State crimes are historically and contemporarily ubiquitous and result
in more injury and death than traditional street crimes such as robbery,
theft, and assault. Consider that genocide during the 20th century in
Germany, Rwanda, Darfur, Albania, Turkey, Ukraine, Cambodia,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, and other regions claimed the lives of tens of
millions and rendered many more homeless, imprisoned, and
psychologically and physically damaged. Despite the gravity of crimes
committed by states and political leaders, until recently these harms
have been understudied relative to conventional street crimes in the
field of criminology. Over the past two decades, a growing number of
criminologists have conducted rigorous research on state crime and have
tried to disseminate it widely including attempts to develop courses
that specifically address crimes of the state. Referencing a broad range
of cases of state crime and international institutions of control, State
Criminality provides a general framework and survey-style discussion of
the field for teaching undergraduate and graduate students, and serves
as a useful general reference point for scholars of state crime.