Research Guides: Criminal Justice: Background Information

Research Strategy

Need help searching strategically for research assignments? Here's some tips:

Consult background resources to choose, explore, and develop your topic.
Formulate an arguable and concise research question based on your topic to answer through your research.
Choose keywords from your research question and additional alternative keywords to use when searching databases.
Remember to evaluate search results to see if the searches you're trying are effective.

Research Strategy Checklist
This checklist provides a detailed account of each step in the research process.

Exploratory Research

Need topic ideas?

Explore criminal justice news feeds the for latest stories, research and trending topics.
- National Criminal Justice Reference Service
- The Crime Report by John Jay College of Criminal Justice
- Federal Bureau of Investigation news and publications
- The Marshall Project
- The New York Times police brutality, misconduct and shootings newsfeed
- CATO Institute
- Bureau of Justice Statistics newsfeed
- Annual Review of Criminal Procedure
Browse through your criminal justice or law textbooks and encyclopedias for general subjects / topic areas
Reference resources like dictionaries and encyclopedias are designed to give you background information on a topic, including quick facts, summaries and overviews. This information can help you to familiarize yourself with the history, leading personalities, concepts, vocabulary, and current issues related to your topic.

Exploratory Research

Once you have an idea in mind, do some exploratory research on the subject to narrow down your topic into a more concise research question.

Run a subject search through the Criminal Justice Database to ensure scholarly articles and research are available on your topic. You can also run searches through HeinOnline Academic, Academic Search Premier, Westlaw for court cases, and Bureau of Justice Statistics for information on crime.

Criminal Justice Reference Works

The Concise Dictionary of Crime and Justice by Mark S. Davis
ISBN: 9780761921752

Publication Date: 2002-06-25

A handy reference for students, professionals, and anyone interested in criminal justice and criminology, The Concise Dictionary of Crime and Justice is an excellent, wide-ranging resource with clear definitions for over 2,000 key criminal justice terms.
Dictionary of American Criminal Justice by Dean J. Champion
ISBN: 9781579580735

Publication Date: 1998-09-01

The Dictionary of American criminal justice, key terms and major Supreme Court cases will be useful to every student and researcher of American criminal justice system.
The Encyclopedia of American Crime by Carl Sifakis
ISBN: 9780816040407

Publication Date: 2000-12-31

Offers more than 2,000 entries on over one hundred years of American crime and criminals, including Billy the Kid, O.J. Simpson, the Oklahoma City bombing, the Tylenol murders, and the James brothers.
Encyclopedia of American Prisons by Marilyn D. McShane (Editor); Frank P. Williams (Editor)
ISBN: 9780203344866

Publication Date: 2004-08-02

urveys and analyzes policies and procedures used in the past, such as chain gangs and legislation that has shaped prison policy (such as the Ashurst-Summers Act and the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act). The coverage encompasses historical and contemporary aspects of correctional institutions in the United States.
Encyclopedia of Interpersonal Violence by Claire M. Renzetti; Jeffrey L. Edleson
ISBN: 9781452265919

Publication Date: 2010-01-20

The Encyclopedia of Interpersonal Violence provides accurate, research-supported information to clarify critical issues and educate the public about different forms of interpersonal violence, their incidence and prevalence, theoretical explanations, public policy initiatives, and prevention and intervention strategies.
Encyclopedia of Juvenile Justice by Marilyn D. McShane; Frank P. Williams III; Marilyn D. Mcshane; Frank P. Williams
ISBN: 9781452265278

Publication Date: 2010-01-26

The editors cover historical and contemporary theories, concepts, and real-world practices of juvenile justice in the United States. The entries address a broad range of issues and topics, such as alcohol and drug abuse, arson, the death penalty for juveniles, computer and Internet crime, gun violence, gangs, missing children, school violence, teen pregnancy, and delinquency theories.
Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement by Larry E. Sullivan (Editor); Marie Simonetti Rosen (Editor); Dorothy Moses Schulz (Editor); Maria (Maki) Haberfeld (Editor)
ISBN: 9780761926498

Publication Date: 2004-12-15

his three-volume Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement provides a comprehensive, critical, and descriptive examination of all facets of law enforcement on the state and local, federal and national, and international stages.
Encyclopedia of Murder and Violent Crime by Eric W. Hickey (Editor)
ISBN: 9780761924371

Publication Date: 2003-07-22

This encyclopedia covers both murder and violent crime in their variant forms.
Encyclopedia of Prisons and Correctional Facilities by Mary F. Bosworth (Editor)
ISBN: 9780761927310

Publication Date: 2004-12-15

The two-volume Encyclopedia of Prisons and Correctional Facilities aims to provide a critical overview of penal institutions within a historical and contemporary framework.
Encyclopedia of United States National Security by Richard J. Samuels (Editor)
ISBN: 9781452265353

Publication Date: 2005-12-21

The Encyclopedia covers the origin, development and results of all major US national security policies over the last seven decades. The Encyclopedia views US national security from a historical, economic, political and technological perspective. Entries are arranged into the following categories: Politics/policy making; Economics; Technology; Wars; Presidential Administrations; Foreign Relations; and Strategic Policy.
Encyclopedia of Victimology and Crime Prevention by Bonnie S. (Sue) Fisher (Editor); Steven P. Lab (Editor)
ISBN: 9781412960472

Publication Date: 2010-02-02

Victimology examines victims of all sorts of criminal activity, from domestic abuse, to street violence, to victims in the workplace who lose jobs and pensions due to malfeasance by corporate executives.
Encyclopedia of White-Collar and Corporate Crime by Lawrence M. Salinger (Editor)
ISBN: 9781452276168

Publication Date: 2013-01-01

Since the first edition of the Encyclopedia of White Collar and Corporate Crime was produced in 2004, the number and severity of these crimes have risen to the level of calamity, so much so that many experts attribute the near-Depression of 2008 to white-collar malfeasance, namely crimes of greed and excess by bankers and financial institutions. Second Edition of this encyclopedia captures what has been going on in the news and behind the scenes with new articles and updates to past articles.
Social History of Crime and Punishment in America by Wilbur R. Miller (Editor)
ISBN: 9781412988780

Publication Date: 2012-01-01

Several encyclopedias overview the contemporary system of criminal justice in America. his five-volume work surveys the history and philosophy of crime, punishment and criminal justice institutions in America from colonial times to the present. It covers the whole of the criminal justice system, from crimes, law enforcement and policing, to courts, corrections and human services.
U. S. Constitution A to Z by Robert L. Maddex; Robert L. Maddex
ISBN: 9781604267006

Publication Date: 2008-01-01

There is no other volume that so clearly and concisely explains every key aspect of the U.S. Constitution. This classic, easy-to-use reference is thoroughly updated with new entries covering the events of recent years including court cases with impact on Constitutional rights. Each of the more than 250 entries, arranged in encyclopedic A-to-Z format, provides accessible insight into the key questions readers have about the U.S. Constitution. All entries are updated with content through the end of 2007.

Print and E-Books

Methods of Criminology and Criminal Justice Research by Mathieu Deflem (Editor); Derek Silva (Editor)
ISBN: 9781787698659

Publication Date: 2019-08-26

The eleven chapters in this volume of Sociology of Crime, Law and Deviance discuss a variety of issues of methodological significance in research in the fields of criminology and criminal justice studies.
Modern control theory and the limits of criminal justice by Michael R Gottfredson and Travis Hirschi
ISBN: 9780190069810

Publication Date: 2020

'Modern Control Theory and the Limits of the Criminal Justice' develops and extends the theory of self control advanced in Gottfredson and Hirschi's classic work 'A General Theory of Crime'. Since it was first published, their general theory has been among the most discussed and researched perspectives in criminology. This text critically reviews the evidence about the theory, contrasting it with alternative perspectives, and argues in favour of prevention efforts during early childhood to deal with the many problems facing the criminal justice system in America.
Forty Studies That Changed Criminal Justice by Amy B. Thistlethwaite; John D. Wooldredge
ISBN: 9780132349758

Publication Date: 2009-02-11

This book is more than a collection of original published articles-it is a summary of studies that have shaped the criminal justice system. Carefully chosen based on their impact on the discipline or their capacity to spark controversy, the studies offer a historical look into the field of policing, courts and corrections. Each summary includes: a complete citation; background information; a description of methodology; a summary of results; an evaluation of the research; and suggestions for further reading. Throughout the book, readers are shown a variety of research designs and evidence of research influencing the operation of the criminal justice system.
Prisons, punishment, and the family : towards a new sociology of punishment? by Rachel Condry and Peter Scharff Smith (1971)
ISBN: 9780192538130

Publication Date: 2018

very year millions of families are affected by the imprisonment of a family member. Children of imprisoned parents alone can be counted in millions in the USA and in Europe. It is a bewildering fact that while we have had prisons for centuries, and the deprivation of liberty has been a central pillar in the Western mode of punishment since the early nineteenth century, we have only relatively recently embarked upon a serious discussion of the severe effects of imprisonment for the families and relatives of offenders and the implications this has for society. This book draws together some of the excellent research that addresses the impact of criminal justice and incarceration in particular upon the families of offenders. It assembles examples of recent and ongoing studies from eight different countries in order to not only learn about the secondary effects and 'collateral consequences' of imprisonment but also to understand what the experiences and lived realities of prisoners' families means for the sociology of punishment and our broader understanding of criminal justice systems

A bootcamp for criminals : inside the criminal justice system in America by Noreen Hermans Eiss
ISBN: 9781527534162

Publication Date: 2019

In America's criminal justice system, despite the assumption of innocence until one is proved guilty, the accused is often incarcerated in a county facility pending trials that can be delayed for years. This situation is exacerbated by the plea bargaining process, which makes those accused admit to crimes they did not do in order to obtain a lighter sentence, the defendant's inability to face an accuser in court, and the inestimable cost to loved ones and communities of the incarcerated. Drawing from the most current books on America's prisons and prison reform initiatives, journal articles
America's jails : the search for human dignity in an age of mass incarceration by Derek S Jeffreys 1964-
ISBN: 9781479843787

Publication Date: 2018

A look at the contemporary crisis in U.S. jails with recommendations for improving and protecting the dignity of inmates Twelve million Americans go through the U.S. jail system on an annual basis. Jails, which differ significantly from prisons, are designed to house inmates for short amounts of time, and are often occupied by large populations of legally innocent people waiting for a trial. Jails often have deplorable sanitary conditions, and there are countless records of inmates being brutalized by staff and other inmates while in custody. Local municipalities use jails to institutionalize those whom they perceive to be a threat, so hundreds of thousands of inmates suffer from mental illness.
Communities and Crime by Pamela Wilcox; Francis T. Cullen; Ben Feldmeyer
ISBN: 9781592139750

Publication Date: 2017-12-01

Social scientists have long argued over the links between crime and place. The authors of Communities and Crime provide an intellectual history that traces how varying images of community have evolved over time and influenced criminological thinking and criminal justice policy. The authors outline the major ideas that have shaped the development of theory, research, and policy in the area of communities and crime. Each chapter examines the problem of the community through a defining critical or theoretical lens: the community as social disorganization; as a system of associations; as a symptom of larger structural forces; as a result of criminal subcultures; as a broken window; as crime opportunity; and as a site of resilience.
The Prison Industrial Complex by Lita Sorensen (Compiled by)
ISBN: 9781534506916

Publication Date: 2020-07-15

The United States boasts the highest incarceration rate in the entire world. Perhaps not coincidentally, mass incarceration has been a financial boon to the private prison industry. Privatization of prisons is seen by some as a solution to state governments' budget problems, but the mission of these for-profit companies is not necessarily aligned with the reform system. The diverse perspectives in this volume examine the history of private prisons in the United States, whether they are more concerned with rehabilitation or financial profit, and what impact they have on criminal justice laws and society at large.

Mobilized by injustice : criminal justice contact, political participation, and race by Hannah L Walker
ISBN: 9780190940669

Publication Date: 2020

Springing from decades of abuse by law enforcement and an excessive criminal justice system, member of over-policed communities lead the current movement for civil rights in the United States. Activated by injustice, individual protested police brutality in Ferguson, campaigned to end stop-and-frisk in New York City, and advocated for restorative justice in Washington, D.C. Yet, scholars focused on the negative impact of punitive policy on material resources, and trust in government did not predict these pockets of resistance, arguing instead that marginalizing and demeaning policy teaches individuals to acquiesce and withdraw. Mobilized by Injustice excavates conditions under which, despite otherwise negative outcomes, negative criminal justice experiences catalyze political action. This book argues that when understood as resulting from a system that targets people based on race, class, or other group identifiers, contact can politically mobilize.
Locking up Our Own by James Forman
ISBN: 9780374189976

Publication Date: 2017-04-18

Today, Americans are debating our criminal justice system with new urgency. Mass incarceration and aggressive police tactics-and their impact on people of color-are feeding outrage and a consensus that something must be done. But what if we only know half the story? In Locking Up Our Own, the Yale legal scholar and former public defender James Forman Jr. weighs the tragic role that some African Americans themselves played in escalating the war on crime.
The Handbook of Race, Ethnicity, Crime, and Justice by Meghan E. Hollis (Editor); Jacob I. Stowell (Editor); Ramiro Martinez (Editor)
ISBN: 9781119113775

Publication Date: 2018-06-08

This Handbook presents current and future studies on the changing dynamics of the role of immigrants and the impact of immigration, across the United States and industrialized and developing nations. It covers the changing dynamics of race, ethnicity, and immigration, and discusses how it all contributes to variations in crime, policing, and the overall justice system.
Women, Crime, and Justice by Elaine Gunnison; Frances P. Bernat; Lynne Goodstein
ISBN: 9781118793442

Publication Date: 2016-05-19

Women, Crime, and Justice: Balancing the Scales presents a comprehensive analysis of the role of women in the criminal justice system, providing important new insight to their position as offenders, victims, and practitioners. Draws on global feminist perspectives on female offending and victimization from around the world Covers topics including criminal law, case processing, domestic violence, gay/lesbian and transgendered prisoners, cyberbullying, offender re-entry, and sex trafficking.

The Wiley Handbook on Offenders with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Research, Training, and Practice by William R Lindsay and John L Taylor (John Lionel),
ISBN: 9781118752968

Publication Date: 2018

The Wiley Handbook on Offenders with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities is a comprehensive compendium to the research and evidence supporting clinical work with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who offend or are at risk of offending. With contributions from an international panel of experts, the text reviews the most recent developments in the assessment, treatment and management of various types of offenders with intellectual disabilities including violent offenders, sexual offenders and firesetters. The text also explores the developments in research on risk assessment and management of people with intellectual disabilities who offend or are at risk of offending.
Treatment for crime : philosophical essays on neurointerventions in criminal justice by David Birks 1981-(Editor) and Thomas Douglas 1979-(Editor)
ISBN: 9780191076268

Publication Date: 2018

Traditional means of crime prevention, such as incarceration and psychological rehabilitation, are frequently ineffective. This collection considers how crime preventing neurointerventions (CPNs) could present a more humane alternative but, on the other hand, how neuroscientific developments and interventions may threaten fundamental human values.Preventing recidivism is one of the aims of criminal justice, yet existing means of pursuing this aim are often poorly effective, highly restrictive of basic freedoms, and significantly harmful. Incarceration, for example, tends to be disruptive of personal relationships and careers, detrimental to physical and mental health, restrictive of freedom of movement, and rarely more than modestly effective at preventing recidivism
The Sequential Intercept Model and Criminal Justice by Kirk Heilbrun (Editor); Edward P. Mulvey (Editor); David DeMatteo (Editor); Carol A. Schubert (Editor); Patricia A. Griffin (Editor)
ISBN: 9780190234218

Publication Date: 2014-12-20

The number of individuals with severe mental illness in the criminal justice system is shockingly high. However, there is a wealth of research that shows that the traditional incarceration model is not effective with this population, and that many of these individuals can be helped in the community at less cost without increased risk to public safety by addressing their risk-relevant needs and improving their opportunities for recovery. As a result, during the last decade there has been an increasing interest in community-based alternatives to incarceration for individuals with severe mental illness.The Sequential Intercept Model and Criminal Justice offers an overview of the recent changes in correctional policy and practice that reflect an increased focus on community-based alternatives for offenders.

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