Crime and detection

Describes and defines the terminology used by police, the courts, and criminals, and provides information about different types of crimes and the steps police take when investigating crimes.

All famous prisons have special features, stories of dramatic riots, exciting escapes, and heartrending stories lurking behind their dark walls. Alcatraz, perched dramatically on a rock in San Francisco Bay was supposedly (3z(Bescape-proof(3y (Band yet several deadly prisoners broke free. New York’s Sing Sing Correctional Facility became notorious for the 614 men and women executed in the electric chair. The English prison, Dartmoor, had menacing mists and swirling fogs, which made escape from this prison a terrible risk; while the peach-colored San Quentin, set on California’s golden shores, contrasts with the darkness of its Death Row and the violence of its inmates. Mountjoy Prison figures prominently in Ireland’s troubled past and its literature. The massive circular buildings of Stateville Penitentiary provide the best example of the once-revolutionary panoptic on prison design.

The systematic killing of a succession of victims, often over a period of many years, is not a modern phenomenon, but it has increased alarmingly over the past 50 years, particularly in the United States. These psychopathic individuals derive pleasure—most frequently sexual—by abducting and murdering innocent victims. The publicity these cases often stir up has law enforcement concerned that a growing number of incidents are (3z(Bcopy cat(3y (Bcrimes. This book covers fascinating and gruesome cases such as, Jack the Ripper, Peter Kurten, and George Joseph Smith. It investigates the root causes that led to the development of the killers’ psychopathic personalities and describes the gathering of evidence that eventually led to their identification and arrest.

Forensic science, the preparation of scientific evidence to be presented in court is an increasingly valuable aspect of the investigation of crime. Although rare commentaries on the subject date back many centuries, it is only over the last 200 years that a systematic approach has been made, an approach that has accelerated rapidly in the past half-century. The detection and analysis of poisons was the first forensic technique to be developed in a truly scientific manner. This was followed by the realization that fingerprints were unique to every individual; then came the methodical study of firearms the science of ballistics. The role of the medical examiner has become more important as understanding of the human body has increased and DNA analysis has succeeded in positively identifying a growing number of criminals. Forensic science is crucial for prosecuting crimes as well as protecting the innocent.

Despite the tireless work of crime investigators, and the wealth of modern forensic techniques available to them, a disturbing number of crimes remain unsolved. This book explores some of the most famous open cases. Jimmy Hoffa, president of the Teamster’s Union, disappeared in 1975. Although a number of suspects have been named and the influence of the Mob alleged, no one has ever been charged with his murder, and his body has never been found. The mystery of the (3z(BBlack Dahlia(3y (Bmurder in 1947 provoked widespread speculation, and even the naming of the probable murderer, but he was found dead before the investigation could proceed. The (3z(BZodiac(3y (Bkiller, who rocked San Francisco with the murder of more than 40 innocent people between 1966 and 1973, may still be at large. So why are these cases unsolved? Often it’s because the culprit cannot be identified––or, if identified, cannot be traced––or because the evidence is insufficient to bring the case to trial. Chillingly, most of these cases involve murder or suspected murder.

The U.S. prison system is the largest and most innovative in the world. It boasts some of the most technologically advanced prisons in existence, meeting the highest standards in security. Inside these vast, specialized structures, containing thousands of inmates, highly trained corrections officers use technology to anticipate outbreaks of violence and to prevent riots and escape attempts. The tightly regulated prison system relies on many professionals. Counselors, drug rehabilitation staff, medical personnel, and kitchen workers are among the committed prison employees who daily face some of the world’s most hardened criminals. In addition to incarceration and rehabilitation, America’s prisons also serve as crime-prevention centers teaching offenders new trades and offering them the chance to learn life skills.

Explores connections between racial prejudice and crime. Discusses racial crimes in the United States, the work of Martin Luther King Jr., apartheid, and racial crimes in other countries. Includes a glossary, timeline, index, and resources for further information.

Explores organized crime around the world. Discusses the Mafia, biker gangs, the Russian "Mafiya," the Chinese Triad, and the Japanese Yakuza. Includes a glossary, index, timeline, and resources for further information.

Presents the history of torture dating back 3,000 years, the various types of torture used, and the efforts of Amnesty International to achieve a worldwide ban on torture today.

Discusses the history of punishment for those who have broken their community's laws, and focuses on law, taboos, corporal punishment, the death penalty, and rehabilitation.