Premium
A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF THE LAW OF VAGRANCY
Author(s) -
ADLER JEFFREY S.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
criminology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.467
H-Index - 139
eISSN - 1745-9125
pISSN - 0011-1384
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-9125.1989.tb01029.x
Subject(s) - vagrancy , criminal law , criminology , law , sociology , history , political science
For more than two decades William Chambliss's analysis of vagrancy law has provided criminologists with historical evidence to support class‐based explanations for the development of criminal law. Chambliss's use of the historical record, however, is suggestive more than it is conclusive, and recent studies of vagrancy law have exposed important shortcomings in his model. In fact, a systematic examination of the history of vagrancy law reveals that Chambliss's analysis is flawed. Thus. Criminologists should not continue to cite Chambliss's article as an authoritative source on the historical development of criminal law.