Forty Studies that Changed Criminal Justice: Explorations into the History of Criminal Justice Research, 2nd edition

For courses in Introduction to Criminal Justice or Research Methods.

An authoritative review of foundational research in criminal justice.

Forty Studies that Changed Criminal Justice, 2e presents a thorough yet concise summary of the major and influential research studies in the field of criminal justice. Knowledge in criminal justice is developed with research, yet introductory textbooks fail to offer more than cursory synopses of the significant empirical studies that established the foundation of the discipline. This book provides a rich understanding of important research published in each of the three general areas of criminal justice: policing, courts, and corrections. More than a just collection of original published articles, the text is a summary of studies that have shaped the criminal justice system.

Hallmark Features

Explores the research that has established the foundation of the discipline.

• Includes summaries of forty studies that have shaped the criminal justice system.

Provides students with examples of a variety of research deigns and instructors with diverse selections for discussion and debate.

• Includes selections based on their impact on the discipline, future research, or their capacity to spark controversy. 

Shows how research designs are used in practice.

• Students see concrete examples of how experimental, survey, and observational research have been conducted within criminal justice.
• Each selection includes a thorough description of how the study was designed and carried out, including the type of research undertaken and any problems the researchers may have encountered. 

Encourages critical thinking and analysis.

• Each selection is accompanied by discussion of relevant follow-up research, criticism, and/or ethical issues raised by the research, encouraging students to carefully consider and analyze the implications of each study.
• Discussion questions after each selection also promote careful examination of the research studies. 

Provides resources for further research.

• Discussions of more recent studies, references, and suggestions for additional readings are included for each selection.

The new Second Edition includes several new features and updated content.

• The “Kansas City Response Time” study was replaced with a study by Robert Friedrich on use of non-deadly force. (Findings from the “Kansas City Response Time” study are still discussed in the “Kansas City Preventative Patrol Experiment.”)
• The “Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines” study is now discussed within Wilkins et al.’s study of more structured sentencing schemes and has been replaced with a study by Bedau and Radelet on wrongful conviction, focusing specifically on the conviction and execution of innocent defendants accused of capital crimes.
• Jacobs and Kraft’s study of correctional officer use of force is now discussed in the Subsequent Research section of Zimbardo’s prison experiment in order to make room for James Marquart’s pioneering study of correctional officers’ use of force. 

New! Discussion Questions—have been added at the end of each selection to help gauge student understanding and comprehension.

New! Relevant methodological terms—are now included at the end of each selection to promote an appreciation for the different research methods adopted in various studies.