THE DEFINITION OF CRIME CONSISTS OF TWO PERSPECTIVES -- BEHAVIORAL, WHICH CONCERNS THE CRIMINAL OFFENSE AND OFFENDER; AND LABELING, WHICH EMPHASIZES THE REACTIONS OF OTHERS TO THOSE WHO ARE ASSUMED TO HAVE COMMITTED CRIMINAL ACTS. CRIME IS ALSO A POLITICAL PHENOMENON, CREATED BY THE FORMULATION OF CRIMINAL LAWS. CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN CRIMINAL LAW HAS ITS FOUNDATIONS IN ANGLO-SAXON LAW OF THE 11TH AND 12TH CNETURIES. THESE LAWS WERE FORMED BECAUSE OF CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS AMONG VARIOUS SUBGROUPS WHICH MAKE UP SOCIETY, BUT THEY WERE ALSO CREATED FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE LARGER PART OF SOCIETY. VARIOUS THEORIES OF CRIME ARE DETAILED, AND THE AUTHOR SUGGESTS THAT THERE SHOULD BE A MODEL THAT CAN COMBINE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT FACTORS INTO ONE SINGLE SET OF CONCEPTS AND PROPOSITIONS, THAT IS, TO MAKE TYPOLOGIES OF CRIME. SEVERAL OF THESE TYPOLOGIES ARE ASSESSED, BUT NONE SEEM TO BE ALL-INCLUSIVE; THEY EITHER DEEMPHASIZE ONE ASPECT OR OVEREMPHASIZE ANOTHER. THE ROLE OF THE POLICE IS ADDRESSED, WITH THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THE CRIMINAL PROCESS BEING THAT OF DECISIONMAKING. IT IS THE POLICE WHO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT A CRIMINAL IS ARRESTED. THE AMERICAN CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS OUTLINED AND THIS RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THE CRIMINAL IS A PRODUCT OF THE STRUCTURAL AND PROCEDURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM ITSELF. THE HANDLING OF CRIMINAL CASES IS VERY ROUTINE, WHICH RESULTS IN THE STEREOTYPING OF THE CRIMINAL. CRIMINAL CORRECTIONS ARE ANALYZED, AND THE AUTHOR SUGGESTS THAT THEY HAVE FAR TO GO BEFORE THE OBJECTIVES ARE REALIZED. AN ANALYSIS OF CRIME RATES AND HOW TO EVALUATE THEM IS PROVIDED ALONG WITH SEVERAL THEORIES OF CRIME RATES. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES WITH A PLEA FOR A HUMANISTIC CRIMINOLOGY. REFERENCES AND AN INDEX ARE PROVIDED. (BAC)