Overcriminalization

Douglas Husak is Professor of Philosophy and Law at Rutgers University.

This is a rich and thought-provoking account of a much undertheorized and yet hugely important issue. It is true that the model Husak offers is far from comprehensive, with the task of adding substantive content to its skeleton being candidly deferred or delegated at key points. As Husak rightly emphasizes, however, these moments of uncertainty, ambiguity, or imprecision should not be seen as shortcomings, but should be recognizes as challenges for future scholarship...Husak's book signals a bold attempt to 'shake up' the discipline and to reignite our interest in the core issues of justice, wrong, blame, desert, and to proportionality with which we should be concerned.

• PREFACE ; ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ; CHAPTER ONE: THE AMOUNT OF CRIMINAL LAW ; IV: AN ILLUSTRATION OF OVERCRIMINALIZATON ; CHAPTER TWO: INTERNAL CONSTRAINTS ON CRIMINALIZATION ; CHAPTER THREE: EXTERNAL CONSTRAINTS ON CRIMINALIZATION ; CHAPTER FOUR: ALTERNATIVE THEORIES OF CRIMINALIZATION