Controlling the Dangerous Classes A Critical Introduction to the History of Criminal Justice

This text covers the history of criminal justice from a critical perspective and explores the historical biases of the criminal justice system. The overall theme of this book is that both the making of laws and the interpretation and application of these laws throughout the history of the criminal justice system has, historically, been class, gender, and racially biased. Moreover, one of the major functions of the criminal justice system has been to control those from the most disadvantaged sectors of the population, that is, the dangerous classes. This theme is explored using a historical model, tracing the development of criminal law through the development of the police institution, the juvenile justice system, and the prison system.Shelden, Randall G. is the author of 'Controlling the Dangerous Classes A Critical Introduction to the History of Criminal Justice', published 2000 under ISBN 9780205318896 and ISBN 0205318894.