Crime and Risk

'O'Malley, in this beautifully simple, insightful and erudite book, locates risk within a variety of mentalities that have been, and are being, deployed to 'govern crime' - in doing so he places risk, where it should be, at the very centre of criminological thought and practice. This is an important book' - Clifford Shearing, Centre of Criminology, Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town. Over recent years, the governance of crime - from policing and crime prevention to sentencing and prison organization - has moved away from a focus on reforming offenders toward preventing crime and managing behaviour using predictive and distributional (such as risk) techniques. "Crime and Risk" presents an engaging discussion of risk strategies and risk-taking in the domain of crime and criminal justice. It outlines the broad theoretical issues and political approaches involved, relating risk in contemporary crime governance to risk in criminal activity. Taking a broad and discursive approach, it covers: risk-taking and contemporary culture; the excitement associated with risk-taking and the impact of criminal activity; the application of risk-oriented developments in crime prevention and control; the use of genetic and related biotechnologies to assess and react to perceived threats; the conceptualization of risk in relation to race and gender; the influence of excitement upon criminal activity; and, evidence and accountability. 'Pat O'Malley's approach to risk, crime and criminal justice is stimulating and provocative. He points out that in criminology risk is seen almost entirely in negative terms, in marked contrast to other social spheres, where risk is regarded much more positively, as for example in business innovation and entrepreneurship. O'Malley says that risk-taking is an aspect of criminal behaviour that is generally overlooked by criminology, and directs his readers' attention to Katz and to the cultural criminologists who look at risk-taking as a source of excitement for offenders. O'Malley's highly original 'risky criminology' reconnects risk with criminological theory, and challenges those concerned with punishment and crime prevention to develop constructive, imaginative measures and strategies concerned with the reducing harm caused by criminal and anti-social risk-taking behaviour rather than trying to control risk through repression and exclusion' - Barbara Hudson, Professor of Law, University of Central Lancashire.