ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book addresses the importance of engaging with “southern criminology,” a new critical criminological school of thought that draws heavily on the work of Australian scholar Raywen Connell. It shows that risk assessment practices are becoming more sophisticated and complex, and are endemic to the criminal justice system. The book examines the importance of eliminating racism and economic inequality rather than traditional liberal measures such as better training and community policing. It provides striking examples of corporate criminality, “moving beyond those well-worn tinkering efforts in criminal enforcement, regulation or self-regulation, such as enhanced self-monitoring, upgraded ethical conduct, or greater social responsibility.” The book reviews of the extant rural crime literature available at that time: If rural crime was considered at all, it was a convenient “ideal type” contrasted with the criminogenic conditions assumed to exist exclusively in urban locations.
