In Their Own Words: Criminals on Crime: An Anthology - Softcover

"A wonderful anthology. I consider it distinctive among current books on the market because students are exposed to research on active criminals. It is an original and thoughtful work--well organized and most insightful."
--Richard Loder, Syracuse University

"This book allows us to 'move' from the world of academia to a criminal underworld, and to read about what real criminals have to say about their tactics, motives, and rationalizations. This approach is unique because it allows students to build a bridge between 'theory' and 'real life.' The firsthand examination of offenders' choices and motivations makes students realize that offenders are not abstract and faceless entities--an image many students have after reading a more traditional textbook--but rather real individuals with personal life stories."
--Arina Gertseva, Washington State University

The only anthology of its kind, In Their Own Words: Criminals on Crime, Sixth Edition, provides students with a nuanced perspective on how--and why--offenders make decisions that lead them to commit crimes.

Featuring firsthand accounts from gang members, burglars, shoplifters, pimps, prostitutes, killers, robbers, addicts, rapists, drug smugglers, and white-collar offenders, the anthology helps students understand the offenders' motives, perceptions, decision-making strategies, and rationalizations for crime.

Brief introductions precede each reading, placing the offenders' words into a theoretical context.

NEW TO THIS EDITION

Eleven brand-new chapters covering a variety of topics, including female auto thieves, shoplifters, armed robbers, drugged druggists, middle-class drug dealers, barrio gangs, meth cooks, illegal steroids, and female street offenders' efforts to desist from crime

New section on strategies for field research

Additional cited studies on female offenders