While most researchers see the urban setting as being the only laboratory for studying crime problems throughout
the United States, Crime and Policing in Rural and Small-Town America directly challenges this notion with an authoritative
look at crime and the criminal justice system in rural America today. The assumption that rural crime is rare and
comparable across various communities has led to incompatible theories and irrelevant practices. In order to transform
this misconstruction, the Third Edition offers a clear outline of the definition of rural and provides a vital
argument for why rural and small-town crime should be studied more than it is. The book also explores the individual
nature of issues that emerge in these communities, including illegal drug production, domestic violence, agricultural
crimes, rural poverty, and gangs, in addition to the training needs of rural police, probation in rural areas,
and rural jails and prisons. Responding to rural crime requires an awareness of its context and how justice is
carried out, as well as an appreciation of how features vary across rural areas. Understanding the relationships
among crime, geography, and culture in the rural setting can reveal useful ideas and implications for crime and
justice in communities across the United States.
Table of Contents
1. Why Rural Matters
Rural Is Important in Itself
Immediate Implications for Urban Areas
Implications for Research
Implications for Theory
Implications for Policy
Why Has Rural Been Under Studied?
Summary
2. The Rural Setting of Crime and Justice
Geographic Isolation
Availability of Guns
Economic Factors
Race and Ethnicity
Social Climate
Summary
3. Rural and Small-Town Crime
Fear of Crime
Rural versus Urban Crime
Trends in Rural Crime
Special Issues
Summary
4. Rural and Small-Town Police
Who Are Rural Police?
Sheriffs versus Municipal Police
Federal, State, and Local Cooperation
Agency Size
The Effectiveness of Rural Agencies
Styles of Policing in Rural Areas
Community Policing
Excessive Force and Police Corruption
Special Problems
Survey of Rural Police Needs
Summary
5. Other Parts of the System
The Practice of Law
Prosecutors
Rural Courts
Probation
Rural Jails
Prisons
Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Treatment
Summary
