THE AUTHORS STUDIED 150 YEARS OF DATA ON THE LAWS, POLICE, COURTS, AND PRISONS OF LONDON, STOCKHOLM, SYDNEY, AND CALCUTTA. THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN COLLABORATION WITH AN INTERNATIONAL TEAM OF RESEARCHERS. THE PRESENTATION INCLUDES THE HISTORICAL ORIGINS OF CONTEMPORARY POLICIES AND INSTITUTIONS FOR MAINTAINING PUBLIC ORDER AND DISCUSSES THE CLASS INTERESTS AND POLITICAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT HAVE LED TO CHANGES IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN CRIME AND CIVIL DISORDER IS EXAMINED AS ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE EXPERIENCE OF AND RESPONSE TO PUBLIC DISORDER IN THE WEST AND THE THIRD WORLD. IN THE FINAL CHAPTER OF THE BOOK, A THEORETICAL MODEL IS CONSTRUCTED WHICH SPECIFIES THE KINDS OF CONDITIONS THAT CAUSE DISORDER AND MAPS THEIR CONNECTIONS, DRAWING UPON THE EVIDENCE OF THE FOUR CITY STUDIES TO ILLUSTRATE THE CAUSAL CONNECTIONS. WHILE THE AUTHORS SPECIFY THAT THE MODEL WAS MERELY A METHOD OF COLLECTING AND ORGANIZING INFORMATION ON A DISORDERLY SUBJECT, THEY STRESS THE EXISTENCE OF SUPPORTING INFORMATION IN THEIR STUDY AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO TEST IT. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED) (SNI ABSTRACT)...EB