As a growing number of nations embark on a path to democracy,
criminologists have become increasingly interested and engaged in
the challenges, concerns, and questions connecting democracy with
both crime and criminal justice. Rising levels of violence and
street crime, white collar crime and corruption both in countries
where democracy is securely in place and where it is struggling,
have fuelled a deepening skepticism as to the capacity of democracy
to deliver on its promise of security and justice for all citizens.
What role does crime and criminal justice play in the future of
democracy and for democratic political development on a global
level?
The editors of this special volume of The Annals realized the
importance of collecting research from a broad spectrum of
countries and covering a range of problems that affect citizens,
politicians, and criminal justice officials. The articles here
represent a solid balance between mature democracies like the U.S.
and U.K. as well as emerging democracies around the globe
specifically in Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe. They are
based on large and small cross-national samples, regional
comparisons, and case studies.
Each contribution addresses a seminal question for the future of
democratic political development across the globe. What is the role
of criminal justice in the process of building democracy and
instilling confidence in its institutions? Is there a role for
unions in democratizing police forces? What is the impact of
widespread disenfranchisement of felons on democratic citizenship
and the life of democratic institutions? Under what circumstances
do mature democracies adopt punitive sentencing regimes? Addressing
sensitive topics such as relations between police and the Muslim
communities of Western Europe in the wake of terrorist attacks,
this volume also sheds light on the effects of terrorism on mature
democracies under increasing pressure to provide security for their
citizens.
By taking a broad vantage point, this collection of research
delves into complex topics such as the relationship between the
process of democratization and violent crime waves; the impact of
rising crime rates on newly established as well as secure
democracies; how crime may endanger the transition to democracy;
and how existing practices of criminal justice in mature
democracies affect their core values and institutions.
The collection of these insightful articles not only begins to
fill a gap in criminological research but also addresses issues of
critical interest to political scientists as well as other social
and behavioral scientists and scholars. Taking a fresh approach to
the intersection of crime, criminal justice, and democracy, this
volume of The Annals is a must-read for criminologists and
political scientists and provides a solid foundation for further
interdisciplinary research. "
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