Looking Back in Crime

Just as people are captivated by murder mysteries, detective stories, and legal shows, they are also compulsively interested in the history of criminal justice. Looking Back in Crime: What Happened on This Day in Criminal Justice History? features a treasure trove of important dates and significant events in criminal justice history. Offering hundreds of facts with particular relevance to criminal justice, this unique textbook is written in a manner that is accessible to students and anyone else interested in the history of criminal justice. It presents at least one significant event for every day of the year; in some instances, there are several facts presented for the same date. Among the comprehensive listing of events there are famous and not-so-famous crimes; the development of law enforcement; criminal trials; passages of criminal laws; Supreme Court decisions; important dates related to prisons, punishment, and corrections; forensic milestones and cultural events that intersect with crime and criminal justice. Offering a unique breadth of coverage, the book adopts an interesting and engaging style to inspire enthusiasm in the classroom. It is suitable for use as a supplemental text in criminal justice history courses or as a main text in special issues courses. With this book, students will learn about hundreds of events that usually cannot be covered in depth in any typical criminal justice class. The book provides students with a better sense of history in terms of crime, law enforcement, and the justice system as well as an understanding of specific events and circumstances in the history and development of today’s criminal justice system.