Pre-crime

‘Welcome to the terrifying universe of pre-crime – the world of today, the past and the future all rolled up into one fantastical display of pre-emptive state power. This book provides the first ever systematic examination of the nature, dynamics and interventions of pre-crime. The line between fiction and reality has never been more tenuous or disturbing, as threats of insecurity and terror are mobilised in ways directly undermining individual and collective rights, freedom and justice. This is an essential book for interpreting the exercise of unbridled coercive force in uncertain times.’ - Rob White, Professor of Criminology, School of Social Sciences, University of Tasmania, Australia

‘In this exceptionally original book on the dangers of "a pre-crime society that jumps at shadows," McCulloch and Wilson brilliantly examine how the speculative fiction of pre-crime utilizes logics of security, risk, and pre-emption to justify coercive and secretive state interventions against groups and identities viewed as threats. Absolutely essential reading for criminologists, legal scholars, social scientists, policy experts, and, indeed, anyone committed to the future of justice.’ - Nancy A. Wonders, Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Northern Arizona University, Arizona, USA

‘Officials are re-calibrating their understanding of the relationship between the past and the future as it pertains to policing, security, and punishment. This volume offers cutting-edge insights into this important development, and cautions us about the ethical dilemmas presented by a brave new world of "pre-crime".’ - Kevin D. Haggerty, Killam Laureate, University of Alberta, Canada

'This is an authoritative, critical and wide-ranging account of the emergence of pre-crime. It is elegantly written, accessible and historically nuanced, taking the reader through a fascinating journey from the past, to the present and, thereafter, into the future.

The central concepts associated with pre-crime - such as risk, pre-emption, precaution and futurity - are deftly unpacked and scrutinized with rigor. The book makes both a substantial theoretical contribution to debates about the utility and the morals underpinning pre-crime, whilst simultaneously offering a commanding overview of key debates in the area for social science students and researchers. The definitive work on pre-crime.’ - Gabe Mythen, Professor of Criminology, University of Liverpool, UK

"A clearly written, accessible and indeed the most incisive deconstruction to date of the phenomenon of pre-crime, how it has partially displaced other adjacent crime control strategies and what it portends for the likely character of the security state in the coming period." – John Lea, Honorary Professor of Criminology, University of Roehampton, UK, British Journal of Criminology

"Pre-crime is an urgent and important piece of socio-legal scholarship. McCulloch and Wilson’s book breaks new ground in the criminological literature on risk and challenges its readers to confront hard realities about the growing convergence between national security and criminal justice." - James Oleson, Associate Professor, University of Auckland, New Zealand, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology

"Over little more than 150 pages, the authors provide a strong conceptual framework that should become a key resource in our understanding of pre-crime laws, security and counter-extremism. To those who are looking for a rich definition and theoretical advancement of the concept of pre-crime, this is the kind of scholarship that offers some clarity." - Raphael Schlembach, University of Brighton, UK, Criminology and Criminal Justice