This handbook is designed to review the important recent developments in the sociology of crime and deviance. The chapters will identify and discuss the “hot topics” and the cutting edge research of the field. The work is divided into 5 major sections: - History of the Discipline, - Methodological Issues in Crime Research, - Explanations of Crime, - Theory-Based Practice,- Special Topics. The editors have organized a comprehensive treatment of the field of criminology at the turn of the 21st century.