TO UNDERSCORE HOW CRIMINOLOGY IS BOUND BY CONTEXTUAL LIMITATIONS AND THE FASCINATION OF CRIME AS A PUZZLE OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOR, THE FIRST SECTION OF THIS TEXTBOOK DEALS WITH THE HISTORY OF CRIMINOLOGY AS AN ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE AND THE PROCESS BY WHICH CRIME IS DEFINED AND STUDIED. PROPERTY CRIMES, CRIMES OF VIOLENCE, SEXUAL OFFENSES, THE ILLEGAL USE OF DRUGS, GAMBLING, AND POLITICAL CRIME ARE ANALYZED IN TERMS OF THEIR STRUCTURE, THE RATE AT WHICH THEY OCCUR, AND THE SOCIAL SITUATION IN WHICH THEY ARISE. SOCIOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES OF THE CAUSES OF CRIME ARE DISCUSSED WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF TWO THEMES: (1) THE CRIMINAL IS INCREASINGLY SEEN TO BE MUCH LIKE THE NONCRIMINAL IN TERMS OF VALUES AND ATTITUDES; AND (2) ANY TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR MUST DEPEND ON OTHER DISCIPLINES LIKE PSYCHOLOGY, ANTHROPOLOGY, AND SOCIOLOGY. A CONSIDERATION OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE, THE POLICE, AND THE CRIMINAL COURTS EMPHASIZES BALANCING THE PROTECTION OF SOCIETY AND THE PROTECTION OF SUSPECTS' RIGHTS. THE FINAL SECTION CONSIDERS SOCIETY'S REACTION TO CRIMINALS AND DISCUSSES THE HISTORY OF PUNISHMENT, THE VARIOUS RATIONALES AND JUSTIFICATIONS FOR PUNISHMENT, THE QUESTION OF THE PROPER RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CRIME AND PUNISHMENT, PRISONS, PROBATION, PAROLE, AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF REHABILITATION AND TREATMENT. REFERENCES ARE FOOTNOTED. RECOMMENDED READINGS ARE PROVIDED AT THE CLOSE OF EACH SECTION. TABLES AND PHOTOGRAPHS ILLUSTRATE THE TEXT. AN INDEX IS INCLUDED. (KBL)