THE AUTHORS ARGUE THAT IN A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE MEANING OF CRIME, IT IS NECESSARY AS WELL TO GO BEYOND THE STATE'S DEFINITION, A DEFINITION LIMITED BY THE NEEDS OF THE CAPITALIST ORDER. THE PROBLEM OF CRIME, THEY ARGUE, IS BASICALLY AND FOREMOST A PROBLEM OF COMTEMPORARY SOCIETY AS KNOWN PARTICULARLY IN THE UNITED STATES. THIS DISCUSSION IS FOLLOWED BY A REVIEW OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRIMINOLOGY, AND AN EXAMINATION OF THE CURRENT ISSUES IN THE STUDY OF CRIME AND CRIME CONTROL. THE AUTHORS THEN ANALYZE SOME OF THE PRINCIPAL ASPECTS OF CRIME AND PUNISHMENT IN THE UNITED STATES. GIVEN THE EXISTING RESEARCH, THE AUTHORS RELATE THESE PHENOMENA TO THE UNDERLYING POLITICAL ECONOMY, THE RESULTING CLASS STRUGGLE, AND THE CONTRADICTIONS OF THE ESTABLISHED ORDER. THE BOOK IS CONCLUDED WITH A DISCUSSION OF THE CONTEMPORARY STRUGGLE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)...DMC