Critical Criminology: Visions from Europe

Criminology is under attack for its seeming shift away from the theoretical debates towards empirical, administrative-led research. In Critical Criminology, RenT van Swaaningen warns that if criminology is to keep advancing as a discipline there is an urgent need for the resurgence of a theoretical perspective. He believes that by examining critical criminology within a European framework, a new critical perspective in the search for alternative visions of justice will emerge. Through a comprehensive historical and contemporary analysis of critical criminology throughout Europe, the author argues that critical criminology theories must be reassessed and reapplied in light of current trends within criminology and criminal justice. By placing central themes from current politics of law and orderùsuch as crime prevention, safety, and the victim s positionùin a framework of social justice, Critical Criminology concludes that critical criminology theories illuminate our understanding of both crime and the institutions constructed to attempt its control.