Global Organized Crime A 21st Century Approach

In the maelstrom of globalization and cyberspace, organized crime continues to defy definition. A diverse array of activities is perpetuated by criminal organizations, criminal groups and associations, and gangs, and it is clear that one specific label is no longer adequate. This book offers a uniquely global approach to organized crime and the multitude of forces that shape it in the 21st century.

As well as discussing definitions of and the historical roots of organized crime, this book examines various forms of organized crime around the world in the US, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, Russia and Europe, Asia and Africa. This revised and updated new edition includes coverage of:

• the rise of the ?Ndrangheta in Italy and their global expansion;
• the impact of drug legalization on organized crime and the problem of methamphetamine;
• organ trading, money laundering, and animal poaching;
• changes in gang traditions and gangland penitentiaries;
• the decentralization of Mexican cartels, the growth of opium production in Myanmar, and the drug war in Africa; and
• the advancement of ISIS and the emergence of the Silk Road and the Dark Net.

This book is essential reading for students engaged in the study of global and transnational organized crime, with features including chapter overviews, key terms, critical thinking questions, and case studies.

1. Defining and Recognizing Organized Crime

2. Explaining Criminal Subcultures and Actors

3. Italian Organized Crime

4. The Mafia in America

5. Historical Roots of Organized Crime in America

6. Vice Prohibition in America: Alcohol, Narcotics, Gambling, and Prostitution

7. Businesses of Organized Crime

8. Homegrown Organized Crime: Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, Prison Gangs, and Urban Street Gangs

9. Asian Organized Crime

10. Organized Crime in Russia and Europe

11. Organized Crime in Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean

12. Organized Crime in Africa

13. Terrorist Groups and Organized Crime: An Evolving Relationship

14. Organized Crime in a Hi-Tech World

15. Investigating and Responding to Organized Crime

Mitchel P. Roth is Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Sam Houston State University, USA, and Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Criminology and Sociology.