convictions; the way legal systems balance the search for truth against other values, such as protections for fundamental rights; emerging legal protections for criminal defendants, including new safeguards against custodial questioning in the European Union, limitations on covert operations in post-Soviet states, and the Indian system of anticipatory bail; as well as the mechanisms by which legal systems avoid trials altogether. A number of contributors also examine the impact of legal reforms that have newly introduced lay jurors into the fact-finding process or that now require juries to give reasons for verdicts. The ideal readership for this handbook includes law students, scholars of criminal procedure and comparative law, as well as civil liberties lawyers. Scholars of national security, the European Union, transitional justice, and privacy will also be interested in the volume's contributions to their fields. Contributors include: S.M. Boyne, M. Cohen, S. Fouladvand, E. Grande, J.S. Hodgson, D.T. Johnson, V. Khanna, N. Kovalev, M. Langer, A.D. Leipold, K. Mahajan, J. Mazzone, J.E. Ross, C. Slobogin, S.C. Thaman, J.I. Turner, R. Vogler, T. Wen

Today, EU criminal law and justice constitutes a significant body of law potentially affecting most aspects of criminal justice. This book provides a comprehensive, accessible yet analytically challenging account of the institutional and legal developments in this field to date. It also includes full consideration of the prospective changes to EU criminal law contained in the recent 'Lisbon Treaty'. While, broadly speaking, the authors welcome the objectives of EU criminal law, they call for a profound rethinking of how the good of criminal justice - however defined - is to be delivered to those living in the EU. At present, despite sometimes commendable initiatives from the institutions responsible, the actual framing and implementation of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ) suffers from a failure to properly consider the theoretical implications of providing the good of criminal justice at the EU level. Written shortly before the recent entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, EU Criminal Law and Justice comprises a full overview of the key legal developments and debates and includes a user-friendly guide to the institutional changes contained in the Treaty. This timely book will be of interest to both undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as to legal practitioners and policy makers at national and EU levels.

Explore the key aspects of business law through accessible, engaging real-life cas Law for Business Students, 12th edition, by Adams, Caplan and Lockwood provides you with contemporary and comprehensive coverage of the fundamental legal principles relating to the business environment. It introduces legal concepts to non-law students in a practical and engaging way through real-life cases relevant to the business world. The book offers a range of features to help you understand, apply and analyse legal concepts, including scenarios to encourage the development of opinions and application of relevant legal concepts. The 'Worth thinking about' sections provide discussion points to analyse within the classroom, while 'Exam tips' help revision practice by pointing to areas of the law which are likely to appear in exam questions. The new edition has been thoroughly updated to cover legal developments in a range of diverse areas relevant to the core topics of law: contract (including intellectual property), tort, employment and business organisations (including formation), governance, and dissolution. It reflects the changes in the law as a result of Brexit, as well as Covid litigation arising in relation to employment rights. This title also has a Companion Website.

The new edition of this classic text covers the latest developments in American gun policy including the most recent shooting incidents that persist in plaguing the American landscape. Continuing a multi-decade trend, crime generally remains low throughout the US, but mass shootings have increased in both number and lethality, stoking greater support for gun laws among the public. Two seismic political events are highlighted in the eighth edition. The first is the ascendance of the gun safety movement, culminating in numerous electoral victories for gun law supporters in 2018 congressional and state races around the country. This outcome, which contributed to the Democrats' capture of the House of Representatives for the first time since 2008, also demonstrates that support for stronger gun laws could be a winning issue for proponents in 2020 and beyond. The second political development featured is the financial, political, and legal crises that beset the nation's oldest and most powerful gun group, the National Rifle Association. These crises are sufficiently grave that they may pose an existential threat to the organization's traditional dominance in the realm of gun politics. Author Robert J. Spitzer has long been a recognized authority on gun control and gun policy. His even-handed treatment of the issue--as both a member of the NRA and the Brady Center--continues to compel national and international interest, including appearances on major media such as the PBS NewsHour. The eighth edition of The Politics of Gun Control provides the reader with up-to-date data and coverage of gun ownership, gun deaths, school shootings, border patrols and new topics including universal background checks, limits on large capacity ammunition magazines, and "red flag" laws. New to the Eighth Edition Covers the ascendance of the Second Amendment sanctuary and gun safety movements, resulting from heinous shootings in Las Vegas and Parkland, Florida. Tracks the financial, political, and legal crises that threaten the dominance of the National Rifle Association. Examines new policy measures including universal background checks, limits on large capacity ammunition magazines, the bump stock controversy, and "red flag" laws, among others.

Drawing on the expertise and experience of contributors from a wide range of academic, professional and judicial backgrounds, the Research Handbook on the International Penal System critically analyses the laws, policies and practices that govern detention, punishment and the enforcement of sentences in the international criminal justice context. Comprehensive and innovative, it examines the operation of the international penal system, covering pertinent issues such as non-custodial sanctions, monitoring of conditions of detention, the protection of prisoners under international law and the transfer of prisoners. These aspects are presented in a logical order, linking up with the chronological sequence of the international criminal justice process. Far-reaching, this Handbook also explores broader normative questions related to contemporary human rights law, transitional and restorative justice and victim redress, before exploring contemporary and alternative mechanisms for punishing and overseeing punishment, and possible avenues for development. This up-to-date assessment will provide valuable insights for researchers and students of international criminal law and justice, comparative penal law, penology, prisoners' rights and transitional and restorative justice. Its recommendations for development will also interest international and national officials working in criminal law and justice. Contributors: D. Abels, K. Ambos, O. Bekou, S. D Ascoli, T.A. Doherty, M.A. Drumbl, S.A. Fisher, B. Hola, A. Jones, N. Kiefer, C. McCarthy, L. McGregor, R. Mulgrew, J.C. Nemitz, M.M. Penrose, G. Sluiter, S. Snacken, A. Trotter, H. van der Wilt, J. van Wijk, D. van Zyl Smit, R. Young

What is international criminal justice? The authors of this book set out a framework for understanding international criminal justice in all its facets. Considering both definition and content, the authors argue for its treatment as a holistic field of study, rather than a by-product of international criminal law. Adopting a multidisciplinary approach, this book draws on a range of legal and extra-legal disciplines. Whilst addressing crucial legal questions throughout, it also considers the role and impact of politics, history, psychology, terrorism, transitioning society, and even the idea of hope in how we understand international criminal justice. Challenging many of the prevalent paradigms of thinking in this area, Gideon Boas and Pascale Chifflet explore whether it is possible to reconcile some of the enduring intellectual conflict, such as whether and how retributive and restorative approaches to justice can co-exist. Written by leading academics who themselves are also practitioners in the field, this unique work performs a significant role in defining and explaining international criminal justice, and as such will be important reading for scholars and practitioners, as well as providing an entry point for students in a classroom environment.

The life of a criminal defence lawyer is shrouded in mystery. Outsiders might wonder about how to deal with potentially dangerous clients; what happens behind the scenes when building a defence; and, that age-old moral dilemma, how a lawyer can defend someone they think is guilty. But what is life really like for those tasked with representing the shadowy underbelly of society? For over forty years, criminal defence solicitor Henry Milner has been the go-to lawyer for some of Britain's most notorious criminals - including Kenneth Noye and the Brink's-Mat robbers, Freddie Foreman, John 'Goldfinger' Palmer and the gang behind the Millennium Dome raid. Here, the lawyer referred to in the Sunday Times as 'The Mr Big of Criminal Briefs' offers a fascinating insight into life at the top of the profession, lifting the lid on the psychology of those who end up on the wrong side of the law - and those who defend them. By turns shocking and hilarious, this remarkable memoir takes us deep into the enigmatic criminal underworld, delivering a wry personal commentary on the most extraordinary aspects of a life spent amongst the accused.

The pursuit of the financial proceeds of criminal activity has become a central theme of contemporary crime control. Initially conceived to tackle the global trade in illegal drugs, these methods have been more recently employed in the context of terrorism. This work offers a judicious account of the national and international strategies which seek to cope with crime by attacking its financial underpinnings. The book focuses on the increasingly civil legal orientation of these strategies - a sea change from criminal prosecutions to civil legal instruments. The author focuses on developments of the civil strategy in the US and the UK beginning with its historical origins. The work reveals the contradictions that animate the civil approach to criminal finance and discloses the failure of civil devices, as presently constituted, to comply with rights. It bridges the gap between two jurisdictions prominent in this area; the United States and the United Kingdom. This comparative element distinguishes the project from other work in the field that focuses on a single jurisdiction. Critical in its perspective, the work brings balance and reflection to an emergent area of national and international interest. Money Laundering and the Proceeds of Crime analyzes rather than merely describes the proceeds of crime laws, anti-money laundering regimes and the civil legal approach to criminal finance and as such will have a wide readership. The book will appeal to, amongst others, government actors involved in constructing instruments to confront criminal finance, scholars and researchers working in the area and banks, financial institutions, lawyers and other professional private actors charged with anti-money laundering functions.

EU criminal law is one of the fastest evolving, but also challenging, policy areas and fields of law. This Handbook provides a comprehensive and advanced analysis of EU criminal law as a structurally and constitutionally unique policy area and field of research.With contributions from leading experts, focusing on their respective fields of research, the book is preoccupied with defining cross-border or 'Euro-crimes', while allowing Member States to sanction criminal behaviour through mutual cooperation. It contains a web of institutions, agencies and external liaisons, which ensure the protection of EU citizens from serious crime, while protecting the fundamental rights of suspects and criminals. Students and scholars of EU criminal law will benefit from the comprehensive research present in this Handbook. National and EU policy-makers, as well as judges, defence lawyers and human rights lawyers will find the analysis of current legal action, combined with proposed solutions, useful to their work Contributors: I. Armada, P. Asp, M. Bergstroem, P. Caeiro, I. Cameron, M. Coninsx, P. De Hert, E. Fahey, E. Fasoli, M. Fitzmaurice, M. Fletcher, F. Galli, S. Gless, J.A. Gutierrez-Fons, C. Harding, E. Herlin-Karnell, J. Hodgson, S. Hufnagel, M. Kaiafa-Gbandi, A. Kargopoulos, T. Konstadinides, H. Labayle, A. Lazowski, K. Lenaerts, K. Ligeti, L. Marin, V. Mitsilegas, T. Obokata, R. Sicurella, N. Vavoula, A. Weyembergh

All the major financial centres have experienced a rise in anti-money laundering rules and regulations. Initially, anti-money laundering laws were used as a weapon in the war on drugs, whilst more recently they have been deployed in the ongoing fight against terrorism. These developments, the authors reveal, have had serious consequences for banks and other financial institutions - affecting not only profit margins but also the way in which business is conducted. Topical and pertinent issues addressed in this book include questions such as, has all the recent legislative activity really put a stop to the problem? Are the international rules being implemented as carefully as they should? How level is the playing field in cross border banking? The regimes and implementation of anti-money laundering laws and regulations of four major, cross border, financial centres are also examined in depth: Switzerland, Singapore, the UK, and the USA. Going beyond the purely descriptive, there are comparative analyses of these countries against existing international standards - with illuminating results. This new book is full of original insight and analysis and will be an invaluable resource for lawyers, both scholarly and practitioner based, with an interest in economic crime as well as policymakers and compliance officers within banks and other financial institutions.

Ponzi schemes are a particularly vicious form of financial fraud, in that the overly trusting victims, who are often wiped out, typically share an affiliation with the fraudster. They are interesting, in that they share some features with legitimate financial phenomena (such as stock manias) and shed light on the human tendency towards behaving foolishly, especially when encouraged or modeled by others. In Understanding Ponzi Schemes, Mervyn Lewis has written what is probably the best and most comprehensive book on the topic. Extremely readable, this book uses both theoretical models and real-life case studies to provide readers with an answer to two questions: 'How do Ponzi schemes work and why are they successful?' Lewis also provides useful answers to a third question: 'What can regulators and individuals do to be protected from future incarnations of Charles Ponzi?''' - Stephen Greenspan, University of Connecticut, US and author of Annals of Gullibility'Starting with very readable (and well-referenced) accounts of various Ponzi fraudsters from Ponzi himself through to Madoff and Stanford, lessons are drawn from such diverse disciplines such as psychology and statistical analysis to advocate novel approaches to the regulation of Ponzi schemes. A 'must read' for regulatory policy-makers and a fascinating read for the general reader, Professor Lewis is to be congratulated for advancing the debate on this age-old phenomenon by suggesting distinctive and innovative strategies to tackle it.' - Eva Lomnicka, Dickson Poon School of Law, King's College London, UK 'Readers looking for a clear explanation of how Ponzi schemes work and description of recent and historical examples, both large and small scale, will find that in this very readable book. But the author, Professor Mervyn Lewis, goes well beyond those topics by drawing on behavioural economics and psychology to help understand how 'victims' get caught in such schemes, and the motives and behaviours of the scheme operators. That analysis also provides a valuable checklist for readers to help them avoid becoming victims.' - Kevin Davis, University of Melbourne, Australia A Ponzi scheme is one of the simplest, albeit effective, financial frauds to engineer, and new schemes keep coming forward. Despite this, however, people continue to invest in them. How are we to account for the seemingly never-ending lure of such schemes? In providing answers to this central question, this concise and well-researched book examines how Ponzi schemes operate, how they differ from pyramid schemes, Ponzi finance and other financial arrangements. The author questions whether the victims have only themselves to blame, why fraudsters think that they can avoid detection, and what important insights behavioural finance theory and psychology can add. Particular attention is paid to the reasons behind the failure of financial regulation, and the types of regulatory changes needed to protect investors and avoid repetitions. The analysis is informed by case studies of 11 Ponzi schemes in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand. Finance and business academics interested in the operation of Ponzi schemes, and how they differ from pyramid schemes, will find this book invaluable, as will students of economics, finance, behavioural decision-making and psychology. Lawyers, psychologists, regulatory agencies and financial institutions will also benefit considerably from the analysis.

In this clear and observant book, Kenneth Button provides an overview of the economics and political economy of transport security, considering its policy from an economic perspective. His analysis applies micro-economic theory to transport issues, supporting and enhancing the larger framework of our knowledge about personal, industrial, and national security.Button's focus on the economic aspects of transportation security strives to move beyond established technical and legal approaches, working within both the narrower microeconomics of individual and corporate efficiency and the larger trends in economic policy-making. By fitting current security trends into economic analysis, he discusses not only contemporary developments, but also their economic implications and approaches for assessing alternative strategies. This examination of applied economics is a must-read for those looking to gain a broader view of transport security issues. It is a critical resource for those in the security industries as well as those involved in education about transport, security matters, and applied microeconomics. Contents: Preface 1. Introduction 2. The Scale and Nature of the Terrorist Problem 3. Some Basic Economics of Transportation Security 4. Links Between Market Structure and Security 5. The Economic Instruments of Security Policy 6. Security and Air Transportation 7. The Economics of Shopping Mall Security 8. Maritime Security 9. Some Conclusions Index

In this fresh examination of the Microsoft antitrust case, Richard Gordon critically examines the economics of the US government's arguments. The conclusion is that the government presented a sketchy, incoherent, invalid economic case and relied upon creating the impression of misdeeds to persuade the courts. The primary charge is that Microsoft possessed an impregnable monopoly in operating systems for personal computers. According to the government, Microsoft created, included in its operating system, and vigorously promoted its internet browser solely to prevent the development of the Java/Netscape alternative. The promotion of this browser was considered predatory. Microsoft allegedly undertook similar acts against other companies. According to Gordon, the government failed to present even a clear statement of its charges and failed to substantiate the critical allegations. In this book, he concentrates on the underlying economics of the case and reviews the germane theory. He presents and evaluates implicit government arguments as well as Microsoft's refutations. Readers in economics, law and public policy will find this well researched analysis enlightening.

This Short Introduction looks at judging and reasoning from three perspectives: what legal reasoning has been; what legal reasoning is from the view of judges and jurists; and what legal reasoning is from the view of a social scientist epistemologist or humanities specialist. Geoffrey Samuel begins by identifying the main institutional focal points of legal reasoning (ius, regulae iuris, Interpretatio, utilitas and actiones). While examining legal reasoning from both an internal and external viewpoint, the book simultaneously incorporates theory and scholarship from a range of other disciplines including social science and film studies. The author also includes a discussion of fiction theory, schemes of intelligibility, and other epistemological issues as well as standard reasoning devices such as induction, deduction and analogy. Combining cases and materials with original text, this unique, concise format is designed to be accessible for students who are starting out on their law programs, as well as providing insights for students and researchers who would like to examine judging and legal reasoning in more depth.

This edition gives full attention to the new constitutional context in which South African criminal law now operates. It also looks at the emerging culture of human rights and freedoms which has begun to generate a significant shift in perceptions of the "boni mores" of a new South African society. The law is stated as at June 1996, and references to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa are to the final Constitution enacted in 1996.

In China the process of criminal reconciliation allows the alleged perpetrators and victims of certain crimes to resolve criminal cases through reconciliation or mediation. Based on empirical studies, which include case file examination and interviews with judges, prosecutors, lawyers and individual parties in three cities in mainland China, this important new book provides a comprehensive description and in-depth analysis of the operation. Criminal reconciliation has been a key feature in the reform of China's judicial system and as part of her analysis of it the author relates flaws in the criminal reconciliation programme to wider problems in the Chinese criminal justice system. Students and scholars of law and related subjects, especially those focussing on Asian studies, will find this book to be of interest. It will also be of use to associations and organisations working on restorative justice, mediation, and reconciliation.

This handbook presents cutting-edge research that compares different criminal procedure systems by focusing on the mechanisms by which legal systems seek to avoid error, protect rights, ground their legitimacy, expand lay participation in the criminal process, and develop alternatives to criminal trials, such as plea bargaining, as well as alternatives to the criminal process as a whole, such as intelligence operations. The criminal procedures examined in this book include those of the United States, Germany, France, Spain, Russia, India, Latin America, Taiwan, and Japan, among others. This book explores a number of key topics in the field of criminal procedure: the role of screening mechanisms in weeding out weak cases before trial; the willingness of different legal systems to suppress illegally obtained evidence; the ways legal systems set meaningful evidentiary thresholds for arrest and pretrial detention; the problem of wrongful convictions; the way legal systems balance the search for truth against other values, such as protections for fundamental rights; emerging legal protections for criminal defendants, including new safeguards against custodial questioning in the European Union, limitations on covert operations in post-Soviet states, and the Indian system of anticipatory bail; as well as the mechanisms by which legal systems avoid trials altogether. A number of contributors also examine the impact of legal reforms that have newly introduced lay jurors into the fact-finding process or that now require juries to give reasons for verdicts. The ideal readership for this handbook includes law students, scholars of criminal procedure and comparative law, as well as civil liberties lawyers. Scholars of national security, the European Union, transitional justice, and privacy will also be interested in the volume's contributions to their fields. Contributors include: S.M. Boyne, M. Cohen, S. Fouladvand, E. Grande, J.S. Hodgson, D.T. Johnson, V. Khanna, N. Kovalev, M. Langer, A.D. Leipold, K. Mahajan, J. Mazzone, J.E. Ross, C. Slobogin, S.C. Thaman, J.I. Turner, R. Vogler, T. Wen

This guide has earned a reputation amongst South African lawyers as the source of first reference in assessing liability and the quantum of claims. As a subscription publication, new cases are constantly being added, keeping subscribers abreast of new judicial trends and attitudes to these kinds of claims.

Certain types of crime are increasingly being perpetrated across national borders and require a unified regional or global response to combat them. Transnational criminal law covers both the international treaty obligations which require States to introduce specific substantive measures into their domestic criminal law schemes, and an allied procedural dimension concerned with the articulation of inter-state cooperation in pursuit of the alleged transnational criminal. The Routledge Handbook of Transnational Criminal Law provides a comprehensive overview of the system which is designed to regulate cross border crime. The book looks at the history and development of the system, asking questions as to the principal purpose and effectiveness of transnational criminal law as it currently stands. The book brings together experts in the field, both scholars and practitioners, in order to offer original and forward-looking analyses of the key elements of the transnational criminal law. The book is split into several parts for ease of reference: Fundamental concepts surrounding the international regulation of transnational crime. Procedures for international cooperation against alleged transnational criminals including jurisdiction, police cooperation, asset recovery and extradition. Substantive crimes covered by transnational criminal law analysing the current legal provisions for each crime. The implementation of transnational criminal law and the effectiveness of the system of transnational criminal law. With chapters from over 25 authorities in the field, this handbook will be an invaluable reference work for student and academics and for policy makers with an interest in transnational criminal law.

This book is a rigorous attempt to address the problem of corruption by using various methodologies and perspectives. Among other innovative mechanisms, Soreide proposes to extend responsibility to those who benefit indirectly from corruption. She also suggests extending the duties of private actors to help the government in addressing corruption. She discusses the nature of sanctions and she proposes empowering courts to debar suppliers for public contracts. Soreide's analysis is careful, attentive to the evidence, and provides practical solutions to some of the most difficult challenges facing contemporary societies. This book should be read and influence theorists, economists, lawyers, government officials and policymakers.' - Alon Harel, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, IsraelCriminal law efficiency is a concept often referred to but seldom defined. Clarity, the author argues, is necessary for finding practical solutions to fundamental challenges in this area of law, especially with the criminal justice system itself at risk. Tina Soreide offers views in contrast to mainstream ideas on optimal criminal law responses to corruption, with emphasis on the fundamental role of the criminal justice system in the fight against corruption, and the effect this can have on other mechanisms in society. Her analysis explains the concept of criminal law efficiency through economic approaches and why many criminal law responses to corruption are at risk of becoming 'facade strategies' that may, in fact facilitate corruption. Corruption and Criminal Justice offers insights into the obstacles that policymakers and government advisors cannot ignore. It serves as an invaluable resource for advanced students and academics interested in law, economics, and large corporations.

'A bracing account of abuses of power and corruption in the criminal justice system.' The Guardian From the fearless defense attorney and civil rights lawyer who rose to fame with Netflix's The Staircase comes an essential examination of America's corrupt and abusive criminal justice system. In the past thirty years, more than 2,700 innocent American prisoners-their combined jail sentences adding up to almost 25,000 years-have been exonerated and freed. Terrifyingly, this number represents only a small fraction of the number of persons wrongfully convicted each year. As a result, US jails and prisons are packed with men and women who should not be there, but for crooked police, false testimony, shoddy investigators, vindictive judges, bogus expert witnesses or, far too often, the colour of their skin and their economic condition. Renowned criminal defense attorney and civil rights lawyer David Rudolf has spent his career defending the wrongfully accused. In American Injustice, he draws from his years of experience in the American criminal justice system, including some of his biggest cases, to shed light on the immorality and deceit prevalent at all levels of law enforcement, and the tragic consequences of this misconduct. Rudolf takes the reader to crime scenes to reveal how detectives retrieve evidence that supports their accusations and hide that which doesn't; revisits several unsolved murders to detail how and why the true culprits were never prosecuted; explores how unconscious bias frequently leads prosecutors and police to jump to false conclusions; and exposes how poverty and racism fundamentally deform the system-and why some want to keep it that way.