Book Review: The money and politics of criminal justice policy

• Date: 01 March 2017
• Published date: 01 March 2017
• Author: Philip D. McCormack
• DOI: 10.1177/0734016816669199
• Subject Matter: Book Reviews

Griffin, O. H., III, Woodward, V. H., & Sloan, J. J., III. (2016).

The money and politics of criminal justice policy. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press. 304 pp. $43.00,

ISBN 978-1-61163-517-1.

Reviewed by: Philip D. McCormack, Fitchburg State University, Fitchburg, MA, USA

DOI: 10.1177/0734016816669199

The intent of the authors in the present text is to disentangle the overlapping and sometimes contra-

dictory foundations and elements of the Ame rican political process, public fiscal manag ement,

individual criminality, and resultant public and criminal justice policy. The coalescence of topics

by the authors is no easy task, especially in a text seemingly designed for adoption in a (n under-

graduate) classroom.

In order to set the stage for the reader, the authors provide some much needed—despite being

quite basic—knowledge of the American political system. While some of the topics—such as the

construction of the political systems following the Revolutionary War—may be a review for many,

the perspective the authors take is important for the reader in delineating between federal and state

powers, and ultimately how those affect criminal justice policy. Of particular importance are the

specific legislative mandates and Supreme Court rulings cited that have helped shape governmental

powers of the present day, defining how and when the federal and state governments become

authorities in the construction and implementation of law.

In Chapter 2, the authors begin to introduce economically and politically relevant criminological

theories in describing possible contributing factors to criminal behavior. Most are—in some way,

associated with a conflict model describing opposing or disparate groups—managed, as exempli-

fied, by acts such as the Black Codes and Jim Crow laws.

Chapters 3 and 4 resume the descriptive orientation of the opening chapter. In Chapter 3, the

authors provide a historical overview of the American criminal justice system, including discussion

of the court system(s), law enforcement, and the correctional system(s). In Chapter 4, various fiscal

considerations of crime are explored. These include criminal justice agency expenditures, cost to

victims, labor statistics in the criminal justice field, and costs associated with criminal incidents.

Chapter 5 discusses, in greater detail, the effects of media, moral panics, and poorly conducted or

explained research on criminal justice policy. The authors specifically make note of the moral panics

related to drugs and the policies therein that have resulted from the promulgation of largely false

ideas and research findings. Chapter 6 continues the discussion by examining the proliferation of

interest groups in the United States that have become increasingly effective at shaping political

viewpoints and, ultimately, voting practices—both largely influential in the creation and adoption of

criminal justice policy. Of particular note is the discussion of how these groups may differ, specif-

ically in their focus: single-issue interest groups such as the National Rifle Association and general

interest groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union.

The three subsequent chapters (Chapters 7 through 9) focus on the ‘‘political economy’’ of the

various components of the American criminal justice system: police, courts, and corrections. In the

examination of each element of the criminal justice system, the authors elaborate on the historical

analysis found in Chapter 3 to explain how politicalization has affected their development and

expansion. The authors pay particular attention to the role of policy and fiscal management of the

various sectors: How the police, court systems, and corrections systems came to be in its current

form; how they are funded; and how these funding practices affect the public and certain groups in

particular for better or worse.

The authors conclude the text with a very brief, though cogent, discussion of the problem that is

epitomized by thetitle of the book. The implication is thatlaw and policy are functions of the political

Book Reviews 99