Technology has become increasingly important to both the function and our understanding of the justice process. Many forms of criminal behaviour are highly dependent upon technology, and crime control has become a predominantly technologically driven process - one where 'traditional' technological aids such as fingerprinting or blood sample analysis are supplemented by a dizzying array of tools and techniques including surveillance devices and DNA profiling.

This book offers the first comprehensive and holistic overview of global research on technology, crime and justice. It is divided into five parts, each corresponding with the key stages of the offending and justice process:

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• Part I addresses the current conceptual understanding of technology within academia and the criminal justice system;
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• Part II gives a comprehensive overview of the current relations between technology and criminal behaviour;
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• Part III explores the current technologies within crime control and the ways in which technology underpins contemporary formal and informal social control;
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• Part IV sets out some of the fundamental impacts technology is now having upon the judicial process;
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• Part V reveals the emerging technologies for crime, control and justice and considers the extent to which new technology can be effectively regulated.
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This landmark collection will be essential reading for academics, students and theorists within criminology, sociology, law, engineering and technology, and computer science, as well as practitioners and professionals working within and around the criminal justice system.

About the Author

M. R. McGuire is Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Surrey, UK.

Thomas J. Holt is Professor of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University, USA.

Reviews

'This book brings together a team of world-leading scholars to assess the ever increasing impact of technological development upon crime and justice. Extending their gaze well beyond the digital realm to include mechanical, chemical and biological technologies, these exemplary essays offer invaluable insights into just how significantly technologies are reshaping the contours of criminal activity and its control. This is a hugely important resource for anyone seeking to understand the contemporary contours of global crime.'

Majid Yar, Professor of Criminology, Lancaster University, UK

'This is truly an exceptional book. Technology plays a vital role in shaping how we understand and respond to the problem of crime, and this new collection by McGuire and Holt provides a comprehensive and fascinating account of area often overlooked by criminal justice system scholarship. Highly recommended.'

Benjamin Goold, Professor at the Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia, Canada

'Michael McGuire and Thomas Holt have put together an impressive collection of essays on how technological change has transformed crime, crime control and justice. Rich, diverse, and informative, in 39 chapters the Handbook covers a huge range of topics, with contributions from both emerging and distinguished scholars from different disciplines. The volume reflects a genuine desire to cover the field comprehensively, focusing not only on ICT, but also a variety of other technologies such as chemical and biological, DNA and forensics, as well as visual, weapon, transport and nano science. It does so in a way that is both delightfully accessible and theoretically informed.'

Janet Chan, Professor at UNSW Law, Key Researcher at the Data to Decisions Cooperative Research Centre (D2D CRC), and Associate Director of the Australian Centre for Cyber Security, UNSW, Australia

Book Information
ISBN 9780367581404
Author M. R. McGuire
Format Paperback
Page Count 722
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 1240g