Significant Reference and Electronic Resources for Criminal Justice Collections
 
Battleground: criminal justice, ed. by Gregg Barak.  Greenwood, 2007.  2v bibl index afp; ISBN 9780313340406, $175.00. Reviewed in 2008may CHOICE.
 
The 100 alphabetical entries in this two-volume set provide readers with a comprehensive, balanced view of controversial subjects in criminal justice. Entries vary widely, ranging from “Cameras in the Courtroom” and “Marijuana Medicalization” to “Guantánamo Detainees” and “Torture and Enemy Combatants.” Although the volumes generally focus on issues within the United States, some entries deal with international issues (“Supremacy of International Law,” “Post-Apartheid Justice”). Entries range from 2,000 to 5,000 words; they usually contain an introduction, background, key events, legal decisions, and future prospects. The format allows readers to grasp quickly the pertinent issues in understanding a topic, or to focus on a specific section of a topic. Sidebars often provide quirky tidbits concerning entries. The information is concise, clear, and well-balanced. Useful tools include a guide to related topics, and comprehensive and subject indexes. Cross-referencing, a bibliography, endnotes, and further reading lists help readers locate additional material. These volumes are indispensable to an understanding of the nuances of frequently divisive issues in criminal justice. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers; general readers. — K. Evans, Indiana State University
45-4748  HV7411  2007-21778 CIP
 
Bell, Suzanne.  The Facts on File dictionary of forensic science.  Facts on File, 2004.  278p afp ISBN 0-8160-5131-3, $45.00.  Outstanding Title! Reviewed in 2004nov CHOICE.
 
Bell (forensic chemistry, West Virginia Univ. and author of Encyclopedia of Forensic Science, CH, Apr’04) offers an essential dictionary of forensic science. About 1,800 alphabetically arranged, cross-referenced entries make this an excellent source for armchair forensic scientists or a brush-up source for professional forensic experts. Definitions range from a few sentences to several paragraphs, provide fundamental knowledge of the key terms and concepts in forensics, and cover a wide range of forensic knowledge, including blood, pharmacology, decomposition, and court and legal terms. Although “not intended as a primary reference in the field,” Bell’s volume provides precise information on numerous forensic topics in clear, straightforward language. Eighty large, well-drawn illustrations enhance the terms. Six appendixes include a bibliography of print and Web sources organized by forensic discipline, common abbreviations and acronyms in forensic science, the periodic table of elements, and diagrams of the human skeleton and skull. Summing Up: Essential. All collections. — K. Evans, Indiana State University
42-1293  HV8073  2003-15735 CIP

Criminal Justice Abstracts. CSA. Annual academic subscription is $3,000.00 for a sitewide license.  Internet Resource.  Outstanding Title! Reviewed in 2007mar CHOICE.
http://www.csa.com/
 
[Visited Dec’06] This premier database for criminal justice research indexes over 86,000 records from US and international journals, reports, books, book chapters, dissertations, and unpublished papers from criminal justice, criminology, and allied fields. Coverage runs from 1968 to present. Prepared in conjunction with the Rutgers University Law Library, the database is particularly strong in covering crime trends, crime prevention and deterrence, juvenile justice and delinquency, as well as police, the court system, punishment, and sentencing. In the last few years, CSA has made great strides in the design and functionality of its interface. Users can opt for the Quick Search, but will more likely want to consult the Advanced Search page for added options. From here, users have the ability to combine different search terms, employ Boolean operators, or search within specific fields (e.g., descriptor, title, author, journal name). A sample search using “community policing” as a descriptor brings up more than 360 results. From the results list, one can explore the citations by category (e.g., peer-reviewed journals, books, Web sites) and mark records for saving, printing, or e-mailing. CSA’s “Search Tools” function lets users combine searches, create e-mail alerts, access search history, and browse the thesaurus.

Users who want full-text articles directly from this database must look elsewhere, as it offers simply citations and abstracts. However, CSA provides full-text linking options to libraries subscribing to its other databases, including Criminology: A SAGE Full-Text Collection (CH, Oct’05, 43-0673). In addition, libraries subscribing to CSA’s PsycINFO (CH, May’06, 43-5037) and Sociological Abstracts (CH, May’06, 43-5050) may set up a single search system that will search across multiple CSA databases. Libraries wanting access to some full-text criminal justice materials should consult ProQuest’s Criminal Justice Periodicals Index http://www.proquest.com/ or the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (CH, Sup’01, 38Sup-680); however, material indexed in Criminal Justice Abstracts is unparalleled. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Libraries supporting criminal justice programs for lower-level undergraduates through professionals/practitioners.
 — J. A. Hardenbrook, Millikin University
44-3634

Criminology: a SAGE full-text collection.  Sage Publications, CA.  Internet Resource.  Outstanding Title! Reviewed in 2005oct CHOICE.
http://www.sagefulltext.com/
 
[Visited Jul’05] Available from CSA http://www.csa.com, Criminology is an excellent, easy-to-use resource for students or professionals involved with criminology. Searching includes access to 21 periodical titles published by Sage and “participating societies.” The database consists of “bibliographic records (indexed summaries or abstracts)” and the complete text of each article. Retrospective coverage for some titles incorporates journals from 20 years ago. Areas of coverage include criminal justice, juvenile delinquency, corrections, penology, policing, forensic psychology, and family and domestic violence. In keeping with the wide coverage of topics, Sage includes sources such as Child Maltreatment, Homicide Studies, and The Prison Journal. Information is updated weekly, although “not every journal will have data each week.”<p>Options for both quick and advanced searching contribute to ease of use. Helpful features include multiple search bars (on the advanced screen), extensive Boolean capabilities, and the option of adding or subtracting search bars. Search options allow users to focus on particular choices (e.g., subject, author), select date ranges, mark results, view by relevance, and save a search. Search results display with a breakdown for the number of results according to the following categories: journals, peer-reviewed journals, Web sites (added by CSA’s editors), and other (e.g., book reviews). Within the results, linkable descriptors are available for numerous articles. Each display of an article offers viewers the option of focusing on one or all sections–including the record, references, “cited by” references, table of contents, and full text (PDF). Additional search tools provide the ability to combine searches, look at a search history, perform “command searches,” set up an alert system, and browse the thesaurus and indexes. This is one of the best full-text collections of criminology sources available. The ease of searching, combined with the quality of the search results, make this resource a must-have for academic institutions. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels. — K. Evans, Indiana State University
43-0673
 
Encyclopedia of crime & justice, ed. by Joshua Dressler.  2nd ed.  Macmillan Reference, 2002.  4v bibl ISBN 0-02-865319-X, $475.00.  Outstanding Title! Reviewed in 2002jun CHOICE.
 
In more than 250 alphabetically arranged essays, this encyclopedia covers a wide range of criminal and judicial topics ranging from abortion to wiretapping. The editorial board used the first edition, edited by Sanford H. Kadish (CH, Mar’84), as the basis for this edition. Several essays have been updated or added (domestic violence, sexual predators, hate crimes) to reflect current trends in criminal justice. The essays, 800 to 12,000 words in length, cover topics broadly, giving a wide-ranging view rather than a narrowly focused outlook. Information is detailed yet easy to comprehend; scholars and general readers will find the essays pertinent and understandable. Bibliographies cover “classical and contemporary sources,” and topical essays guide readers to further information. Reader aids include a general and two legal indexes, a glossary, and an extensive guide to legal citations. Running heads at the top of each index page list volumes with inclusive page numbers. An excellent addition for all collections. — K. Evans, Indiana State University
39-5554 HV6017 2001-42707 CIP

Encyclopedia of criminology, ed. by Richard A. Wright and J. Mitchell Miller.  Fitzroy Dearborn, 2005.  3v bibl index afp ISBN 1-57958-387-3, $495.00.  Outstanding Title! Reviewed in 2005sep CHOICE.
 
After years of seeming neglect, criminology is experiencing a major reference publishing boom. Encyclopedia of Criminology and Deviant Behavior, ed. by Clifton D. Bryant (4v., 2001), received widely favorable reviews, and Encyclopedia of Crime & Justice, ed. by Joshua Dressler (2nd ed., 4v., CH, Jun’02, 39-5554), has since become a standard reference work in the field. Wright and Miller’s encyclopedia deserves a place on the shelf next to its illustrious predecessors. Intended for scholars and literate nonprofessionals, their source provides an authoritative, multidisciplinary overview of traditional and contemporary topics in the field. Wright and Miller’s editorial decisions are flawless. More than 500 essays contributed by more than 300 international scholars fall into 12 major substantive areas in the discipline, including criminal behavior (124 essays), the justice system (121), criminal law (61), theories of criminal behavior (49), and prominent figures in the field (44). Although Encyclopedia of Crime & Justice covers 250 topics in greater depth, Wright and Miller cover broad topics under numerous separate entries rather than in one general entry; for example, “Organized Crime” is the subject of 16 separate entries such as “Organized Crime: Russian Mafia.” Each entry provides a select bibliography of classic and recent material. Cross-references to related entries are logical and numerous, and the inclusion of infrequently covered topics (e.g., “Occult Crimes,” “Phrenology,” “Demonology”) is also impressive. This reference source is destined to become a standard in the field. Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates and higher. — D. K. Frasier, Indiana University–Bloomington
43-0061  HV6017  2004-4861 CIP 

Encyclopedia of forensic and legal medicine, ed. by Jason Payne-James et al.  Elsevier, 2005.  4v bibl indexes afp ISBN 0-12-547970-0, $740.00. Reviewed in 2006feb CHOICE.
 
In this multivolume encyclopedia, contributors explore the relationship between law, medicine, and science in the study of forensics. An international team of forensic specialists was responsible for covering over one hundred different subjects in this comprehensive reference series. Traditional crime-solving techniques such as autopsies, ballistics, fingerprinting, hair and fiber analysis, and the more sophisticated procedures associated with terrorism investigations, forensic chemistry, DNA, and immunoassays are some of the topics presented. Chapters, arranged in alphabetical order, are written in a clear and concise manner. Definitions are often provided for obscure terms. Information is supplemented by color pictures, tables, and diagrams. Each topic begins with an introduction and ends with a list of additional articles to be used for cross-referencing and further studies. In some instances, case studies further explain a topic, but they are minimal in number. This set should prove to be an excellent resource for professionals working in forensics, lawyers, or medical/graduate students interested in forensic training. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Libraries supporting graduate students and above. — M. C. Pavao, Worcester State College
43-3138 RA1017  MARC

Encyclopedia of law enforcement, ed. by Larry Sullivan.  Sage Publications, CA, 2005.  3v bibl index ISBN 0-7619-2649-6, $295.00.  Outstanding Title! Reviewed in 2005jun CHOICE.
 
Sullivan (John Jay College of Criminal Justice) has edited an outstanding set on law enforcement issues. More than 300 academics and practitioners in the field contributed essays on all aspects of law enforcement, ranging from analyses of historical events to future trends. Volume 1 deals with state and local issues (e.g., civilian/police involvement, crime statistics, personnel issues, police corruption, police conduct, domestic terrorism). Volume 2 concentrates on federal law enforcement with essays on agencies such as the Secret Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration; other essays cover such topics as the federal drug seizure system, IAFIS (Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System), and the Freedom of Information Act. Volume 3 is arranged by country, with explanatory essays on each country’s law enforcement system. Some countries are omitted because of a dearth of information or nearly total lack of a police force. Essays in all volumes are signed and contain useful short bibliographies. Each volume also contains an extensive master bibliography and index. Volumes 1 and 2 both offer an appendix that summarizes 15 years (1989-2003) of major developments in law enforcement drawn from Law Enforcement News (published 1975- by John Jay College). While a number of encyclopedia sets focus on criminal justice, there is no similar work on law enforcement. Summing Up: Essential. All collections. — E. B. Ryner, FBI Library
42-5627  HV7921 2004-21803 CIP
 
The Encyclopedia of police science, ed. by Jack R. Greene.  3rd ed.  Routledge, 2007.  2v bibl index afp ISBN 0-415-97000-8, $375.00; ISBN 9780415970006, $375.00. Reviewed in 2008jan CHOICE.
 
The third edition of this work comes ten years after the previous one, ed. by W. G. Bailey (CH, Oct’95, 33-0641). Expanded to two volumes and with a new editor, it covers 354 topics, including 194 new to this edition. The professional expertise of the 292 contributors is evident in the thorough, scholarly entries. References and suggestions for further reading follow each entry and add much to this work’s academic usefulness. See also notes guide readers to related areas, and an extensive, easy-to-use index rounds out the work. In the years since the last edition, terrorism and homeland security have taken on greater importance, as have the global structure and influence of crime. Topics new to this edition reflect these changes and provide a broader context for understanding the current state of policing. This work is a must have for universities with a criminal justice or law enforcement program. Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement, ed. by Larry Sullivan (CH, Jun’05, 42-5627), is comparable, but both works are worthy of independent purchase. Summing Up: Essential. Libraries supporting criminal justice studies programs; lower-level undergraduates and above. — L. Minnick, Ft. Vancouver Regional Library
45-2382 HV7901  2006-26827 CIP

Encyclopedia of white-collar and corporate crime, ed. by Lawrence M. Salinger.  Sage Publications, CA, 2005.  2v bibl index afp ISBN 0-7619-3004-3, $295.00. Reviewed in 2005feb CHOICE.
 
General Editor Salinger (Arkansas State Univ.) and his panel of entry writers adopt a broad approach to white-collar crime: their excellent set covers corporate, organizational, governmental, financial, and political crimes, as well as important legislation and laws related to the subject. It treats in detail standard white-collar crime topics such as defective products (A.H. Robins and the Dalkon Shield litigation), small business fraud (skimming from the register and scam artists), and telemarketing fraud (charity fraud and investment schemes). Interesting historical entries deal with war profiteering (American Civil War, American Revolution, the robber barons) and figures who have had an impact on some aspect of white-collar crime (Theodore Roosevelt , Lincoln Steffens, Elliot Spitzer). Articles on a number of presidents are less successful. Clinton’s Whitewater involvement may indeed be a white-collar crime matter, but Clinton’s sex scandals are not. Carter is praised for his Camp David Accords, then criticized for allowing the Shah of Iran to seek medical treatment in the US in 1979. How these two issues relate to white-collar or corporate crime is not made clear. Despite such occasional straying from the set’s topic, the work is comprehensive and timely. It includes, for example, articles on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, money laundering, Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations (RICO), Archer Daniels Midland, real estate fraud, Enron, and savings and loan fraud. Brief biographies include scholars in the field, such as James Coleman and Frances Cullen. A resource guide, glossary, law summaries, and comprehensive index complete the work. An impressive title on a neglected field of criminal justice. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers; undergraduates. — E. B. Ryner, FBI Library
42-3168 HV6768  2004-10753 CIP

FORENSICnetBASE: LawENFORCEMENTnetBASE. CRC Press. Annual academic pricing is $3,995.00 for unlimited access. Limited concurrent users and other pricing options available.  Internet Resource. Reviewed in 2008oct CHOICE.
http://www.crcnetbase.com/

[Visited Jul’08] FORENSICnetBASE/LawENFORCEMENTnetBASE is a treasure trove of information on topics including forensics, law enforcement, counterterrorism, cybercrime, money laundering, and child homicide. The 206 alphabetical reference sources are easily accessible by category listing. All Categories provides an A-Z list of books, whereas specific categories for browsing range from Arson and Fire Investigation to Security Management. Specialized content is provided under specific entries; Arson, for example, includes Fire Investigation along with Scientific Protocols for Fire Investigation. Information appears to be very current, although some sources from the late 1990s are included. Basic and advanced searching is available; advanced search options include best matches (up to 500), sorting (Title, Hits, Size), and displaying abstracts with results. Titles provide access to an in-depth Summary, Features, and the Table of Contents. A link from the summary page provides access to the source.<p>A search for “domestic violence” provided “125 document(s) found in (0) second(s).” Results provide a listing of titles/chapters of the book plus author information. Results are listed by the number of hits, and search returns on this topic included a range of information, e.g., chapters titled “Sexual Violence in the Military” and “Treatment for Batterers and Sex Offenders.” The home page includes an information bar with links to Technical Support, New Books, and How It Works (information on searching). New books are also prominently displayed on the home page. Points of Interest offers links to sites and information pertaining to forensics and law enforcement. Among the sites listed are American Academy of Forensic Sciences and Forensic Firearms Identification. The wide variety of information available here gives those with varying levels of forensic knowledge the capability of locating and understanding articles of interest. The content and ease in locating information make this an excellent source, interesting to the CSI armchair investigator and invaluable to the professional. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers. — K. Evans, Indiana State University
46-0655
 
Holt, Cynthia.  Guide to information sources in the forensic sciences.  Libraries Unlimited, 2006.  190p bibl indexes afp ISBN 1-59158-221-0, $70.00. Reviewed in 2006jun CHOICE.
 
With this book Holt (George Washington Univ. library) provides one-stop shopping for information sources on all aspects of forensics. Seven chapters provide data on topics ranging from online resources to indexing/abstracting sources. Chapters are subdivided, providing easier access in locating information; the chapter titled “Journals” includes “Key Publishers,” “Core Forensic Journals,” and “Evaluation of Journals.” Entries are precise, including citation and descriptive paragraphs on the source. A nice addition is the “Research Essentials” chapter providing bibliographical management tools, and copyright and citation information. The introduction presents an overview of forensic subspecialties (ballistics, psychiatry, and economics) and the Library of Congress, National Library of Medicine, and Dewey subject classification systems. Subject headings are included for each classification system for ease in searching. Alphabetical indexes (name/title/electronic resource; subject) provide quick locations for entries. One caveat concerns the chapter on online resources: some links were not functioning for evaluation. Holt, who set out to create “a reference guide to the major information resources,” has succeeded. Although the volume is not exhaustive in scope, it is an excellent source for researchers, students, and CSI enthusiasts. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; general readers. — K. Evans, Indiana State University
43-5657  HV8073 2005-30801 CIP
 
Newton, Michael.  The encyclopedia of American law enforcement.  Facts on File, 2007.  424p bibl index afp ISBN 0-8160-6290-0, $75.00; ISBN 9780816062904, $75.00. Reviewed in 2007oct CHOICE.
 
Newton offers an alphabetically organized encyclopedia with more than 600 entries on a wide range of criminal justice topics, including major law enforcement agencies, biographies of key people, police tactics and units, and civil rights and social issues. Among the pertinent topics he addresses are women in law enforcement and the anti-drug program DARE. The juicier side of law enforcement is present in entries covering various scandals, including corruption and murder committed by police officers. The entries range from one paragraph to a few pages; many provide only basic information on a topic. Despite a bibliography listing “major works consulted,” this volume gives no indication of the sources for the specific information in the entries. Items lack both citations and listings of additional sources for further information. Cross-referencing is included in some cases. Appendixes list police academies in the US plus US law enforcement Web sites. This volume’s ease of use and many illustrations make it a suitable source for basic research or armchair browsing. Newton previously wrote The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers (CH, Sep’00, 38-0006) and The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Crimes (CH, Dec’04, 42-1968). Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and general readers. — K. Evans, Indiana State University
45-0634  HV8133  2005-35914 CIP

Tilstone, William J.  Forensic science: an encyclopedia of history, methods, and techniques, by William J. Tilstone, Kathleen A. Savage, and Leigh A. Clark.  ABC-Clio, 2006.  307p bibl index afp ISBN 1-57607-194-4, $95.00; e-book ISBN 1576075923, $120.00. Reviewed in 2007feb CHOICE.
 
Written by forensic experts Tilstone (National Forensic Science Technology Center), Savage (Forensic Quality Services, Largo, FL), and Clark (Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement), this work offers over 300 entries covering a wide range of forensic areas. These include crime scene investigation, cases, prints, hair and fibers, DNA, and drugs. An extensive chronological introduction, including cases, provides an in-depth view of the history and future of forensic science. Clear, precise entries range from a paragraph to a few pages; many entries (bites, blood spatters) could benefit from additional information and/or photographs to better illustrate the subject. Although entries are alphabetically arranged, content and index sections provide additional ease in locating subject information. Entries provide cross-referencing and a list of supplementary readings for those seeking further knowledge. Subject entries avoid extensive scientific language, making this source easily accessible to users seeking a rudimentary understanding of various forensic science issues. A bibliography provides additional sources on a variety of topics dealing with forensic science. This is an excellent resource for basic information for students or armchair CSI aficionados. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-/upper-level undergraduates, two-year technical program students, and general readers. — K. Evans, Indiana State University
44-3054  HV8073 2006-1140 CIP

World police encyclopedia, ed. by Dilip K. Das with Michael J. Palmiotto.  Routledge, 2006.  2v bibl index afp ISBN 0-415-94250-0, $350.00. Reviewed in 2006sep CHOICE.
 
Edited by Das (Grambling State Univ.), this work contains information about the police agencies of every UN member country plus Taiwan–193 countries in all. In addition to background information about the countries, entries include a “Police Profile” with historical information, organizational descriptions, and material on police functions, training, discipline, and the departments’ outlook concerning terrorism. Entries are written by 125 different authors, typically experts in criminology or in the country being examined. The entries average three to four pages in length and use the same format for the sake of consistency. A bibliography follows each entry, and the index is very thorough, providing an excellent tool for using the work. This encyclopedia is valuable for its international focus on individual police forces. The editor makes a point of stressing the increasing importance of international policing in today’s world. Other police encyclopedias, such as The Encyclopedia of Police Science (2nd ed., Oct’95, 33-0641), focus on police terminology, processes, and procedures. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates and above. — L. Minnick, Ft. Vancouver Regional Library
44-0065  HV7901  2005-44342 CIP