Heinous Crime: Cases, Causes, and Consequences
ISBN: 9780231506885
Platform/Publisher: JSTOR / Columbia University Press
Digital rights: Users: unlimited; Printing: chapter; Download: chapter



What circumstances lead someone to commit murder, rape, or acts of child molestation? Why does society have such a deep-seated wish for vengeance against perpetrators of heinous crimes? Can those found guilty of such crimes ever be rehabilitated?

Officials of the criminal justice system, politicians, and ordinary citizens argue about possible solutions to these controversial and vital questions, with little agreement. This book offers innovative perspectives on the difficult issues concerning a civilized society's response to offenders guilty of heinous crimes.


Frederic G. Reamer is a professor of social work at Rhode Island College. He has had years of experience working in the criminal justice system and is the author and editor of several books on crime and social work, including Criminal Lessons: Case Studies and Commentary on Crime and Justice and Tangled Relationships: Managing Boundary Issues in the Human Services .
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