Sustainable economic development: A criminal justice challenge for the 21st century

The environmental challenges of the 21(st) century require co-operation bet ween criminal justice experts and economists. Three different economics per spectives are relevant for the discipline of criminal justice in general an d for adressing environmental problems in particular: neo-classical econoic s, political economics and the economics of sustainable development. Crimin al justice pays a role in the effort to attain sustainable development beca use the limitations of market based decision making necessitate a role for law and regulation in addressing environmental degradation. Sustainable dev elopment itself is relevant to the general discussion of crime. Issues of s ustainable development are already discussed in criminal justice literature . While criminal law has limitations as a tool against environmental crime, it will necessarily suplement the tools of the market and civil regulation in coping with environmental problems. The inherently multidisciplinary un dertaking of sustainable development will be most effectively met if expert s in both economics and criminal justice understand more of one another's f ields. Suggestions for including the three perspectives of economics in the criminal justice curriculum are provided.