Description

Criminal Law A Critical Approach Capers ISBN 9781647086831

As students and faculty increasingly call for more critical engagement in the study of criminal law—especially around issues of race, gender, sexuality, disability, and class—Criminal Law: A Critical Approach offers a powerful and timely response. Authored exclusively by Black men, this innovative and accessible casebook combines rigorous doctrinal coverage with critical analysis of the social, structural, and historical forces that shape the criminal legal system.

Grounded in contemporary realities—mass incarceration, over-criminalization, and persistent inequalities—this casebook challenges students to view criminal law not in isolation, but as part of a broader system of social control. Through its use of the “criminal system pyramid,” students are introduced to the full spectrum of state regulation, from informal surveillance to the criminal prosecution of non-violent and so-called “victimless” offenses that dominate real-world caseloads.

In addition to teaching core principles and case law, the book equips students to grapple with urgent policy debates, such as prison abolition, police reform, and community-based alternatives to incarceration. Comparative materials encourage global thinking, inviting reflection on how other societies have approached crime and punishment across time and place.

Blending doctrinal clarity with rich theoretical and policy perspectives, Criminal Law: A Critical Approach is more than a casebook—it’s a tool for cultivating lawyer-leaders committed to equity, justice, and systemic transformation. With diverse cases, thought-provoking notes, and interdisciplinary resources, this book empowers professors to meet students where they are and guide them to where the legal profession—and society—must go.

Criminal Law A Critical Approach Capers ISBN 9781647086831