Dangerous Offenders: Elusive Target of Justice - Tapa dura

The thesis is simple; its implications are not. To the credit of the authors, their presentation is both clear and complex...The authors propose that at several points in the criminal justice system, the limited resources available be concentrated on those violent recidivists...At every step in their analysis, the authors are scrupulous to avoid inroads on civil liberties. -- Morton Kamins "Los Angeles Times Book Review" Moore and his colleagues make an excellent case that the dangerous offender is worth pursuing. Along the way they provide an insightful portrait of the intricacies of the criminal justice system and the role of empirical research in policy formation..."Dangerous Offenders" is a well written and a well thought out book...The authors have done a commendable job of raising the issues and integrating them into a host of practical, system-related concerns. -- Robert J. Homant "Journal of Criminal Justice" Written by four specialists in law and criminal justice, " Dangerous Offenders " draws on an impressive amount of scholarship...It is the great merit of the book that it avoids faddishness. Dealing with a topic that invites posturing, it is both responsible and readable. And I hope it will find an audience in addition to the policemen and lawyers who certainly should read it because it raises important issues for everyone...If we pay due and modest regard to our predictive capacities and to the ethical constraints on their use, we can significantly improve the operation of the criminal justice system--and this should be done..."Dangerous Offenders" carries a further important qualification to its endorsement of some kind of preventive intervention in dealing with dangerous criminals: such 'policies should not be considered a comprehensive solution to the problems of the criminal justice system. They address only a portion of the overall problem.' What a relief it is that a serious study, aimed at general readers as well as professionals, should recognize that small, incremental improvements are all that can responsibly be made in our effort to control crime. -- Norval Morris "New York Times Book Review" host of practical, system-related concerns. recognize that small, incremental improvements are all that can responsibly be made in our effort to control crime. resources available be concentrated on those violent recidivists...At every step in their analysis, the authors are scrupulous to avoid inroads on civil liberties. "Written by four specialists in law and criminal justice, "[Dangerous Offenders]" draws on an impressive amount of scholarship...It is the great merit of [the book] that it avoids faddishness. Dealing with a topic that invites posturing, it is both responsible and readable. And I hope it will find an audience in addition to the policemen and lawyers who certainly should read it because it raises important issues for everyone...If we pay due and modest regard to our predictive capacities and to the ethical constraints on their use, we can significantly improve the operation of the criminal justice system--and this should be done..."Dangerous Offenders" carries a further important qualification to its endorsement of some kind of preventive intervention in dealing with dangerous criminals: such 'policies should not be considered a comprehensive solution to the problems of the criminal justice system. They address only a portion of the overall problem.' What a relief it is that a serious study, aimed at general readers as well as professionals, should recognize that small, incremental improvements are all that can responsibly be made in our effort to control crime." --Norval Morris, "New York Times Book Review"

Examines the development of criminal justice programs designed to concentrate on the conviction and imprisonment of especially dangerous criminals.