The origin and enforcement of criminal law are central to the sociological study of crime, yet we know relatively little about how the coercive apparatus of criminalization is actualized through prosecutorial and court practices. We use Bourdieu's extension of Weber's analysis of law to develop a perspective on fields of practice, the juridical…

This paper presents comments on Kassin's review, (see record 2005-03019-002) of the psychology of false confessions. The authors note that Kassin's review makes a compelling argument for the need for legal reform in police interrogation practices. Because his work strikes at the heart of the American criminal justice system--its fairness--the…

This document describes major provisions of the Anti-Drug Abuse Amendments Act of 1988, a federal law relating to enforcement of controlled substances laws which authorizes over two billion dollars for anti-drug activities. Provisions of the Act relating primarily to drug abuse education, prevention or treatment and regulation of the manufacture,…

Because the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners represent what the international community considers minimum standards of respectability and decency in the treatment of prisoners, they are very influential. Unfortunately, they include no underlying rationale, an omission that is a major obstacle to interpretation and…

The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners do not express the basic principle that would support a serious educational approach to prison administration. The crucial missing rationale is the concept of the inherent dignity of the individual human prisoner. This concept has certain basic educational implications,…

An investigation into the types of propositions used in criminal trials reveals that the question being adjudicated in criminal trials is a proposition of fact that may or may not be influenced by policy and value considerations. The argument is offered that the proposition of fact identifies the ultimate issue in a legal debate. While value…

Three themes run through this collection of citations which represent a small fraction of literature on the adult female offender. One is the ideology, implications, and impact of criminological theory to the study of female crime and criminality. A second theme treats the legal and procedural mechanics of justice administration. The final theme…

Sexual sterotyping affects the incarceration of women, their treatment in prisons and jails, and their reception in the community following release. While women's organizations play a major role in improving conditions facing incarcerated women, they have perpetuated the sterotypes. Because of sex role sterotyping, we have denied justice to women.…

Curfew laws have been instituted in cities across the United States in an attempt to control the rise in juvenile crime. Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of a curfew law for Baltimore City based on interviews with city officials and concludes that the law in its present form will not bring about any significant change in the rate of…

Explores the relationships between prosecutorial action and prosecutors' perceptions of how important pornography is to the public, press, and the prosecutors themselves. Specifically focuses on the factors that influence Indiana prosecutors' behavior with respect to pornography and concludes that they tend to respond to public and press opinion…

Reviews research which has demonstrated an own-race bias in recognition accuracy. Analyzes the impact of differential recognition on the criminal justice system, focusing on the construction of fair lineups and the likelihood of misidentification of innocent persons. Evaluates several explanations to account for this bias and relates findings to…

Examines the possible impact of the feminist movement upon criminal justice decisions relating to women. One body of data confirmed a trend away from indiscriminate leniency in the punishment of female criminals during the women's movement. The second set of data disclosed that an increased seriousness was accorded to the crime of rape as feminism…

Discusses some of the unique situational characteristics of contemporary criminal proceedings which influence the rhetorical options of the trial judge. Available from: Speaker and Gavel, Allen Press, P.O. Box 368, Lawrence, KS 66044. Subscription Rate: $5.00 per year. (MH)

This report presents information from four studies that investigated factors decision makers considered when transferring cases from the juvenile to the criminal justice system. All states have legal mechanisms whereby some juveniles may be transferred from the juvenile to the criminal justice system for prosecution. These decisions fall into…

Presents an evaluative study of adult criminal diversion programs. The results of the study indicate that the diversion programs result in a decline in both the number and proportion of cases fully prosecuted. (IM)