The Origins of Criminological Theory

This book will find a market on theory courses, and it also has significant potential to be used on a range of programmes such as Inside-Out in the US, and the Prison-University Partnerships Network in the UK.

While most theory books only offer brief coverage of the origins of criminological thought, this is the main focus of this book. Unlike other books that offer mainly a twentieth century account, this traces the development of our understanding of crime and deviance throughout the ages to inform readers of the significant role the past has played in our contemporary theories of crime.

Each chapter is written by an incarcerated author housed at a men’s medium and maximum-security prison in the US who are supported by one or more co-authors: university students who carry out the research for each chapter, offering a new way of thinking about theory and making a significant contribution to convict criminology.