Crime Without Borders: An Introduction to International Criminal Justice

This book introduces students to the challenges related to international crime and punishment and the ways that criminal justice systems have sought to confront them. The dismantling and opening up of borders by technology, transportation, international trade, and the global flow of labor and capital have allowed those engaging in criminal behavior to work across borders in ways that challenge the traditional nation-state and its criminal justice system, making the study of international crime and justice increasingly relevant. This book not only covers the nuts and bolts of international crime and law enforcement but also raises abstract, theoretical issues for debate and asks critical questions about the ideal ways to think about international criminal justice problems. Contemporary topics such as war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity, terrorism, drug smuggling, human trafficking, financial crimes, environmental crimes, and cybercrime are addressed, and connections between globalization, politics, and criminal justice reflect the modern realities of international and transnational crime.

Following an introductory chapter that presents the dimensions of international criminal justice, the text is organized into two major parts, the first part discussing major international crimes and why people engage in them, and the second part laying out the central structures of the international criminal justice system, including international courts, transnational law enforcement, and aspects of United States criminal justice developed to deal with international crimes. Throughout the book, the authors place global crime within the context of contemporary politics and current events. Pedagogical tools such as summaries of significant international cases, discussion questions, and a thorough bibliography aid reader engagement and understanding.

This text is suitable for students in global criminology, international crime, and comparative criminology courses, and researchers and policy-makers concerned with international and transnational crime.

Aaron Fichtelberg, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware. He has written several books on criminal justice with a focus on international and transnational criminal justice. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego, a PhD from Emory University, and an LLM in Public International Law from Utrecht University. He is the author of Law at the Vanishing Point: A Philosophical Analysis of International Law and Hybrid Tribunals: A Comparative Examination, among other works. He has also published in journals such as The Journal of International Criminal Justice, The Netherlands Yearbook of International Law, and Crime, Law, and Social Change.

Nicole Fox, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Division of Criminal Justice at California State University, Sacramento. She researches how racial and ethnic violence impacts communities and teaches on comparative criminal justice, criminological theory, and global criminology. Her book, After Genocide: Memory and Reconciliation in Genocide, focuses on how memorials to past atrocity shape healing, community development, and reconciliation for survivors of genocide and genocidal rape. Her scholarship has been published in Social Problems, Social Forces, the Journal for Scientific Study of Religion, Sociological Forum, Societies without Borders, and Signs, among others. Her work has generously been supported by the Harry Frank Guggenheim Grant, the National Science Foundation, the Andrew Mellon Foundation, and others. She is a delegate for the United Nation's Commission for the Status of Women and contributes annually, bringing students and new delegates.
Kai Lin, PhD, is a Lecturer in Criminology at the School of International Studies and Education at the University of Technology Sydney in Australia. He received his PhD from the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware. He has published extensively on the topic of international and comparative crime and justice, focusing on the study of interpersonal violence, policing, as well as online offending and victimization. His research publications have appeared in academic journals such as Crime & Delinquency, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Policing and Society, Asian Journal of Criminology, and Sociological Forum, among others.