Career Criminals in Society

Matt DeLisi is College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean’s Professor, Coordinator of Criminal Justice Studies, Professor in the Department of Sociology, and Faculty Affiliate of the Center for the Study of Violence at Iowa State University. A renowned scholar, Professor DeLisi is one of the most influential and prolific criminologists in the world with over 400 scholarly publications on an array of topics in the social, behavioral, and forensic sciences. In 2012, Dr. DeLisi received the prestigious Fellow Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences for distinguished teaching and research achievement. In 2019, Dr. DeLisi received the prestigious Fellow Award from the Association for Psychological Science for sustained and outstanding distinguished contributions to psychological science. He is the only scientist in the world who is a Fellow of both organizations. Although he publishes in multiple content areas, Professor DeLisi is most famous for his research on serious, chronic, violent, and pathological offenders. He has provided expert services and consultation on capital murder and multiple-homicide offender cases in multiple federal and state jurisdictions. In 2013, Professor DeLisi testified to the United States Senate Judiciary Committee and consulted on criminal justice policy to a variety of federal stakeholders including the United States Attorney General, National Institute of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and others. Since 2014, Dr. DeLisi has served as a research specialist with United States Probation and Pretrial Services and engaged with scores of practitioners in the federal judiciary and correctional spheres. Prior to entering academia, Dr. DeLisi worked as a pretrial services officer for five years.

The majority of the content of this book will be useful across the course. In particular, the global persepctive of the book will be useful for a course aimed at the international market. It is also at a suitable level for MSc.

• PrefaceChapter 1. Introduction, Two Glimpses at the Career CriminalThe Life of CrimeOverview of the BookPractitioner ApproachSummaryChapter 2. The Empirical Evidence of Career CriminalsIntroductionHistorical Background of Career CriminalsBiographies and Typological StudiesThe Modern Criminal Career ParadigmInternational ContributionsCareer Criminal CharacteristicsSummary: The Universality of Career CriminalsEndnotesChapter 3. Developmental Theory and Its ApplicationOverview of Developmental TheoryPatterson′s Coercion TheoryMoffitt′s Developmental TaxonomySampson and Laub′s Age-graded Theory of Informal Social Control and Cumulative DisadvantageThornberry′s Interactional TheorySocial Development ModelDevelopmental Theory in Action: A Review of Some Successful Prevention PoliciesStrategies that Help to Forestall Career CriminalitySummaryEndnotesChapter 4. The Challenges Posed by Propensity TheoryOverview of Propensity Theories as they relate to Career CriminalsThe Implicit and Explicit Role of Psychopathological ConditionsWilson and Herrnstein′s Crime and Human NatureGottfredson and Hirschi′s A General Theory of CrimeThe Gottfredson and Hirschi CritiquesTheoretical Challenges and Summary IssuesConclusionEndnotesChapter 5. The Politics of Career CriminalsIntroductionThe Ethical Quandaries of PredictionMedia Portrayals of Career CriminalsThe Criminological Significance of Career CriminalsThe Sympathetic Life of Career CriminalsThe Mercurial Criminal Justice SystemAcademics and Career CriminalsConstructing the Career CriminalConclusionEndnotesChapter 6. The Criminal Justice System and Career CriminalsIntroduction and OverviewThe Police and Career CriminalsThe Courts and Career CriminalsCorrections and Career CriminalsCapital Punishment and Career CriminalsEndnotesChapter 7. Conclusion, Do We Have the Will to Stop Career Criminals?OverviewPrevention and the Conservative CompromiseRetributive Justice and the Liberal CompromiseConclusionEndnotesReferences