Community Justice discusses concepts of community within the context of justice policy and programs, and addresses the important relationship between the criminal justice system and the community in the USA.
Taking a bold stance in the criminal justice debate, this book argues that crime management is more effective through the use of informal (as opposed to formal) social control. It demonstrates how an increasing number of criminal justice elements are beginning to understand that the development of partnerships within the community that enhance informal social control will lead to a stabilization and possible a decline in crime, especially violent crime, and make communities more liveable. Borrowing from an eclectic toolbox of ideas and strategies - community organizing, environmental crime prevention, private-public partnerships, justice initiatives - Community Justice puts forward a new approach to establishing safe communities, and highlights the failure of the current American justice system in its lack of vision and misuse of resources.
Providing detailed information about how community justice fits within each area of the criminal justice system, and including relevant case studies to exemplify this philosophy in action, this book is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students of subjects such as criminology, law and sociology.
About the Author: Todd R. Clear is Dean of the School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University, Newark NJ, USA. He is a past president of the American Society of Criminology and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.
John Hamilton is Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Administration at Park University. He retired at the rank of Major from the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department after 261/2 years of service. He has extensive experience in community policing and problem solving, and is also member of the Board of Directors for Synergy Services, Inc.
Eric Cadora is Founder and Director of the Justice Mapping Center. Prior to establishing the Center, he has served as Program Officer for The After Prison Initiative at the Open Society Institute; as Director for Research and Policy, Court Communications, and Day Centre divisions of the Centre for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services (CASES); and has also conducted graduate work at New York University.
