Book Review: Daniel P. Mears, Out-of-Control Criminal Justice: The Systems Improvement Solution for More Safety, Justice, Accountability, and Efficiency. Cambridge University Press. 2017

Abstract

In his book, Out-of-Control Criminal Justice, Daniel Mears writes about what he calls the Systems Improvement Solution, also called the Systems Solution. The Systems Solution is his solution for the way criminal justice policy is currently handled. Mears is an influential criminologist who is also the Mark C. Stafford Professor of Criminology at the Florida State University College of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Mears, n.d.). Along with Out-of-Control Criminal Justice, he is the author of Fundamentals of Criminological and Criminal Justice Inquiry, Prisoner Reentry in the Era of Mass Incarceration, and American Criminal Justice Policy (Mears, n.d.). He is well-versed in his field of criminal justice, research, and policy; his research has also been featured in multiple journals and media outlets (Mears, n.d.). In Out-of-Control Criminal Justice, Mears discusses every aspect concerning his Systems Solution- what a system is as a whole, the innerworkings of a system, how the Systems Solution can be used in other fields besides criminal justice, the emphasis on research, the multi-stakeholder policy process, the benefits of a Systems Solution, and many other pieces needed for a Systems Improvement Solution.