Is theory important in the study of crime and criminal justice? Introduction Despite numerous government inquiries (see, for example, Commission on Systemic Racism, 1995), debate

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Running Head: IS THEORY IMPORTANT IN THE STUDY OF CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE?

Is theory important in the study of crime and criminal justice?

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Is theory important in the study of crime and criminal justice?

Introduction

Despite numerous government inquiries (see, for example, Commission on Systemic Racism, 1995), debate continues to rage in Canada over whether or not some racial/ ethnic groups are more involved in crime than others, whether or not there is systemic discrimination within the justice system, and whether or not people from all ethnic backgrounds have equal access to justice services. Unfortunately, compared to the United States and Europe, relatively few Canadian studies have directly addressed the complex, inter-related issues of race, crime, and criminal justice (see Bowling and Phillips, 2002; Mauer, 1999; Roberts and Doob, 1997; Commission on Systemic Racism, 1995). Furthermore, the little research that has been conducted has tended to focus on race in isolation -- without considering the simultaneous impact of other socially relevant variables. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to briefly review the limited Canadian research on race, crime, and criminal justice and