This historical annual is the major publication in the general area of the history of crime, the criminal courts, policing, and punishment in all geographical regions from ancient to modern times. In addition to analytical articles, the annual provides reviews of the major books in these subjects and areas, and book review essays on new findings and methodologies.

In this volume, the annual provides examinations of crime and penal practices in Germany during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance as well as German views of American crime during the 1920s and 30s. In addition, the relationship between theology and penal practices in the early American republic is explored as are the labeling of dissidents, children and crime in Victorian England, and criminal justice and labor recruitment among Melanesian workers in 1890s Queensland. These essays as well as the book surveys are essential reading for students and scholars in criminology, criminal justice, and the history of policing.