The Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice

This set is the first in a planned series of encyclopedias from the publisher on the general topic of criminology, with future titles to cover juvenile justice, crime and punishment, and criminology theory. The major strengths of this work are its breadth and depth. Broad categories and individual entries include corrections and sentencing ("Amnesty and Pardon," "Corporal Punishment," "Jails," "Prison Administration"); courts and adjudication ("Appeal," "Bail Bondsmen," "Restorative Justice," "Sentencing Guidelines"); and criminal procedure ("Due Process," "Grand Jury," "Habeas Corpus," "Search and Seizure"). Many other areas are addressed as well, including the history of criminology, types of crimes, and victimization. All these are contained in 540 alphabetically arranged, signed articles that vary from 2,000 to 5,000 words in length. In his introduction, Albanese (criminology, Virginia Commonwealth Univ.; Transnational Crime in the 21st Century) states that academic libraries are the primary market for the material. He also explains that a conscientious effort was made to present a comprehensive assessment of the field "in a student-friendly tone." This is generally the case, although there are notable exceptions. The entry on "Biological Theories of Crime," essentially a primer in neuroscience, uses terms such as limbic system and amygdada with little to no explanation.