At a time when Congress is facing critical decisions with respect to criminal justice policy, the participation of criminologists in the formation of policies remains negligible. A commitment by criminologists to policy research that examines the links between economic conditions and crime would constitute an enlightened approach to crime control.…

What is the legal liability of parole board members and staff for acts committed by persons on community supervision? The answer is affected largely by whether the particular official involved enjoys absolute, rather than qualified, immunity, but again, the matter remains unsettled. These issues and others should be resolved promptly. (Author)

This paper presents comments on Kassin's review, (see record 2005-03019-002) of the psychology of false confessions. The authors note that Kassin's review makes a compelling argument for the need for legal reform in police interrogation practices. Because his work strikes at the heart of the American criminal justice system--its fairness--the…

According to narrative theory, stories are told when there is a need to resolve conflicts. Like history, the law, too, has the task of choosing among many stories, designating one as "what really happened." Bernard Jackson suggests that judges, in deciding cases, look for "narrative coherence," that is, internal and external…

A panel of seven international jurists and lawyers has found a pattern of human and legal rights violations against Native Americans and other minorities in the United States. Their three-week investigation focused on political prisoners and discovered abuses of both the activists and the criminal process. (Author/DS)

The assumptions of the principle of legality are explored. It is concluded that any response to human conflict that respects individual authenticity and sovereignty, human diversity, competency, and shared responsiblity can only be given retrospectively. (Author/MC)

A seminar at Chicago-Kent College of Law (Illinois) that reviews six first-year law school courses by focusing on feminist issues in course content and structure is described. The seminar functions as both a review and a shift in perspective. Courses revisited include civil procedure, contracts, criminal law, justice and the legal system,…