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Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Crime & criminology > Organized crime > General
Terrorist's Creed casts a penetrating beam of empathetic
understanding into the disturbing and murky psychological world of
fanatical violence, explaining how the fanaticism it demands stems
from the profoundly human need to imbue existence with meaning and
transcendence.
New Zealand's underworld of organised crime and deadly gangs 'The
best true-crime book of the year by a long stretch.' - Steve
Braunias, Newsroom 'A series of rip-snorting yarns about gangs,
drugs, fancy cars, wads of cash, violence, and guns - Aotearoa New
Zealand style.' - Simon Bridges New Zealand is now one of the most
lucrative illicit drug markets in the world. Organised crime is
about making money. It's a business. But over the past 20 years,
the dealers have graduated from motorcycle gangs to Asian crime
syndicates and now the most dangerous drug lords in the world - the
Mexican cartels. In Gangland, award-winning investigative reporter
Jared Savage shines a light into New Zealand's rising underworld of
organised crime and violent gangs. The brutal execution of a
husband-and-wife; the undercover cop who infiltrated a casino VIP
lounge; the midnight fishing trip which led to the country's
biggest cocaine bust; the gangster who shot his best friend in a
motorcycle shop: these stories go behind the headlines and open the
door to an invisible world - a world where millions of dollars are
made, life is cheap, and allegiances change like the flick of a
switch.
This book responds to the claim that criminology is becoming
socially and politically irrelevant despite its exponential
expansion as an academic sub-discipline. It does so by addressing
the question 'what is to be done' in relation to a number of major
issues associated with crime and punishment. The original
contributions to this volume are provided by leading international
experts in a wide range of issues. They address imprisonment,
drugs, gangs, cybercrime, prostitution, domestic violence, crime
control, as well as white collar and corporate crime. Written in an
accessible style, this collection aims to contribute to the
development of a more public criminology and encourages students
and researchers at all levels to engage in a form of criminology
that is more socially relevant and more useful.
One of the dark sides to democratization can be crime and
corruption. This book looks at the way political liberalization
affects these practices in a number of ways whilst also challenging
some of the scare stories about democracy. The book also brings the
politics of power back into an examination of corruption.
This Brief provides an in-depth look at crime and corruption in
Russian Law Enforcement, in the fifteen years since the 2009 police
reforms. It focuses on corruption and organized crime at various
levels of public services and law enforcement, how these organized
crime networks operate, and how to enhance police integrity and
legitimacy in this context. It begins with a short overview of the
history of law enforcement in the Soviet and Post-Soviet context,
and the scope of organized crime on the operations of local
businesses, public services, and bureaucratic offices. It provides
an in depth examination of how organized crime developed in this
context, to fill a void between the supply and demand of various
goods and services. Based on an in-depth survey of police integrity
and corruption in Russia, it provides key insights into how
countries in a transition to democracy can maintain and enhance
legitimacy of their police force. This Brief will be of interest to
researchers in Criminology and Criminal Justice, particularly with
a focus on policing, corruption or organized crime, as well as
related disciplines such as political science.
Phases of Terrorism in the Age of Globalization considers terrorism
as an aspect of the capitalist world system for almost five
centuries. Jalata's research reveals that terrorism can emerge from
above as state terrorism and below as subversive organizations or
groups.
In the early hours of an August morning a gunfight broke out in an
Italian restaurant in Duisburg; in less than five minutes over
seventy shots were fired into the bodies of six men. Both victims
and assassins were members of the 'Ndrangheta crime organization;
Calabria's Mafia had extended the savage tentacle of its influence
outside Italy for the first time. For the men of the 'Ndrangheta,
time is still measured in hour-glasses and honour may only be
washed with blood. Petra Reski dispels the Hollywood romance
surrounding the Mafia to reveal the huge and menacing force lurking
everywhere - from street corner to parliament offices, construction
site to corporate headquarters - and involved in everything from
petty extortion to the disposal of nuclear waste. Reski's searing
portrait of the criminals who have come to control not only Italy
but vast swathes of Europe, is a journalistic tour de force.
While the success of national and international law enforcement
cooperation to suppress organized crime means that stable,
large-scale criminal organizations like the Cosa Nostra or the
Japanese Yakuza have seen their power reduced, organized crime
remains a concern for many governments. Economic globalization and
the easing of restrictions on exchanges across borders now provide
ample opportunity for money-making activities in illegal markets.
Policies designed to stop illegal market flows often shift these
activities to new places or create new problems, as the U.S.- led
war on drugs spread production and trafficking to a number South
and Central American countries. The Oxford Handbook of Organized
Crime provides informed, authoritative, and comprehensive overviews
of these issues and other principal forms of organized crime, as
well as the type and effectiveness of efforts to prevent and
control them. Leading scholars from criminology, law, sociology,
history, and political science discuss the key concepts, history,
and methods of organized crime; the major actors and interactions
involved in it; the markets and activities frequently associated
with organized crime; and the policies designed to combat it.
Individual chapters on criminal organizations and specific
activities or markets comprise the heart of the volume. The
chapters on actors provide the history, analyze the structure and
activities, and assess the strength and future prospects of each
organization. Articles on particular markets address the patterns
of activity, identify the most affected regions, and where possible
provide estimated revenues, discuss factors promoting the activity,
and disclose information on the victims and harms caused. The
Oxford Handbook of Organized Crime delivers a systematic,
high-quality, and truly global approach to the topic and with it a
more complete understanding of organized crime in its many forms
for researchers, government officials, and policymakers.
First published in 1928, Herbert Asbury's whirlwind tour through
the low-life of" "nineteenth-century New York has become an
indispensible classic of urban history.
Focusing on the saloon halls, gambling dens, and winding alleys of
the Bowery and the notorious Five Points district, "The Gangs of
New York" dramatically evokes the destitution and shocking violence
of a turbulent era, when colorfully named criminals like Dandy John
Dolan, Bill the Butcher, and Hell-Cat Maggie lurked in the shadows,
and infamous gangs like the Plug Uglies, the Dead Rabbits, and the
Bowery Boys ruled the streets. A rogues gallery of prostitutes,
pimps, poisoners, pickpockets, murderers, and thieves, "The Gangs
of New York" is a dramatic and entertaining glimpse at a city's
dark past.
Join the deadly journey of cocaine, from farmer to kingpin. Meet
Maria. Maria doesn't see herself as a criminal. She's just a
farmhand picking the crops that never lose money: coca. This is
Cachote. He prays to the Virgin of the Assassins that his bullets
find their target. If he misses, he'll have to answer to the cartel
who pay him to take out their enemies. Pedro works the coca labs.
But this laboratory is hidden deep in the jungle, and he turns coca
leaves in to coca paste, a step just short of cocaine. And finally,
here is Alex. Alex is a drug-lord and decides where the drug goes
next: into Europe or the US. And he wields the power of life and
death over everyone around him. In Kilo, Toby Muse takes us deeper
into the drug trade than ever before, following a kilo of cocaine
as it travels from its origins to the street. On the ground in the
drug war for over a decade, earning the trust of those involved on
all sides, Toby Muse takes us with him through the endless
blood-soaked horror and economic logic at every level of the
journey of the world's most alluring and dangerous drug. We come to
meet and ultimately understand the tainted personal psychology and
motivations of each player in this dark El Dorado. But there are no
winners here. Anyone who tries to hold the power of the 'white
goddess' cocaine is ultimately undone, violently stripped of their
humanity, their souls and their lives in this endless, pointless
dance of death.
This Brief studies the important role that tattoos play in prison
culture, and examines its unique manifestation among minority
inmates. This work aims to provide a better understanding of prison
group culture, particularly among social marginal groups, through
the lens of Russian immigrants in Israeli prisons. Russian
immigrants currently represent approximately 25% of the total
Israeli prison population, and this book examines how tattoos show
an important form of rebellion amongst this group. As tattoos are
forbidden in some forms of Islam and Judaism, and the Israeli
prison service confiscates over 200 homemade tattoo devices per
year, this is a significant phenomenon both before and during
incarceration. This work examines how despite the transition to
Israel, the main social codes of Russian prisoners are still
dominant and help segregate this group from the larger prison
population. It provides a lens to understand Russian criminal
activity in Israel, and in a larger context, the modes of social
cohesion and criminal activity of organized crime groups operating
in prison systems. This work will be of interest to researchers
studying the organized crime and the criminal justice system,
Russian organized crime in particular, as well as related studies
of immigration, demography, and social cohesion.
Winter is coming, and Detective Inspector Barton is facing the
toughest case of his career...Ellen Toole's therapist told her to
forget the past, but with her family story shrouded in secrecy,
that's easier said than done. The approaching long nights of winter
loom threateningly in front of her, and with her mother on her
death bed, Ellen has never felt more alone. When it becomes clear
that her mother has kept secrets about a history darker than Ellen
ever imagined, Ellen must find answers about the past if she has
any hope for a future. DI Barton and his team are still recovering
from a particularly tough and grisly case, so a report of a
kidnapping, followed by the discovery of two dead bodies, is the
last thing they need. There's a murderer on the loose, and the
killer needs to be stopped before they strike again. This winter,
there will be vengeance on Ellen's mind, and DI Barton will
struggle with his hardest case to date. How can Barton find the
truth, when all the victims and witnesses are dead?Ross Greenwood
writes gritty, heart-pounding thrillers, with twists aplenty, and
unforgettable endings. Perfect for fans of Lee Child and Ian
Rankin. Praise for Ross Greenwood: 'Move over Rebus and Morse; a
new entry has joined the list of great crime investigators in the
form of Detective Inspector John Barton. A rich cast of characters
and an explosive plot kept me turning the pages until the final
dramatic twist.' author Richard Burke 'Master of the psychological
thriller genre Ross Greenwood once again proves his talent for
creating engrossing and gritty novels that draw you right in and
won't let go until you've reached the shocking ending.' Caroline
Vincent at Bitsaboutbooks blog 'Ross Greenwood doesn't write
cliches. What he has written here is a fast-paced, action-filled
puzzle with believable characters that's spiced with a lot of
humour.' author Kath Middleton
Contemporary philosophy still lacks a satisfying theory of
punishment, one that adequately addresses our basic moral concerns.
Yet, as the crisis of incarceration in the United States and
elsewhere shows, the need for a deeper understanding of
punishment's purpose has never been greater. In Punishment and the
History of Political Philosophy, Arthur Shuster offers an
insightful study of punishment in the works of Plato, Hobbes,
Montesquieu, Beccaria, Kant, and Foucault. Through careful
interpretation of their key texts, he argues that continuing
tensions over retribution's role in punishment reflect the shift in
political philosophy from classical republicanism to modern notions
of individual natural rights and the social contract. This book
will be vital reading for political theorists, philosophers,
criminologists, and legal scholars looking for a new perspective on
the moral challenges faced by the modern criminal justice system.
In an article in 2001 the author analyzed the way the Hungarian
political party Fidesz (the Federation of Young Democrats) was
eliminating the institutional system of the rule of law as it was
on government for the first time. At that time, many readers
doubted the legitimacy of the new approach, in which the author
characterized the system as the 'organized over-world', the 'state
employing mafia methods' and the 'adopted political family'.
Critics considered these categories metaphors rather than elements
of a coherent conceptual framework. Ten years later Fidesz won a
two-third majority in Parliament at the 2010 elections, removing
many of the institutional obstacles of exerting power. Just like
the party, the state itself was placed under the control of a
single individual, who since then has applied the techniques used
within his party to enforce submission and obedience onto society
as a whole. It is common in many post-communist systems that a
segment of the party and secret service became the elite in
possession of not only political power but also of wealth. However,
Fidesz, as a late-coming new political predator, was able to occupy
this position through a change of elite. The actions of the
post-communist mafia state model are closely aligned with the
interests of power and wealth concentrated in the hands of a small
group of insiders. While the traditional mafia channeled wealth and
economic players into its spheres of influence by means of direct
coercion, the mafia state does the same by means of parliamentary
legislation, legal prosecution, tax authority, police forces and
secret service. The innovative conceptual framework of the book is
important and timely not only for Hungary, but also for other
post-communist countries subjected to autocratic rules.
From the New York Times bestselling author of Blood and Honor and
The Last Gangster-"one of the most respected crime reporters in the
country" (60 Minutes)-comes the sure to be headline-making inside
story of the Gotti and Gambino families, told from the unique
viewpoint of notorious mob hit-man John Alite, a close associate of
Junior Gotti who later testified against him. In Gotti's Rules,
George Anastasia, a prize-winning reporter who spent over thirty
years covering crime, offers a shocking and very rare glimpse into
the Gotti family, witnessed up-close from former family insider
John Alite, John Gotti Jr.'s longtime friend and protector. Until
now, no one has given up the kind of personal details about the
Gottis-including the legendary "Gotti Rules" of leadership-that
Anastasia exposes here. Drawing on extensive FBI files and other
documentation, his own knowledge, and exclusive interviews with
insiders and experts, including
mob-enforcer-turned-government-witness Alite, Anastasia pokes holes
in the Gotti legend, demystifying this notorious family and its
lucrative and often deadly machinations. Anastasia offers
never-before-heard information about the murders, drug dealing, and
extortion that propelled John J. Gotti to the top of the Gambino
crime family and the treachery and deceit that allowed John A.
"Junior" Gotti to follow in his father's footsteps. Told from
street level and through the eyes of a wiseguy who saw it all
firsthand, the result is a riveting look at a family whose hubris,
violence, passion, and greed fueled a bloody rise and devastating
fall that is still reverberating through the American underworld
today. Gotti's Rules includes 8 pages of black-and-white
photographs.
The author draws on behavioral ecology to predict the evolution of
organized crime in unregulated systems of exchange and the further
development of racketeer economies into unstable kleptocratic
states. The result is a new model that explains the expansion and
contraction of political-economic complexity in prehistoric and
contemporary societies.
Criminal Capital is an engaging but authoritative account of how
financial structures and products can and are being used to evade
proper scrutiny and enable criminal activity and what can be done
about it. Based on the analysis of the financial methods that are
frequently used by criminals, it deals with the widespread abuse of
financial systems.
This volume provides a unique collection of essays in honour of the
work of Marcus Felson and his notable contribution to routine
activity theory, environmental criminology and the discipline more
broadly. Chapter 5 of this book is open access under a CC BY
license.
In the post-Cold War era, economic globalization has resulted in
the buying and selling of human beings. Poverty, social
instability, lawlessness, gender biases, and ethnic hostility have
entrapped millions in the world of modern day slavery, with the
result that human trafficking is one of the fastest growing
criminal industries in the world. Every year, men, women, and
children from across the globe are transported within or across
borders for the purpose of forced labor and sexual exploitation.
Despite the plethora of journalistic articles written on human
trafficking there is a need for more rigorous academic analysis of
the phenomenon. Although groups from many different ideologies have
embraced policies to end human trafficking, there are still many
gaps and unanswered questions, particularly with regard to the
amount of, and nature of the phenomenon. This book provides an
insight into the complexity of human trafficking by addressing both
how the scope of globalization impacts the sex industry and forced
labor, and how vulnerability is a growing cause of human
trafficking, affecting traditional diasporic and migratory
patterns. This book was originally published as a special issue of
the Journal of Intercultural Studies.
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