2022 Outstanding Book Award

Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Las Vegas, NV

Shopping While Black: Consumer Racial Profiling in America lays out the results of nearly two decades of research on racial profiling in retail settings.

Gabbidon and Higgins address the generally neglected racial profiling that occurs in retail settings. Although there is no existing national database on shoplifting or consumer racial profiling (CRP) from which to study the problem, they survey relevant legal cases and available data sources. This problem clearly affects a large number of racial/ethnic minorities, and causes real harm to the victims, such as the emotional trauma attached to being excessively monitored in stores and, in the worst-case scenarios, falsely accused of shoplifting. Their analysis is informed by their own experience: one co-author is a former security executive for a large retailer, and both are Black men who understand firsthand the sting of being profiled because of their color. After providing an overview of the history of CRP and the official and unofficial data sources and criminological literature on this topic, they address public opinion polls, as well as the extent and impact of victimization. They also provide a review of CRP litigation, provide recommendations for retailers to reduce racial profiling, and also chart some directions for future research.

Reviews:

David Crockett, Journal of Consumer Culture, 2022, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1177/14695405211050125

Zachary W. Brewster, Contemporary Sociology, 2022, 118-120. https://doi.org/10.1177/00943061221076191h

Sarah Britto, Criminal Justice Review, 2021, 1-2. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734016821990110

Justin Clayton, Race and Justice, 2021, 1-3. https://doi.org/10.1177/2153368721996438

Video:

Shaun Gabbidon Presentation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_n7a-1-_ls

Providing an indispensable resource for undergraduate students, graduate students, and policymakers interested in the prescription drug abuse crisis in the United States, this book summarizes the current state of prescription drug abuse and its growth over the past 20 years.

The Prescription Drug Problem analyzes the growth of the prescription drug abuse problem from 1994 to 2014 and includes comparisons to marijuana and hard drug use during the same period. Specific attention is given to prescription opiate abuse and the transition from prescription opiates to heroin.

The book begins with a broad overview of the prescription drug problem in the U.S., while the text presents stories of celebrities who have struggled with prescription drug abuse, highlights a handful of ordinary Americans who are battling prescription drug abuse, and examines as case studies a few communities that have been ravaged by prescription drug abuse. Drawing upon demographic patterns of abuse to identify causes of and factors contributing to prescription drug abuse as well as possible solutions to the problem, the book is designed to provide a broad overview of the prescription drug abuse problem in the U.S. and stimulate additional research.

2019 Robert Jerin Victimology Book of the Year

American Society of Criminology, San Francisco, CA

Understanding Victimology: An Active-Learning Approach explains what the field of victimology is―including its major theoretical perspectives and research methods―and provides insight into the dynamics of various offline and online crimes from the victims’ vantage point. It is the only textbook to provide numerous innovative active learning exercises to enhance and reinforce student learning, and it addresses important contemporary topics that have thus far not been covered by other victimology texts, including identity theft, hate crimes, and terrorism. This unique and relevant work is ideal for students, academics, and practitioners who are interested in a comprehensive introduction to victimology.

Criminological Theory provides easy access to criminological theory through simplicity in writing, drawing the theories, and providing summary statements of the theory. The purpose of this book is to bring criminological theory to non-abstract thinker by presenting the theories in a manner that is easy to understand written in everyday language.

Practical Program Evaluation for Criminal Justice shows readers how to apply the principles of fiscal responsibility, accountability, and evidence-based practice to criminal justice reform plans. Unlike other policy-based texts, which tend to focus more on implementation than assessment, this book provides applicable, step-by-step instruction on determining an initiative's necessity prior to its adoption (reducing the risk of wasting resources), as well as how to accurately gauge its effectiveness during initial roll-out stages. The book gradually introduces basic data analysis procedures and statistical techniques, which, once mastered, can be used to prove or disprove a program's worth. Lastly, the book introduces the types of stakeholders who should review evaluation results for quick action, as well as how to best structure reports to ensure their buy-in.

As social networking continues to evolve and expand, the opportunities for deviant and criminal behavior have multiplied. Social Networking as a Criminal Enterprise explores how new avenues for social networking criminality have affected our criminal justice system.

The practice of illegally downloading copyrighted materials continues to spread globally, costing the entertainment industry and governments billions of dollars each year. Why do some people take part in this behavior? Award-winning authors, Dr. George E. Higgins and Dr. Catherine D. Marcum, address this question in Digital Piracy: An Integrated Theoretical Approach.

This book provides practitioners working in information technology outside of academia, students, and scholars in multiple disciplines an integrated approach to understanding why this behavior occurs. Drawing from the empirical literature and theories from several disciplines including business, economics, information technology, sociology, law and criminology, this book brings the known facts about digital piracy in America together in one place. This book takes an important step by presenting an integrated theory, derived from the theoretical and research literatures, for understanding digital piracy that provides suggestions for reducing instances of digital piracy behavior.

Gangs have long been a social and criminal threat to society. Introduction to Gangs in America explains how gangs are addressed as a criminal justice and public policy problem, providing a student-friendly, easily accessible, concise overview of the role, place, structure, and activities of gangs in American society. The book describes what gangs are, what differentiates them from each other, how they share similarities, and how they fit into contemporary American culture.

The authors explore the history and structure of gangs, reveal their clandestine activities, and analyze their social impact. The book also includes information on gender issues in gangs, and provides insight into how gangs impact American educational institutions.

Cybercrime: An Introduction to an Emerging Phenomenon covers current issues such as information assurance, federal and state laws, cyberharassment, cyberporn, cyberfraud, and intellectual property and privacy as well as future issues such as globalization and international policing and laws. This text provides students and scholars easy access to current peer reviewed works that examine the current and future issues of cybercrime and outline the historical and technical roots of the Internet and cybercrime.

Review:

1. Callie Price, International Journal of Cybercriminology, 2010. https://www.cybercrimejournal.com/callibookreview2010ijcc.pdf