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Asphalt Justice A Critique of the Criminal Justice System in America
(Click to Enlarge)
John Raymond Cook
Book Code: C6827
ISBN: 0-275-96827-8
ISBN-13: 978-0-275-96827-4
224 pages, figures,tables
Praeger Publishers
Publication: 10/30/2000
List Price: $115.00 (UK Sterling Price: £65.00)
Availability: In Stock
Media Type: Hardcover
Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4
Subjects: Reviews:
  • ... This book fulfills the purpose of the author in explaining why the current criminal justice system does not work. Each chapter examines the different problems with the criminal justice system and the underlying causes, in addition to offering ways in which to provide solutions for each of its flaws. This book would be a valuable aid to other texts in criminal justice courses...
    —Criminal Justice Review     Autumn 2001
Description: The current emphasis on "get tough" approaches to crime has had and will continue to have a disastrous impact on society as a whole. Cook, who has worked extensively in various capacities throughout the criminal justice system, argues that the failure to encourage treatment and rehabilitation is extremely shortsighted and serves only to postpone societal ills. He examines the prison experience as a psychological experience and suggests that restructuring the prison environment to focus on changing the behavior of criminals will ultimately be more cost effective and more beneficial to society. Approaching the problem of crime in a coordinated and systematic way will produce more results than the current reliance on political posturing and media sound bites. Recent formulation of crime policy often seems driven by statistically rare and exceptional events, and the new laws passed in response to sensational events have actually resulted in an ever-growing and increasingly violent criminal underclass. Similarly, the trend toward incarceration and extreme punishment as the primary means of correction has led to unfortunate consequences. Overcrowding, massive prison construction, and the siphoning of funds from the rest of the public sector are all "get tough" byproducts. This study proposes solutions to current systemic problems aimed at those interested in trying to develop plans or treatment strategies within correctional settings.
Table of Contents:
  • Preface
  • Get Smart on Crime
  • A House Built on Sand
  • Two Sides of the Same Coin
  • Politicians and Bureaucrats
  • Ball Four "Solutions" that Miss the Plate
  • Gangs, Militias and Organized Crime
  • Juvenile Crime
  • Insanity and Mental Health
  • Coercive Treatment, Civil Liberties and Change
  • The New Gulag
  • Get Smart on Crime--Part II
  • Classification and Treatment: Earning Release
  • Prevention is Not a Four Letter Word
  • Bibliography
LC Card Number: 00-022345
LCC Class: HV9950
Dewey Class: 364
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