ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a detailed overview of social justice, in general, and further provides explanations of various subsets of this theoretical approach to include utilitarianism, libertarianism, egalitarianism, and virtue-based perspectives. How these various perspectives apply to criminal justice policy and research is also explained. A variety of critical criminology perspectives are also presented, demonstrating a natural connection between these views on crime and punishment and those likely attributed to a social justice perspective. Issues related to the distribution of wealth as well as access to other key resources to enhance the quality of living are also presented. Lastly, it is noted that social justice is not just a theory that is esoteric and contextual; rather, the expressions of socially just outcomes have already been observed and are practiced in many countries around the world.
