Police Abuse and Reform in America: Examining the Facts

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James J. Nolan (West Virginia University, USA) Howard Ryan (West Virginia University, USA)

Police Abuse and Reform in America

Examining the Facts

James J. Nolan (West Virginia University, USA), Howard Ryan (West Virginia University, USA), Makenzie Freeman (West Virginia University, USA)

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English

Bloomsbury Academic
18 September 2025

Crime & criminology; Human rights & civil liberties law; Offences against public health, safety, order; Police procedures

Series: Contemporary Debates

Authoritative and insightful, this wide-ranging overview of police abuse and violence in American society offers a one-stop primer for understanding the forces driving abusive and violent police misconduct.

In addition to chronicling specific notorious and controversial examples of police violence and abuse, this work delves into the root causes of police misconduct, details the varied responsibilities and culture of law enforcement in American communities, and examines the arguments for and against efforts and proposals to reform and improve police departments. In the process, Police Abuse and Reform in America gives readers a clear and unbiased understanding of the issue by carefully examining claims about the root causes and extent of police violence and abuse in the USA, as well as the efficacy of efforts to reform and improve law enforcement performance.

For example, featured essays tackle such questions as whether policing has become more dangerous over time, whether police abuse is more prevalent in communities of color, and whether reforms to address and curb incidents of police abuse are effective or counterproductive. In addition, the book examines events such as the Rodney King beating of 1992, the 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020 as pivot points in American police history and the social movement landscape.

By: James J. Nolan (West Virginia University USA), Howard Ryan (West Virginia University, USA), Makenzie Freeman (West Virginia University, USA)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 25mm
Weight: 454g
ISBN: 9781440881343
ISBN 10: 1440881340
Series: Contemporary Debates
Pages: 216
Publication Date: 18 September 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Primary & secondary/elementary & high school , Primary , Children's (6-12)
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

James J. Nolan is a Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at West Virginia University, USA. His research focuses on crime and neighborhood dynamics, police procedures, crime measurement, and hate crimes. A former police officer, Nolan is also a 1992 graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Academy. He is co-editor of Policing in an Age of Reform: An Agenda for Research and Practice (2021). Howard Ryan is a doctoral student in Sociology at West Virginia University, USA. He has a background in teaching and labor organizing and is the author of Educational Justice: Teaching and Organizing against the Corporate Juggernaut. Mackenzie Freeman is a doctoral student in Sociology at West Virginia University. With a background in criminology and psychology, her research focuses on rural girls in incarceration and foster care. She is co-author of ""'Suffering in Deafening Silence': Suicide Ideation and Attempted Suicide in the Lives of Incarcerated Rural West Virginia Girls.""