Politicians and pundits frequently talk about the costs to crime and societybut few ever define their terms or clarify their statistics. So how does asociety me... » 

Politicians and pundits frequently talk about the costs to crime and societybut few ever define their terms or clarify their statistics. So how does asociety measure economic loss due to criminal activity?In The Costs of Crime and Justice Mark Cohen presents a comprehensive view ofthe financial setbacks of criminal behavior. Victims of crime might incurmedical costs lost wages and property damage while for some crimes painsuffering and reduced quality of life suffered by victims far exceeds anyphysical damage. The government also incurs costs as the provider of mentalhealth services police courts and prisons.Cohen argues that understanding the costs of crime can lead to importantinsights and policy conclusions both in terms of criminal justice policy butalso in terms of other social ills that compete with crime for governmentfunding. This book systematically discusses the numerous methodologicalapproaches and tallies up what is known about the costs of crimeAmustread for anyone involved in public policy The Costs of Crime andJustice consolidates the diverse research in this area but also makes one ofthe most valuable contributions to date to the study of the economics ofcriminal behavior. «