Religion and Criminal Justice

"Religion and Criminal Justice helps readers become religiously literate, especially as religion relates to criminal justice. The book addresses the influence of religion on the development of the justice system in the United States and enables readers to understand how this influence extends into the present day.

Section 1 presents numerous perspectives on the relationship between religion and criminal justice and includes an introduction to religious studies. Section 2 discusses the major religious traditions in America, and Section 3 is composed of various essays on religion and criminal justice that are designed to stimulate lively and thought-provoking classroom discussions. The book also features six real-world case studies that give students the opportunity to consider how religion has affected criminal justice issues.

Religion and Criminal Justice adds a new dimension to the study of the criminal justice system by asking readers to consider how aspects of that system may be grounded in religious beliefs both past and present. The book will make a thoughtful addition to general criminal justice courses as well as courses about terrorism or corrections, and courses in religious studies.

William J. Cook, Jr., who holds a Ph.D. in criminal justice from the Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York, is a professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Westfield State University, Massachusetts. In addition to having practical experience in law enforcement and intelligence, Dr. Cook has served as a department chair and coordinator for graduate studies in criminal justice. He is a recipient of the John F. Nevins Outstanding Educator Award and a co-recipient of the MacNamara Award for Research Scholarship from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. He is the author of the book Security Systems: Considerations, Layout, and Performance."