This is a cogent, although admittedly not unbiased, analysis of misconceptions about crime and the criminal justice system. The main theme of the book is that the myths' on which efforts to deal with this crime anxiety' are based stem from two common beliefs--that there is an unprecedented crime wave, and that government should and can do something to recognize the source and purpose they serve, and also to know how and why Americans react to crime. "Choice"

Wright offers a challenging new analysis of the misconceptions surrounding crime and an evaluation of the role of the...