The articles cover major topics in criminology, parole and probation administration, rehabilitation and counseling, and industrial security, as well as the more traditional areas of criminal law and criminology. The scope of the encyclopedia extends from concepts in criminal law to research in criminology; from historical and cross-cultural surveys of criminal procedures to balanced discussions of such controversial current issues as gun control, capital punishment, and euthanasia; from the philosophy of punishment to practical aspects of law enforcement, crime prevention, and crime scene investigation. Special features of the encyclopedia are alphabetical organization for easy use, compound entries that provide in-depth coverage of major topics, extensive cross references and blind entries, extensive legal citations and a guide to their use, reading lists for the articles, an index of cases, and an extensive general index of names and subjects. The encyclopedia is intended for both lay and professional readers.