State Crime: Governments, Violence and Corruption - Tapa dura

This book does a commendable job in making sense of the volumes of text on the malign activities of states. In doing so, it fulfils a number of functions. In one respect it serves as an excellent primer covering key debates and encouraging further investigation. More importantly, it represents an important analysis of an area that criminology is belatedly taking seriously. (Social & Legal Studies)

What is state crime? This book sets out the parameters of state crime and highlights the complex issues involved. The authors provide a clear chapter-by -chapter assessment of state violence, corruption, state involvement in organised and corporate crime, avoidable ‘natural’ disasters, torture, criminal policing, war crimes and genocide.

Penny Green and Tony Ward put forward a powerful argument drawing from a range of disciplines including law, criminology, human rights, international relations and political science. They develop a theoretical approach to understanding the boundaries of state crime, employing the concepts of deviance and human rights. Making distinctive use of original research and using a variety of international case-studies, this compelling book offers a fresh and sophisticated approach to this controversial and difficult subject.