Matt DeLisi

This book investigates the unintended and deadly consequences of criminal justice reforms through observing the effects of prison depopulation sentencing reform on county jails. This mixed-methods case study explores how California’s sentencing reform efforts in 2011 (Assembly Bill 109) and 2014 (Proposition 47) to depopulate California state prisons impacted California county jail inmate culture and experiences. Its results demonstrate how California county jails inmate culture became more like prison inmate culture, resulting in increased inmate deaths and a deadlier county jail experience. Of particular value in this exploration are the theoretical and real-world policy implications of legislation on correctional facility administration. From a theoretical perspective, this work improves our understanding of the interconnected criminal justice system. From a policy perspective, implications cover unintended collateral consequences and mechanisms to reduce them. This volume is ideal for policy makers and researchers of criminal justice reform.

This book revisits the life and crimes of Ted Bundy. It seeks to reconcile the contradictions and controversies about his life that underscore the broader US unsolved murder problem, one that is estimated at between 250,000 to 350,000 open, unresolved, or cold cases. The incidence of crime is far greater than is captured by official statistics; most offenses are never detected, a concept known as the dark figure of crime which is explored here. Drawing on 25 years of practitioner, research, and consultant experiences with the most violent criminals, this book offers solutions toward clearing the current backlog of unsolved murders in the United States many of which were never reported and disproportionately perpetrated by offenders like Bundy. This compelling book speaks to students, academics and readers interested in true crime, serial murder, homicide and criminal justice.

Delinquency in Society, Eleventh Edition provides in-depth, research-oriented coverage of the essentials on delinquency topics and theories, including juvenile delinquency, criminal behavior, and status-offending youths.

US Corrections from A to Z American Corrections continues to offer an engaging, scholarly, and student-friendly exploration into the US correctional system in an updated third edition. Beginning with sentencing and offender classification and proceeding to parole and reentry, the text walks students through the entire correctional system and its processes. This progression from foundations to specializations lays the groundwork for a solid understanding of US corrections and prepares students for a variety of careers within the US criminal justice system. The Third Edition features new information on hot topics such as restorative justice restitution programs, the Federal Post Conviction Risk Assessment (PCRA), and an in-depth look at the effectiveness of various correctional programs. With its clear writing style and apolitical approach, American Corrections: Theory, Research, Policy, and Practice, Third Edition is the obvious choice for learning about the American correctional system.

Violent Offenders: Theory, Research, Policy, and Practice is a compilation of original scholarship from an impressive list of applied and academic criminologists who are international experts on violent offenders. Now in an updated third edition, the text continues to lead with cutting-edge material on all types of violent offenders, including gangs, serial killers, sex offenders, career criminals, and conventional street criminals. The numerous case studies featured throughout the text have been updated to reflect the contemporary and relevant information that students encounter in news and media. The Third Edition also features six new chapters on current highly-debated topics including violent juvenile offenders, sexual offenders as well as sex offending policy and practice, and more thought-provoking discussions. Violent Offenders is an engaging text that challenges readers to think critically of the subject not only while inside the classroom, but also in their everyday lives as consumers of daily news.

This book applies the psychopathy concept toward the understanding of crime. Drawing on hundreds of studies and his own clinical, research, and practitioner experience working with the most antisocial and violent offenders, the author demonstrates that psychopathy can explain all forms of crime across the life course, and also examines the biosocial foundations of the disorder. With an abundance of case studies and historical references, written in a distinctive writing style, the book is equally fascinating to the academic scholar and the true crime buff alike.

This book applies the psychopathy concept toward the understanding of crime. Drawing on hundreds of studies and his own clinical, research, and practitioner experience working with the most antisocial and violent offenders, the author demonstrates that psychopathy can explain all forms of crime across the life course, and also examines the biosocial foundations of the disorder. With an abundance of case studies and historical references, written in a distinctive writing style, the book is equally fascinating to the academic scholar and the true crime buff alike.

Delinquency in Society continues to set the standard for the fundamentals of delinquency theories. This classic text examines the historical, social, and theoretical contexts of delinquency in a new stunning interior design featuring high quality images. Combining thorough and accurate research with an approachable writing style, Delinquency in Society teaches and engages. The essentials to a strong understanding of delinquency are all there, including juvenile delinquency, criminal behavior, status-offending youths, an overview of critical theories on delinquency, and juvenile crime. This well-organized text also includes two chapters dedicated to the juvenile justice system and delinquency prevention. Numerous feature boxes illuminate fascinating research and historical cases that stimulate student interest, making the best-selling Delinquency in Society, Tenth Edition the clear choice in delinquency. Each new print copy includes Navigate 2 Advantage Access that unlocks a comprehensive and interactive eBook, student practice activities and assessments, a full suite of instructor resources, and learning analytics reporting tools.

What should be done with minors who kill, maim, defile, and destroy the lives of others? The state of Texas deals with some of its most serious and violent youthful offenders through “determinate sentencing,” a unique sentencing structure that blends parts of the juvenile and adult justice systems. Once adjudicated via determinate sentencing, offenders are first incarcerated in the Texas Youth Commission (TYC). As they approach age eighteen, they are either transferred to the Texas prison system to serve the remainder of their original determinate sentence or released from TYC into Texas’s communities.The first long-term study of determinate sentencing in Texas, Lost Causes examines the social and delinquent histories, institutionalization experiences, and release and recidivism outcomes of more than 3,000 serious and violent juvenile offenders who received such sentences between 1987 and 2011. The authors seek to understand the process, outcomes, and consequences of determinate sentencing, which gave serious and violent juvenile offenders one more chance to redeem themselves or to solidify their place as the next generation of adult prisoners in Texas. The book’s findings-that about 70 percent of offenders are released to the community during their most crime-prone years instead of being transferred to the Texas prison system and that about half of those released continue to reoffend for serious crimes-make Lost Causes crucial reading for all students and practitioners of juvenile and criminal justice.

Conservative Criminology serves as an important counterpoint to virtually every other academic text on crime. Hundreds of books have been written about crime and criminal justice policy from a variety of perspectives, including Marxist, liberal, progressive, feminist, radical, and post-modernist. To date, however, no book has been written outlining a conservative perspective on crime and criminal justice policy. Not a polemic against liberalism, Conservative Criminology nonetheless focuses on how liberal ideology affects the study of crime and criminals and the policies that criminologist advocate. Wright and DeLisi, both senior scholars, give a voice to a major political philosophy—a philosophy often demonized by academics—and to conservatives in the academic world. In the end, Conservative Criminology calls for an investment in intellectual diversity, a respect for varying political philosophies, and a renewed commitment to honesty in scholarship.The authors encourage debate in the profession about the proper role of ideology in the academy and in public policies on crime and justice. Conservative Criminology is for the criminal justice professional and student. It serves as a stimulating supplement to courses in criminology and criminal justice, as well as a primary text for special issues or capstone courses. This book supports the reader in recognizing ideological biases, whatever they might be, and in considering their own convictions.

Conservative Criminology serves as an important counterpoint to virtually every other academic text on crime. Hundreds of books have been written about crime and criminal justice policy from a variety of perspectives, including Marxist, liberal, progressive, feminist, radical, and post-modernist. To date, however, no book has been written outlining a conservative perspective on crime and criminal justice policy. Not a polemic against liberalism, Conservative Criminology nonetheless focuses on how liberal ideology affects the study of crime and criminals and the policies that criminologist advocate. Wright and DeLisi, both senior scholars, give a voice to a major political philosophy—a philosophy often demonized by academics—and to conservatives in the academic world. In the end, Conservative Criminology calls for an investment in intellectual diversity, a respect for varying political philosophies, and a renewed commitment to honesty in scholarship.The authors encourage debate in the profession about the proper role of ideology in the academy and in public policies on crime and justice. Conservative Criminology is for the criminal justice professional and student. It serves as a stimulating supplement to courses in criminology and criminal justice, as well as a primary text for special issues or capstone courses. This book supports the reader in recognizing ideological biases, whatever they might be, and in considering their own convictions.

A unique approach to human behavior that integrates and interprets the latest research from cell to society Incorporating principles and findings from molecular biology, neuroscience, and psychological and sociocultural sciences, Human Behavior employs a decidedly integrative biosocial, multiple-levels-of-influence approach. This approach allows students to appreciate the transactional forces shaping life course opportunities and challenges among diverse populations in the United States and around the world. Human Behavior includes case studies, Spotlight topics, and Expert's Corner features that augment the theme of each chapter. This book is rooted in the principles of empirical science and the evidence-based paradigm, with coverage of: Genes and behaviorStress and adaptationExecutive functionsTemperamentPersonality and the social work professionSocial exchange and cooperationSocial networks and psychosocial relationsTechnologyThe physical environmentInstitutionsBelief systems and ideology Unique in its orientation, Human Behavior proposes a new integrative perspective representing a leap forward in the advancement of human behavior for the helping professions.

Developed exclusively to accompany Delinquency in Society, Ninth Edition, this student companion website offers a variety of resources designed to enhance your study of delinquency and to give you an opportunity to explore topics from the text in more detail.Interactive study tools include:-Interactive Flashcards-Interactive Glossary-Crossword Puzzles-Chapter Objectives-Critical Thinking Questions

Drs. DeLisi and Conis provide their unparalleled research expertise/productivity and nearly 4 years of combined criminal justice practitioner experience to make American Corrections: Theory, Research, Policy, and Practice, Second Edition the ideal introductory text for the corrections course. They use a straightforward writing style that is scholarly, engaging, and fun. Updated throughout, it contains both classic and cutting-edge contemporary data on correctional topics drawing from the fields of criminology, criminal justice, sociology, psychology, government, and public policy. The text is broken down into four parts, starting with an overview of the correctional system, including the history and philosophy of corrections. It progresses to discuss the management of offender risk and covers the ways in which the correctional system classifies offenders according to the risks they exemplify. Part III delves into the prison system and includes discussions on the journey of prisoners, from prison, to parole, and reentry into society. This comprehensive introduction concludes with an examination of the special populations within the correctional system, including juveniles, women, and those sentenced to capital punishment and civil commitment.

More than a century of scientific research has indicated that the majority of crime that occurs in society is committed by a small percentage of the population, meaning that most criminals are repeat offenders, or "career criminals." If societies devoted considerable resources toward preventing and neutralizing career criminals, there would be dramatic reductions in crime, the fear of crime, and the assorted costs and collateral consequences of crime. Career Criminals in Society examines the small but dangerous group of repeat offenders who are most damaging to society. The book encourages readers to think critically about the causes of criminal behavior and the potential of the criminal justice system to reduce crime. Author Matt DeLisi draws upon his own practitioner experience, interviewing criminal defendants to argue that career criminals can be combated only with a combination of prevention efforts and retributive criminal justice system policies. Key FeaturesUses an engaging writing style to provide a comprehensive overview of career criminalsProvides chapter-opening vignettes developed from real criminal casesExamines various crime prevention strategies to neutralize criminal careers Explores the international relevance of career criminalsDraws upon research from the fields of criminal justice, criminology, psychology, sociology, and human developmentWith its controversial, thought-provoking style, Career Criminals in Society is sure to advance theory and research on chronic offenders and inspire discussions on how to adequately control crime. It is an excellent supplementary textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses on criminology, criminal behavior, crime typologies, deviant behavior, and crime control and prevention.