The Costs of Crime and Justice by Mark A. Cohen (English) Paperback Book

Publisher Description

This book presents a comprehensive view of the financial and non-financial consequences of criminal behavior, crime prevention, and society's response to crime. Crime costs are far-reaching, including medical costs, lost wages, property damage and pain, suffering, and reduced quality of life for victims and the public at large; police, courts, and prisons; and offenders and their families who may suffer consequences incidental to any punishment they receive for committing crime.The book provides a comprehensive economic framework and overview of the empirical methodologies used to estimate costs of crime. It provides an assessment of what is known and where the gaps in knowledge are in understanding the costs and consequences of crime. Individual chapters focus on victims, governments, as well as the public at large. Separate chapters detail the various methodologies used to estimate crime costs, while two chapters are devoted to policy analysis – both cost-effectiveness and benefit-cost analysis. The second edition is completely updated and expanded since the first edition in 2005. All cost estimates have also been updated. In addition, due to a significant increase in the number of studies on the cost of crime, new chapters focus on the costs to offenders and their families; white-collar and corporate crime; and the cost of crime estimates around the world.Understanding the costs of crime can lead to important insights and policy conclusions – both for criminal justice policy and other social ills that compete with crime for government funding. Thus, the target audience for this book includes criminologists and policy makers who are seeking to apply rigorous social science methods to assist in developing appropriate criminal justice policies. Note that the book is non-technical and does not assume the reader is conversant in economics or statistics.

Table of Contents

Part I: Introduction 1. Introduction and Overview 2. Economic Approach to Crime and Costing Methodologies Part II: Bottom Up Approaches of the Cost of Crime and Justice 3. Victim Costs 4. Public Sector Costs 5. Third-Party Costs 6. Costs to Offenders, Families and Communities Part III: Methodologies for Estimating the Cost of Crime 7. Revealed Preferences – Market-Based Approaches 8. Stated Preference Approaches Part IV: Policy Analysis of Crime Control and Prevention Programs 9. Cost-Effectiveness and Break-Even Analysis 10. Benefit-Cost Analysis Part V: Special Topics in the Cost of Crime and Justice 11. White Collar & Corporate Offenses 12. Cost of Crime Estimates Around the World

Review

"Although monetization studies are a niche area of research in criminology, the general public, media, and policy makers have a broad interest in the human and fiscal toll of crime. Professor Cohen is the unparalleled leader in monetization of crime research and The Costs of Crime and Justice, Second Edition is his masterwork." —Matt DeLisi, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean's Professor, Iowa State University; Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Criminal Justice"It is extremely important to estimate the monetary costs and benefits of programs that are intended to reduce crime, in order to decide which programs should be given priority. Mark Cohen's book is a masterly encyclopedic survey of knowledge about methods of measuring the monetary costs of crime. This book should be read by everyone who is interested in criminology and criminal justice." -- David P. Farrington, Emeritus Professor of Psychological Criminology, Cambridge University"Mark Cohen is a pioneer in applying modern economics to the measurement of the costs of crime. This book ties together decades of his work on this important topic. It is a must read for anyone wishing to seriously engage the challenges of measuring the cost of crime and punishment." -- Daniel S. Nagin, Teresa And H. John Heinz III University Professor of Public Policy and Statistics, Carnegie-Mellon University; co-editor, Criminology and Public Policy

Review Quote

"Although monetization studies are a niche area of research in criminology, the general public, media, and policy makers have a broad interest in the human and fiscal toll of crime. Professor Cohen is the unparalleled leader in monetization of crime research and The Costs of Crime and Justice, Second Edition is his masterwork." -- Matt DeLisi , College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean's Professor, Iowa State University; Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Criminal Justice "It is extremely important to estimate the monetary costs and benefitsof programs that are intended to reduce crime, in order to decide whichprograms should be given priority. Mark Cohen's book is a masterlyencyclopedic survey of knowledge about methods of measuring the monetarycosts of crime. This book should be read by everyone who is interested incriminology and criminal justice." -- David P. Farrington , Emeritus Professor of Psychological Criminology, Cambridge University "Mark Cohen is a pioneer in applying modern economics to the measurement of the costs of crime. This book ties together decades of his work on this important topic. It is a must read for anyone wishing to seriously engage the challenges of measuring the cost of crime and punishment." -- Daniel S. Nagin , Teresa And H. John Heinz III University Professor of Public Policy and Statistics, Carnegie-Mellon University; co-editor, Criminology and Public Policy

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