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From the perspective of mainstream criminology, the essays collected in this volume may seem to be something of a collateral enterprise - or they may be seen as extending the reach of criminology to others areas of importance. Rather than focusing directly on crime and criminals - these essays seek to identify the forces that determine how, why and with what consequences societies choose to deal with crime and criminals as they do. The volume is divided into three sections, each of which explores matters intrinsic to an understanding of how, why, and with what consequences the politics of crime and punishment proceeds as it does. The first section focuses on the relationship between policy and politics, with particular reference to punitive preferences. Section 2 shifts the analysis to the public attitudes, and their contribution and driving force to punitive policy choices. Finally the third section turns to the cultural forces and institutions that mediate among politics, policy, and public opinion. This volume questions the circumstances under which we respond to crime, extending the range of inquiry from crime and criminals - to the cultural truths with which punishment resonates, and to the strategic and tactical incentives for politicizing crime. In essence, this collection seeks to demonstrate that there are thorny issues concerning crime and punishment that have tended to fall between the cracks of mainstream criminology.