Within the past decade the research focus of Criminal Justice has broadened dramatically. Justice Studies long have been the domain of sociological inquiry, using quantitative statistical methods to examine the impact of law enforcement, the courts and penal systems. Systems Criminology is the field in which we investigate the societal impact of criminal justice systems and, indeed, quantitative methods are our tools. Although this is time well-spent, it narrowly limits our scope of research to the sociological aspects of government institutions. If one is to investigate how a criminal justice institution can better operate within the larger framework of government, a matter of great importance in criminal justice management, Systems Criminology alone cannot provide the key.

The traditional discipline in which we examine institutional behavior is that of Political Science. Tools in economics and game theory along with traditional quantitative methods are used in examining institutional behavior. Therefore, by embracing Political Science methodologies we broaden our capacity to scientifically address government management issues in criminal justice institutions. As a political scientist immersed in comparative international studies of criminal justice institutions, I sincerely hope you will join me in this fascinating field of study, this new day in research wherein we examine criminal justice systems not only as social actors, but also as political actors.                        

• K.J.R. 

The Tower of London