State Criminality: The Crime of All Crimes (Issues in Crime and Justice)

Product Description

State crimes are historically and contemporarily ubiquitous and result in more injury and death than traditional street crimes such as robbery, theft, and assault. Consider that genocide during the 20th century in Germany, Rwanda, Darfur, Albania, Turkey, Ukraine, Cambodia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and other regions claimed the lives of tens of millions and rendered many more homeless, imprisoned, and psychologically and physically damaged. Despite the gravity of crimes committed by states and political leaders, until recently these harms have been understudied relative to conventional street crimes in the field of criminology. Over the past two decades, a growing number of criminologists have conducted rigorous research on state crime and have tried to disseminate it widely including attempts to develop courses that specifically address crimes of the state. Referencing a broad range of cases of state crime and international institutions of control, State Criminality provides a general framework and survey-style discussion of the field for teaching undergraduate and graduate students, and serves as a useful general reference point for scholars of state crime.

Review

Rothe provides us with a masterful overview of what is known and what needs to be known about crimes of states and their control. She lays out a very useful typology and an integrated theory to advance our understanding of state crime, and she delineates the nature of the challenges confronting international legal institutions.
State Criminality is an essential acquisition for the library of all students of crimes of states. It is sure to be regarded as a seminal contribution to the literature in this realm. My only disappointment relating to this book is that I didn’t manage to write it myself! — David O. Friedrichs, Distinguished University Fellow, University of Scranton

In light of the immense importance of this topic, this excellent book deserves the widest possible readership among criminologists and all other interest parties. Essential. Most levels/libraries. ―
CHOICE, April 2010

The most comprehensive, non-ideological, and accessible introduction to the subject of state crime to date, providing both breadth and depth. Written by one of the most well known experts in the field. — Jeffrey Ian Ross, University of Baltimore

About the Author

Dawn L. Rothe is assistant professor of criminology at Old Dominion University.