Winner of the 2012 Harry J. Kalven Prize, Law & Society Association One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2011: Top 25 Books Oftentimes the early optimism of what one hopes to learn from a book ends in disappointment, but every once in a while a book lives up to its promise and you end with a refrain such ... Read moreas 'I wish I had written this book.' This phrase characterizes my feelings on John Hagan's Who Are the Criminals?.
John H. Kramer, American Journal of Sociology Hagan, one of the world's leading sociologists, explores the basis of modern US crime policy from the early 20th century to the present... Thoughtful readers should reflect on the author's eminently sensible and workable suggestions for redirecting the nation's crime policies so that they are both more effective and less expensive. If someone has time to read only one book on contemporary crime and crime policy, this is the book.
Malcolm Feeley, Choice The strength of Who Are the Criminals? is that Hagan shows the reader that they do not exist in separate spheres and are interconnected. Although the author is a sociologist and a criminologist, this book should appeal to political scientists
especially those who are concerned about political framing and the building of the criminal justice state.
Megan Francis, Perspectives on Politics Show Less