Thinking of the US specifically,
- We use criminology (the understanding of criminals from a sociological and psychological perspective) to make policies
- Legislators (in theory) should use an understanding of causes of crime to curb crime... think back to the War on Drugs... how did different administrations (Reagan, Nixon) use an understanding of "criminals" and crime to fight against it
- Origins of criminal justice system & connections to slavery/slave patrolling
- Anti-Blackness in criminal justice system... how do politicians and legislators use political science (the federal government, policies, local-level politics) to target some criminals over others/some crimes over others
- Connection to immigration policies & how we treat immigrants... who we view as criminals changes how we treat them and make policies around them