The study encompasses historical and contemporary analyses of the "underclass," a discussion of the debate on crime and poverty in the United States, an analysis of the policymaking process in the police service, police responses to the riots in the 1980's, and recent criminal justice policies. The analysis is based in sociological theory, particularly social constructionism and the analysis of power. Overall, the discussion of crime and disorder is located in the context of an analysis of poverty and social exclusion. The author brings the operation of the police service back within the purview of social policy, as it includes verbatim extracts from the author's interviews with senior police officers. The book emphasizes that attitudes and concepts about poverty and crime have practical consequences for police attitudes and behavior. The book traces discourses on poverty and crime from the 19th century to the present day, showing how the explanations used by policymakers have remained remarkably consistent even if the labels have changed. It also reveals that senior police officers do not necessarily accept uncritically all that their political masters tell them. The dogmatic contention that there were no links between crime and poverty made by Conservative British ministers in the 1980's was contested by many senior police officers who recognized the important effects of economic, political, and social exclusion. A 702-item bibliography and a subject index