Books by Jeffrey Reiman

Two distinguished social and political philosophers take opposing positions in this highly engaging work. Louis P. Pojman justifies the practice of execution by appealing to the principle of retribution: we deserve to be rewarded and punished according to the virtue or viciousness of our actions. He asserts that the death penalty does deter some potential murderers and that we risk the lives of innocent people who might otherwise live if we refuse to execute those deserving that punishment. Jeffrey Reiman argues that although the death penalty is a just punishment for murder, we are not morally obliged to execute murderers. Since we lack conclusive evidence that executing murderers is an effective deterrent and because we can foster the advance of civilization by demonstrating our intolerance for cruelty in our unwillingness to kill those who kill others, Reiman concludes that it is good in principle to avoid the death penalty, and bad in practice to impose it.

Responds to recent assaults on liberal theory by proposing a "critical moral liberalism". This text sets forth the basic arguments for the liberal moral obligation to maximize people's ability to govern their own lives, and for the conception that the good life goes with this.

The Rich get Richer and the Poor get Prison: A Reader is a selection of 25 articles ranging from newspaper stories that highlight issues to articles in professional journals. Articles cover the following topics: Crime Control in America A Crime by Any other Name... ...and the Poor get Prison To the Vanquished belong the Spoils Criminal "Justice" or "Criminal "Justice Professors who use the best-selling book written by Reiman and Leighton, The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison, now in a ninth edition, have frequently asked for a reader. Where appropriate, articles have been edited to highlight the parts most relevant for the thesis of The Rich Get Richer. This book of readings can be used stand-alone, or as an accompaniment to the main text.