The Great Books in Criminal Justice: As Ranked by Elite Members of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences

Abstract

Attempts to define the core body of knowledge in criminal justice have provided diverse and disparate explanations of what could be considered as central to the discipline. Previous efforts have focused on frequently cited authors and works, required learning for students and the personal beliefs of individual scholars. The present work adds to this body by examining the works considered by an elite sample of criminal justice educators as classics in the field. Based on a survey of Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Presidents, Fellows and Bruce Smith Award winners the classic books in criminal justice are identified. Results show that a wide range of works and authors is identified, with relatively little consensus either across the sample or with previously identified works and authors. Comparison of presently identified works with those frequently cited and commonly required for doctoral students shows that only a minority of works identified by others are also considered classics by our elite sample.

Notes

1. In this study, we confined the literature review on citation counts in criminology and criminal justice to those studies that identified book titles cited.

2. Two men, Felix M. Fabian and Gordon E. Misner, served two terms as Academy President. In all, five women and 38 men have been elected to this post. None have been members of a minority group. Through 2007, three past presidents were known to be deceased: Robert F. Borkenstein, Donald H. Riddle and Richter H. Moore, Jr.

3. This award has not been granted every year since 1976. The majority of the winners have been white males (27) and one minority group male (total = 28). Two white females and one minority group female have been recipients. Through 2007, eight Bruce Smith Award winners were known to be deceased: Sir Leon Radzinowicz, Thorsten Sellin, Albert Reiss, John Conrad, Jerome Hall, Simon Dinitz, Donald MacNamara and Coramae R. Mann.

4. Twenty‐two white males, two white females and one African American female have received this recognition.

5. Three scholars served as Academy Presidents, received the Bruce Smith Award and were named Academy Fellows. One served as Academy President and also received the Bruce Smith Award. Eleven scholars (including one deceased scholar) served as Academy President and were named Academy Fellows. Two scholars received the Bruce Smith Award and were named as Academy Fellows. In all, 11 scholars were known to be deceased in 2007. In sum, the number of potential respondents was thus reduced by 28. In addition, we were unable to find contact information for 31 scholars. One scholar refused to participate on the grounds that the study questions were too ambiguous. Thus, the total size of our population was 45. Our response rate (68.9%) was comparable to similar studies listed in the literature review.