By Lisa B. Puglisi, Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein, and Emily A. Wang

As with past pandemics of influenza, COVID-19 tore through US prisons and jails; however, the COVID-19 pandemic, uniquely, has led to more health research on carceral systems than has been seen to date. Herein, we review the data on its impact on incarcerated people, correctional officers, health systems, and surrounding communities. We searched medical, sociological, and criminology databases from March 2020 through February 2022 for studies examining the intersection of COVID-19, prisons and jails, and health outcomes, including COVID-19 incidence, prevalence, hospitalizations, and vaccination. Our scoping review identified 77 studies—the bulk of which focus on disease epidemiology in carceral systems, with a small minority that focuses on the efficacy or effectiveness of prevention and mitigation efforts, including testing, vaccination, and efforts to depopulate correctional facilities. We highlight areas for future research, including the experiences of incarcerated people and correctional staff, unanticipated health effects of prolonged quarantine, excess deaths due to delays in healthcare, and experimental studies on vaccine uptake and testing in correctional staff. These studies will enable a fuller understanding of COVID-19 and help stem future pandemics.

Annual Review of Criminology 

By The Mixed Migration Centre and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

“A Roadmap for Advocacy, Policy Development and Programming: Protection in Mixed Movements along the Central and Western Mediterranean Routes 2021” is an edited volume that presents key recommendations from more than 40 researchers, protection actors, policy-makers and people with a displacement experience from North, West, East and the Horn of Africa as well as Europe and North America, who came together in February 2021 for a Policy Workshop convened by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Mixed Migration Centre (MMC). Recommendations are drawn from 25 research papers aimed at informing policy, programming and advocacy. The volume aims to be a roadmap for strategic engagement with different asylum and migration stakeholders at local, national and international levels. It offers concrete ways forward for a number of issue-areas key to the protection of people on the move: the important role of local authorities and community-based approaches to protection, the need for a stronger focus on children and youth on the move, and more sustainable approaches to combatting trafficking in persons, to name a few.

Mixed Migration Centre and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees : 2021. 132p.

By Stuart Strome and Read Hayes

Organized Retail Crime (ORC) is large-scale theft or fraud of consumer products by groups of professional criminals. ORC includes more than just in-store theft, encompassing a variety of retail crimes, including shoplifting, gift card fraud, receipt and return fraud, ticket switching, cargo theft, as well as associated crimes such as forgery, money laundering, transportation of stolen goods across state lines, and racketeering. Due in part to the ability to easily resell certain items, ORC groups often target high-demand products (Clarke 1999; Smith 2018). ORC is a perennial problem for retailers, costing them billions of dollars in lost sales. According to one report, ORC is responsible for a loss of $700,000 per every one billion dollars in sales (NRF 2017, ). Furthermore, ORC affects almost every category of retail, as 94% of retailers reported being victims. Therefore, understanding this costly problem, and its relationship to other types of crime is key to understanding how to better combat ORC. The rise of ORC as an endemic phenomenon coincides with the increase in illicit use and sale of opioids in the United States. Deaths from opioid overdose exceeded 42,000 in 2017, and deaths from powerful synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, have doubled between 2015 and 2017 (Morgan and Jones 2018), . A recent publication places the costs of the opioid crisis at $500 billion, although estimates range as high as $1 trillion (Ryan 2018). Indeed, this epidemic has coincided with a rise in arrests for opioid possession, and there is some speculation that the opioid crisis is related to recent rises in the homicide rate (Rosenfeld 2018, ; Kennedy and Abt 2016). However, while a recent article by CNBC sheds light on the potential relationship between the opioid crisis and ORC, there is little systematic study on that relationship (Brewer and Zamost 2017). More importantly, understanding the relationship between ORC and the opioid crisis necessitates better understanding what drives opioid offenders, and how their patterns of crime, and motivations, differ from other offenders.  

Gainesville, FL: Loss Prevention Research Council, 2019? 12p.

By The Mixed Migration Centre

This study focuses on the protection experiences of Ethiopian nationals, travelling east out of Ethiopia via irregular overland journeys towards Saudi Arabia for labour employment. This so-called Eastern Route has been the major mixed migration route for Ethiopian irregular labour emigration for well over a decade. A limited number of Ethiopians also apply for asylum with UNHCR in Yemen but the vast majority travel on north to the Yemen/Saudi border.

Ravenstone Consult, 2023. 72p.

By Chesa Boudin   

As San Francisco District Attorney, I was elected in late 2019 on an ambitious platform focused on ending mass incarceration and decreasing  racial disparities in the criminal justice system. Little did I imagine that my first year in office would bring an acute national focus to the exact issues on which I had campaigned. Two phenomena have, thus far, largely defined the year 2020. First, the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to have a grossly disparate impact on communities of color2 and on those living and working in prisons and jails. Second, a national Black Lives Matter movement grew in response to the murder of George Floyd—potentially the largest national movement in U.S. history—demanding police accountability and criminal justice reform with a focus on racial equity. The nation’s collective response to these developments—how the country navigates an unprecedented national health crisis and an unprecedented protest movement—will have lasting implications for myriad aspects of American life, including the criminal justice system. COVID-19 and the growth of the Black Lives Matter movement created a tremendous impetus for wide-ranging criminal justice reform, including decarceration and police accountability. Although some criminal justice jurisdictions have actively resisted change, and others have simply been unprepared for it, San Francisco was ready. After all, San Francisco voters had just elected me on explicit promises to deliver many of the reforms now in the national spotlight, and we were changemaking   

110 J. Crim. L. & Criminology Online 23 (2020).   

By Thea Johnson   

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, activists and advocates have rightly focused their attention on the immediate need to decrease the number of people in jails and prisons.1 Jails and prisons have been ravaged by the  virus and defendants are at real risk of illness or death in those spaces.2 But as the crisis continues and the backlog of criminal cases grows, defendants face additional risks. This essay focuses on one such risk: the heightened risk for coerced and false pleas during the crisis. The vehicle by which the criminal system resolves most criminal cases—the plea bargain —is ripe for abuse and overuse in the best of times. Unfortunately, now is far from the best of times, and as I outline here, there are several reasons why the usual risk factors for coercive plea bargaining are exacerbated during this public health crisis. Furthermore, despite recent efforts to reform the plea system, the pandemic risks entrenching many of the most negative characteristics of plea bargaining even more deeply. Quite simply, the coercive nature of plea bargaining will get worse in a system that is backlogged and unable to hold jury trials for several months. Many states are not counting the delays caused by the coronavirus toward a defendant’s speedy trial clock, which means the cases can remain active for long periods of time and without any risk to the prosecutor that the case will be dismissed for lack of prosecution. For a defendant in this backlogged system, with a case hanging over her head and a speedy trial clock without finality, the plea will be her only option. In such an environment, coercive pleas can and will flourish. This essay proceeds in three parts. Part I of the essay discusses the particular concerns related to coercive plea bargaining during the COVID-19 crisis. Part II offers solutions to these issues and suggests that this moment may provide opportunities for creative problem-solving capable of outlasting the virus. Finally, Part III discusses some silver linings of the crisis for the criminal system at large and the practice of plea bargaining in particular. Like many other recent pieces about the impact of coronavirus on the criminal justice system, this essay addresses the current crisis in the hopes that it will teach us important lessons about the system more broadly. By seeing some of the worst parts of the system exposed through COVID-19, we may be able to better meet future challenges and tackle some of the underlying daily injustices of the modern criminal process.  

110 J. Crim. L. & Criminology Online 1 (2020).

By Ryan T. Cannon   

You have been arrested. You are put in handcuffs and transported to a local jail where you are fingerprinted and photographed. The crime you are charged with is not serious or violent, but you have prior criminal convictions, or perhaps a history of not coming to court when told—making you ineligible for a future release on your own recognizance. Bail was set, but like most others in the cell you occupy, you cannot pay even the smallest bond. You are facing a period of pretrial detention. A week passes without being brought to see a judge for your arraignment. Then another week passes. If you are lucky, you may have spoken to an attorney on the phone, but no one has come to the jail to see you. All around, individuals are beginning to talk about a mysterious new illness. As you continue to sit in pretrial detention, the spread of the novel coronavirus among prisoners rises quickly. By the week of April 22, 2020 the number of confirmed cases in prisons grew three-fold—from 1,643 to  6,664.1 By the middle of September, 2020 the count was up to 132,677, with 1,108 reported deaths. Mass testing reveals that the number of prisoners who have contracted the virus is far greater than expected, partly because of the number of people who carry the virus without exhibiting symptoms. Many facilities cannot conduct mass testing of inmates, and others choose not to test at all. For you and the inmates around you not yet infected, precautionary measures are largely nonexistent. You are locked in a facility where social distancing—the primary method for avoiding transmission—is practically impossible. It is unlikely that you have ready access to hand sanitizer or face masks.  Prisons and jails begin using solitary confinement as a method of quarantining..... 

110 J. Crim. L. & Criminology Online 91 (2020)

By Lauren Rebecca Smith | Steve Sharman | Amanda Roberts

Background: There is evidence that prisoners have the highest rate of problem gambling in any population, but little is known about the nature of in-prison gambling, the motives for it or how it relates to prior gambling behaviour. Aims: To investigate the prevalence and type of gambling prior to prison and the prevalence, type, and reasons for gambling in prison. Methods: Two hundred and eighty-two male volunteers in a Category B male prison in England completed a questionnaire which included the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). Results: One hundred and twenty-six (45%) reported gambling in prison, with eighty-one (30%) of participants reporting that gambling was a normal part of prison life. Pre-prison behaviour, whether type of index offence or prior gambling, had little relationship to in-prison gambling. Frequency of gambling in prison increased with increasing PGSI risk category. The most common types of gambling in prison were card/dice games, sports and ball games, while the most common motives were entertainment, excitement or sense of challenge and to win prizes, with significant differences in motive between PGSI risk categories. Prison canteen items formed the most common currency gambled. People within the higher PGSI risk category were more likely to have borrowed items from other prisoners. 7 Conclusions: Our research has added to existing literature by identifying high rates of gambling in prison and showing that prisoners' perceptions of gambling are as a normal part of prison life. Findings suggest that screening and support should be available to manage gambling in prison, including support to reduce gambling-related debt, particularly given associations between debt and violence in prison. Relief from boredom and need for excitement were among the most common reasons for gambling in prison, indicating that there is a need to provide a more appropriately stimulating prison environment.

Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health 43(6): 389-403, 2022

By A. Adolphe . L. Khatib , C. van Golde , S. M. Gainsbury , A. Blaszczynski

It is generally believed that there is an instrumental relationship between problem gambling and crime such that some gamblers resort to illegal activity to recoup financial shortfalls resulting from their gambling. However, a clear understanding of the risk factors for the commission of crimes beyond financial stresses is absent in the literature. The aim of this review was to identify the nature of crimes perpetrated by problem gamblers and the factors that contribute to the commission of gambling-related crimes. A systematic review adhering to guidelines outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement searching eight databasesPsycINFO, Westlaw AU, Heinonline, Legal Source via Ebsco, Legaltrac via Gale, PubMed, Scopus, and Medline-was conducted. A total of 21 papers were included after screening and application of exclusion criteria. All studies examined reported crimes committed by problem gamblers, with a validated assessment tool measuring problem gambling. The review provided evidence that gambling-related crime typically consists of non-violent, income-generating offences. However, it also revealed that problem gamblers may commit violent crimes at a higher than expected rate, which may have been concealed by deliberate and unintentional under-reporting of gambling-related crimes. The causal relationship between problem gambling and violent crime, however, remains uncertain. Based on this review, suggestions are offered for the evaluation of perpetrators of gambling-related crime on a case-by-case basis, to better understand the relationship between gambling and crime and facilitate more frequent application of therapeutic jurisprudence in future.

  Matthew B. Kugler, Mariana Oliver, Jonathan Chu, Nathan, R. Lee   

  What role did law enforcement play in promoting COVID-19 restrictions in the United States during the spring and summer of 2020? Because most law enforcement in the U.S. occurs at the local level, we surveyed local police departments to examine their responses to the COVID19 pandemic. Our results show that most departments, especially those in smaller jurisdictions, played a minimal role in enforcing COVID-related restrictions and tended only to encourage compliance. Further, it was extremely rare for a department to use sophisticated surveillance technology to monitor COVID compliance. This lack of monitoring stands both in stark contrast to the regimes employed by several comparable industrialized countries and in spite of the broad surveillance powers permissible under the U.S. Constitution.

111 J. Crim. L. & Criminology Online 19 (2021).

By James Banks https://orci d.org/0000-0002- 1899-905j.banks@shu.ac.uk, Jaime Waters https://orci d.org/0000-0003- 0261-7349, and Victoria Olive

This paper presents the first systematic review of studies on the prevalence of gambling disorder among prisoners across international jurisdictions. Only original studies which were published in English and employed reliable and valid screening tools are included in this analysis. The review finds that rates of problem or pathological gambling in prison populations are highly variable, ranging from 5.9 to 73% of male and female inmates surveyed. Nevertheless, recorded rates of problem and pathological gambling among inmates are consistently and significantly higher than rates of problem and pathological gambling recorded among the general population. The review indicates that the institution of problem gambling treatment programmes in carceral settings is necessary, in order to aid community re-entry and reduce the likelihood of re-offending. Moreover, it is suggested that the screening of inmates should become standard practice across penal institutions and other criminal justice organisations, with a view to better addressing the needs of offenders.

International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 64:12, 2019.

By Jason Tower and Priscilla Clapp

Complex transnational networks of Chinese investors, forced out of Cambodia for illegal gambling activity, are relocating to Karen State to build three megacities as a hub for casinos. They use partnerships with local armed groups, operating under the authority of the national army, to gain access to land, offering in return a share of the profits. • The Myanmar government has yet to license casinos, meaning this sector remains illegal. Investors have ignored government approval processes, however, and moved rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic to build facilities to house illegal gambling. • To circumvent Chinese laws against gambling, ethnic Chinese with citizenship in other countries spearhead these projects. Of concern to Beijing, they have co-opted Chinese government institutions and agencies to present their activities as central to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. • These megacities flagrantly undermine Myanmar’s efforts to advance reforms serving the national interest, and Naypyidaw is responding with establishment of a commission to investigate them. • This kind of investment threatens to reverse recent gains made by decades of US assistance supporting democratic reform in Myanmar, and merits strong American support for efforts to control it.

Washington DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2020. 28p.

By Cristina Vintró-Alcaraz, Gemma Mestre-Bach, Roser Granero. et al;

Several studies have explored the association between gambling disorder (GD) and gambling-related crimes. However, it is still unclear how the commission of these offenses influences treatment outcomes. In this longitudinal study we sought: (1) to explore sociodemographic and clinical differences (e.g., psychiatric comorbidities) between individuals with GD who had committed gambling-related illegal acts (differentiating into those who had had legal consequences (n = 31) and those who had not (n = 55)), and patients with GD who had not committed crimes (n = 85); and (2) to compare the treatment outcome of these three groups, considering dropouts and relapses. Several sociodemographic and clinical variables were assessed, including the presence of substance use, and comorbid mental disorders. Patients received 16 sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Patients who reported an absence of gambling-related illegal behavior were older, and showed the lowest GD severity, the most functional psychopathological state, the lowest impulsivity levels, and a more adaptive personality profile. Patients who had committed offenses with legal consequences presented the highest risk of dropout and relapses, higher number of psychological symptoms, higher likelihood of any other mental disorders, and greater prevalence of tobacco and illegal drugs use. Our findings uphold that patients who have committed gambling-related offenses show a more complex clinical profile that may interfere with their adherence to treatment

Christopher R Dennison , Jessica G Finkeldey , Gregory C Rocheleau

Although the relationship between problem gambling and criminal behavior has been widely researched, concerns over the causal nature of this association remain. Some argue that problem gambling does not lead to crime; instead, the same background characteristics that predict problem gambling also predict criminal behavior. Yet, studies suggestive of a spurious association often rely on small, non-random, and cross-sectional samples; thus, the extent to which the findings are 4 generalizable to the broader population is unknown. With this in mind, the present study uses data from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health and a series of propensity score weighting and matching techniques to examine the role of confounding bias in the relationship between problem gambling and criminal behavior in young adulthood. On the surface, results show a positive and significant relationship between problem gambling and a range of criminal behaviors. However, after statistically balancing differences in several background measures between problem gamblers and non-problem gamblers, such as low self-control, past substance use, and juvenile delinquency, we find no significant relationship between problem gambling and crime. These patterns are consistent across several propensity score weighting and matching algorithms. Our results therefore parallel those in support of the "generality of deviance" framework, whereby a similar set of covariates known to be associated with criminal behavior also predict problem gambling.

By Cristina-Maria Badea and Raluca-Ștefania Badea

In the context of evolving new technologies around the world, access to online recreation and online freedom fails to be approached from the perspective of public health. Research in the domain of problem or pathological gambling shows that few countries have recently started to address the medical and social challenges of the issue, with regard to related-criminality and population health. Romania is not one of those countries, although reality shows an increase in gambling venues and online gambling opportunities which, as studies show, can only mean an increase in the number of problem or pathological gamblers, and possibly an increase in gambling-related crimes. With the present study we aim to point out both the urgent need for a multidisciplinary network to deal with the issues of gambling disorder and its relationship with criminality, and the possible benefits of trying to prevent the harm brought by criminality to society by addressing society’s responsibility to the people in terms of ensuring public health. It is the authors’ opinions that challenges raised by developing technologies, especially by online mobility and gambling market, together with online identity volatility, will bring even deeper layers of social issues if prevention of problem or pathological gambling is not undertaken as an important priority.

FIAT IUSTITIA, 2020, vol. 14, issue 1, 33-42

By Kalle Lind

While gambling is a harmless and popular pastime for most people, as a habitual activity it also has the potential to cause harm to the gamblers themselves and their affected others. These gambling harms are not static but vary in terms of intensity and duration. Such negative consequences can affect several different life-domains, and they may include financial problems, emotional distress, disrupted relationships, cultural harms, intergenerational harms, decrements in health, reduced performance at work or studies, or criminal behavior. Comorbidity between problem gambling, mental health problems, and other addictions as well as the connection between problem gambling and social disadvantage on various measures have been confirmed by previous studies. Problem gambling has been recognized as a criminogenic factor, and it is highly prevalent among incarcerated populations. Criminogenic problem gambling refers to a situation where problem gambling and the related financial distress escalate to criminal behavior, typically to income-generating crime such as fraud and embezzlement. Criminal harm has been suggested to be a late-stage gambling harm, which occurs together with long-standing and untreated problem gambling as gamblers run out of legal financial options. Furthermore, previous studies indicate that a more general association also exists between problem gambling and nongambling related crime in a population level. Not only is the gambling participation rate very high in Finland, but gambling has also had an exceptional position in Finland’s culture, society, and everyday life for decades. At the same time, 2.5% of gamblers are estimated to account for 50% of the total gambling expenditure. The latest population survey indicates that the prevalence of problem gambling is about 3% of the population. The core regulative framework, the recently reformed Lotteries Act, underscores minimization and prevention of gambling-related economic, healthrelated, and social harms, including criminal activity. In this context, this dissertation addresses the connection between problem gambling and criminal behavior through 1) data derived from documents produced by the police on 55 problem gambling-related cases, 2) screening data (N = 1,573) from a national problem gambling support program, 3) pilot survey data (n = 96) collected at two Finnish prisons, and 4) gambling-related population survey data (n = 7,186) combined with register-based variables on convictions and social disadvantage. Through qualitative document analysis this study explores patterns and mechanisms of problem gambling-related crime reported to the police. Logistic regression is utilized to find predictors of problem gambling-related stealing and cheating among help-seeking problem gamblers. Furthermore, this study explores the prevalence of probable problem gambling (measured using the Brief Biosocial Gambling Screen), the need for support, and support preferences in prison environment. Finally, logistic regression models were run to explore the general association between problem gambling severity, socioeconomic disadvantage, and having a conviction. Most of the problem gambling-related cases found from the police information system were nonviolent property crimes that were committed at home or at the workplace. In most cases the events were preceded by severe financial problems, the emergence of suitable opportunities to commit a crime and coexisting issues of lifecontrol, such as depression, relationship problems, and substance use. The criminal incidents were classified in three categories: identity theft, unauthorized access, and violent outburst. The crime aftermath consisted of the psychologically distressing process of hiding the trails and revival through getting caught. Reportedly, the main motivation for the crimes was to continue gambling, chase losses, or hide the extent of the individual’s problem 3 gambling from their affected others. Consistent with previous literature, the results reveal that among help-seeking problem gamblers, being young and having low income and low education predicted gambling-related stealing and cheating. Furthermore, as expected, a long duration of gambling problems also predicted cheating and stealing. Depressive symptoms and having a negative perception on one’s financial situation were also associated to problem gambling-related stealing or cheating. Gender, starting age of gambling, and comorbid substance use were not found to be statistically significant predictors of criminogenic problem gambling. Overall, 37.6% of the screened attendees reported having cheated or stolen to fund their gambling.

Tampere, Finland: Tampere University, 2022. 208p.

By Pricwaterhouse, Coopers and Betting and Gaming Council 2

In 2018/2019, we found evidence to suggest that the UK unlicensed online gambling market makes up a small but meaningful segment of the total market, with 47% of online gamblers aware of and 2.2% of online gamblers using unlicensed operators.

Pricewaterhouse Coopers, 2021. 66p.

By The UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Ensuring that gambling happens safely is a top government priority. We recognise that people should be free to spend their money as they choose, but when gambling poses the risk of becoming a clinical addiction the government needs to ensure there are proper protections. That is why change is now needed. Having a strong regulator with the powers and resources needed to oversee an increasingly high-tech industry is essential to ensuring this. We also need to have the right controls in place on the products people can be offered, safeguards covering how those who gamble are treated by operators, and the right safety nets in place to stop harm where it occurs. ● Gambling in its variety of forms is a popular pastime in Great Britain, with nearly half of all adults participating in at least one form (including the National Lottery) each month. Most spend small amounts which are similar to or less than spending on other leisure activities and do not report experiencing any harm from gambling. ● However, around 300,000 people in Great Britain are esƟmated to be experiencing ‘problem gambling’, defined as gambling to a degree which compromises, disrupts, or damages family, personal or recreational pursuits, and a further 1.8 million are identified as gambling at elevated levels of risk. Gambling harms can wreck lives, impact families and communities, and even lead to suicide in extreme cases. The package of measures outlined in this white paper will significantly increase protections with the aim of preventing harm. ● Our aim in the Review has been to assess the best available evidence to ensure that our goals can be delivered in the digital age, and that we have the balance of regulation right between protecting people from the potentially life-ruining effects of gambling-related harm while respecting the freedom of adults to engage in a legitimate leisure activity. We need to ensure that our regulatory and legislative frameworks continue to deliver on the three foundational principles of the 2005 Act: children and vulnerable people should be protected, the sector should be fair and open, and gambling should be crime free. ● The Review launched with a call for evidence which ran from December 2020 to March 2021 and received 16,000 submissions. Ministers and officials have supplemented this with hundreds of meetings with a wide range of stakeholders. Key publications before and since the call for evidence have also contributed significantly to our understanding of the issues, including the report of the Lords Select Committee on the Social and Economic Impact of the Gambling Industry, Public Health England’s (PHE) Gambling-related harms evidence review and the independent Review of the Regulation of BetIndex Ltd. We have also received advice from the Gambling Commission, which is being published alongside this white paper. We are grateful to all those who have contributed to the Review.

London: Department for Culture, Media & Sport, 2023. 268p.

By Hermann Mannheim

From the preface: “It happened perhaps eleven years ago, not long before my retirement from the teaching of criminology in the University of London. One day, after I had just completedmy first lecture of the new session and distributed copies of my, notoriously rather lengthy, reading listfor the course, Iwas approached by ayoung girl student who, holding her copy ni her hand, said ni avoice which sounded polite butalsorather determined: Sir, I am quite willing to read a bookon criminology, but itm u s t be only one, in which I can find everything required. Can you recommend such a book?' After some hesitation and with a strong feeling of guilt I replied that I could not comply with her request as there was no such book and she would probably have to read several of the items on my list, whereupon she silently and rather despondently withdrew.”

Boston. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1965. 772p. CONTAINS MARK-UP.

By Chloe Hooper

London. Hamish Hamilton. 2018. 254p.

On the scorching February day in 2009, a man lit two fires in the Australian state of Victoria, then sat on the roof of his house to watch the inferno. What came to be known as the Black Saturday bushfires killed 173 people and injured hundreds more, making them among the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in Australian history. As communities reeling from unspeakable loss demanded answers, detectives scrambled to piece together what really happened. They soon began to suspect the fires had been deliverately set by an arsonist.

The Arsonist takes readers on the hunt for this man, and inside the puzzle of his mind. But this book is also the story of fire in the Anthropocene. The command of fire has defined and sustained us as a species, and now, as climate change normalizes devastating wildfires worldwide, we must contend with the forces of inequality, and desperate yearning for power, that can lead to such destruction.

Written with Chloe Hooper’s trademark lyric detail and nuance, The Arsonist is a reminder that in the age of fire, all of us are gatekeepers.