Journal of Criminal Justice 29 (2001) 463 465

Current publication abstracts

Wyatt Geist
Robbing Drug Dealers by Bruce A. Jacobs
Aldine de Gruyter (Hawthorne, New York, ISBN:
0-202-30648-8) 2000, 166 pp., hardcover: $39.95,
softcover: $19.95
This book takes an in-depth look at the street
practice of robbing drug dealers. It is divided into six
chapters, with each chapter focusing on a specific
aspect of the drug dealer robbing phenomenon.
In chapter 1, the author begins by discussing his
research methods. He explains that the purpose of the
book is to uncover the dynamic relationships of
factors involved in the drug robbing experience. He
reviews relevant sociological research on the relationship of drugs and crime, and shows how the literature
ties in with his present work. The author then
addresses such issues as research methods, data
collection, interviews, and the question of validity.
He concludes with a brief outline of the book.
Chapter 2 examines the motivations of those who
rob drug dealers. He begins by discussing the deepening cycle of material gain and drug dependency
that fosters targeting drug dealers for robbery. He
then examines other factors which increase the motivation to rob drug dealers, such as a decreased likelihood of sanctions, and the claim by many of his
subjects that it was a moralistic action. The author
concludes by discussing the relative impact of these
and other motivators on drug robbers.
Chapter 3 examines how targets of drug robbers
come to be selected. The author discusses the
increased likelihood of drug robbery with regard to
high dealer density and awareness of the victims
identity. He then discusses the practice of surveying
target areas, and the opportunistic nature of many drug
robberies. He concludes by discussing the importance
of these factors in determining target selection.
Chapter 4 is concerned with the actual act of
robbing a drug dealer. The author takes the reader
into the mind of the robber, and goes step-by-step
through the process of robbing drug dealers; the

approach, the possibility of a buy-turned-ambush,

the announcement of the crime, the victims response,
the goods transfer, and the methods of safely ending
the offense. The author concludes by discussing the
relevant conduct norms implicit in the robbery of a
drug dealer.
Chapter 5 examines how people who rob drug
dealers prevent retaliation. The author examines such
topics as the importance of location, the perpetrators
silence concerning the robbery, and hypervigilance.
The author concludes with a discussion of the implications of Informal sanctions.
Chapter 6 is concerned with uncovering the social
order of the world outside the law where drug
robbery takes place. The author examines the possibility of robbing drug dealers as a kind of social
control. The author concludes with a discussion of the
relevance of his work to policymakers.
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Jokers Wild: Legalized Gambling in the TwentyFirst Century by Thomas Baker and Marjie Britz
Praeger Publishers (Westport, CT. ISBN: 0-27596587-2), 2000, 232 pp., Hardcover $65.00
In this book, the authors examine the implications
of the recent expansion of the gambling industry.
They begin in Chapter 1 by providing a brief outline
of the book. They then discuss the questions regarding the historical, current, and future trends in legalized gambling that guided their research. The authors
conclude by examining the economic and personal
effects of gambling on communities and individuals.
In chapter 2, the authors assess the current state of
legalized gambling in the U.S. They begin by exploring both the size and the nature of the gambling
industry. They then discuss the many kinds of gambling that occur in the U.S., from state lotteries to the
various casino games. The authors conclude with the

0047-2352/01/$ see front matter D 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

464

Abstracts / Journal of Criminal Justice 29 (2001) 463 465

assessment that legalized gambling has become the

norm in the U.S.
In chapter 3, the authors begin to trace the
history of gambling in the U.S. The authors take
the reader from gamblings early history in Colonial
America, through the Riverboat Gambling Era in the
nineteenth century, to the early history of gambling
in Nevada.
Chapter 4 continues the history of gambling in
America, from illegal gambling dens in New York,
to the influence of organized crime in Las Vegas.
The authors discuss the 1950s crime commissions,
and such notorious figures as Meyer Lansky and
Bugsy Siegel.
Chapter 5 begins with a discussion of the beginnings of gambling as a legitimate business: when
Howard Hughes arrived in Las Vegas. The authors
go on to discuss the recent trend towards Adult
Disney World in Las Vegas with the establishment
of major resort hotel/casinos, and the story of legalized gambling in Atlantic City. The authors conclude
with a discussion of corporate involvement in the
gambling industry.
Chapter 6 explores the recent explosion of gambling on Indian Reservations. The authors begin by
discussing landmark cases that opened the doors for
gambling on Indian Reservations. The authors go on
to discuss the current and future trends of Indian
gambling. The authors conclude with an extensive
look into the riverboat gambling trend in the south
and midwest regions of the U.S.
Chapter 7 provides an in-depth look at the most
commonly played form of gambling in America: the
state-run gambling lotteries. The authors explore the
shift in attitudes of government towards lotteries
from a prohibitive stance pre-1964, to the current
aggressive support displayed in states advertising for
their lotteries. The authors provide a glimpse of
gambling across America, with sections on Powerball, Racinos, and Video Lottery Terminals. The
authors conclude with a look into the future of
state-run gambling lotteries.
Chapter 8 explores the newest form of gambling
expansion: Internet gambling. The authors begin with
a brief history of the Internet, discussing such topics
as cybercurrency, Internet gaming sites, and the
applicability of the Federal Interstate Wire Act of
1961. The authors go on to discuss the Kyl bill, the
Travel Act, and the Crime Control Act. They conclude with a discussion of action taken by state and
federal governments to regulate the Internet, and the
implications of possible future legislation.
Chapter 9 explores the psychology of gambling.
The authors discuss such topics as the definition of
problem gambling, traditional psychoanalytical
approaches to gambling, and criticisms of the medical

model. They go on to discuss sociological, economical, and biological explanations of problem gambling. They conclude with a critical examination of
these theories of gambling behavior.
In chapter 10, the effect of the gambling explosion
on special populations is considered. The authors
begin by examining youth gambling, and go on to
discuss college and athlete gambling. They then
discuss the negative consequences of the gambling
expansion experienced by senior citizens. The
authors conclude with a discussion of the effect of
increased gambling venues on women.
In chapter 11, the authors examine the multiple
effects, positive and negative, that casino gambling
has on nearby communities. The authors begin by
discussing the sometimes incestuous relationship that
exists between political leaders and the gambling
industry. The authors go on to discuss the views of
the American Gaming Association, and compare and
contrast these views with those of antigambling
activists. The authors conclude with a discussion of
environmental, social, and economic solutions for the
problems they have reviewed.
In chapter 12, the authors discuss the 1996
National Gambling Impact Study Commission. They
begin by examining the origins of the Commission in
the explosive growth of the gambling industry. They
go on to discuss the findings of the Commission, and
the content of arguments made during the Commissions meetings. The authors conclude with a critical
examination of the findings of the Commission.
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Constitutional Issues in Correctional Administration by Chadwick L. Shook and Robert T. Sigler

Carolina Academic Press (Durham, NC. ISBN:
0-89089-936-3), 2000, 163 pp., Softcover $19.95
This book examines current and controlling decisions and provides historical context for litigation
involving correctional institutions. By exploring the
historical development of correctional issues through
legal decisions, the authors provide insight into how
current perspectives on correctional administration
came to exist. The book is divided into eleven chapters, with each chapter focusing on one major issue.
Chapter 1 outlines the evolution of prisoners
rights beginning with a discussion of the hands-off
doctrine. This principle was first enunciated in Pervear v. Massachusetts (1866) when the courts ruled
that prisoners in state penitentiaries were not entitled
to protection under the cruel and unusual punishment
clause of the Eighth Amendment. The authors then
examine the breaking of the hands-off doctrine with