Scott H. Belshaw

Cannabis is everywhere! Whether you call it weed, pot, or marijuana, cannabis by any other name is still cannabis. From your stereotypical street drug dealer to medical cannabis dispensaries to courtrooms across America, we cannot escape the hot buzz that is weed. While it may be hot, it is nothing new; since being made illegal over a hundred years ago, proponents of its use and benefits have rallied and advocated for its declassification as an illicit substance, upon deaf ears until very recently. Individuals' states and companies have been making moves to decriminalize and regulate this drug. The ongoing debates and public discourse associated with cannabis legalization have broader implications for criminal justice policy and social equity in the United States. The Need for Weed: Marijuana Policy and Public Politics in the Criminal Justice System address the impact of cannabis policy on crime and policing, as well as its impact on social justice and public policy more broadly.

Ethics in the Criminal Justice System explores ideas and information in and around ethical decision making as it pertains to criminal justice. As an edited volume, Ethics in the Criminal Justice System features contributing authors who have provided a varied and challenging palette of offerings from pure philosophy to common sense practical professional advice. Boldly luring readers into fascinating discussions, Ethics in the Criminal Justice Systemalerts students to the need for criminal justice practitioners to make informed, ethical judgments. Ethics in the Criminal Justice System:is practical and interesting.is stimulating and informative.is not about absolutes; it is about further questions.will stimulate students to continue the dialog outside of the classroom.""Being ethical pertains to how an individual arrives at conclusions relating to what is right and what is wrong. Individual beliefs vary; therefore, people should attempt to achieve a position that results in fairness and equity within society and respects individual beliefs. Ethical behavior is expressed by an ethos that drives the rationality behind fair, equitable and ethical decision making. Ethics is a matter that should be taken seriously. It is the duty of the criminal justice system to ensure that law and order is maintained and delivered based upon fairness and equity to the benefit of all members of society."" - Scott Belshaw and Peter Johnstone

Ethics in the Criminal Justice System explores ideas and information in and around ethical decision making as it pertains to criminal justice. As an edited volume, Ethics in the Criminal Justice System features contributing authors who have provided a varied and challenging palette of offerings from pure philosophy to common sense practical professional advice. Boldly luring readers into fascinating discussions, Ethics in the Criminal Justice System alerts students to the need for criminal justice practitioners to make informed, ethical judgments. Ethics in the Criminal Justice System:is practical and interesting. is stimulating and informative. is not about absolutes; it is about further questions. will stimulate students to continue the dialog outside of the classroom. ""Being ethical pertains to how an individual arrives at conclusions relating to what is right and what is wrong. Individual beliefs vary; therefore, people should attempt to achieve a position that results in fairness and equity within society and respects individual beliefs. Ethical behavior is expressed by an ethos that drives the rationality behind fair, equitable and ethical decision making. Ethics is a matter that should be taken seriously. It is the duty of the criminal justice system to ensure that law and order is maintained and delivered based upon fairness and equity to the benefit of all members of society."" -Scott Belshaw and Peter Johnstone

At the dawn of the twentieth century, Galveston was a beacon of opportunity on the Texas Gulf Coast. Dubbed the Wall Street of the Southwest, its laissez-faire reputation called those hungry for success to its shores. Led by brothers Salvatore and Rosario at the height of Prohibition, the Maceo family answered that call and changed the Oleander City forever. They built an island empire of gambling, smuggling and prostitution that lasted three decades. Housed in their nightclubs frequented by stars like Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra and Duke Ellington, they endeared themselves to their Galveston neighbors by sharing their profits, imitating crime syndicates in their native Sicily. Though certainly no saints, the Maceos helped bring prosperity to a community weary from a century of turmoil. Discover the history of Galveston's famous crime family with authors Nicole Boatman, Dr. Scott Belshaw and Texas historian Richard McCaslin.