From the President

On behalf of the Western Society of Criminology (WSC), I am pleased to announce the first issue of our official journal, the Western Criminology Review (WCR). The WSC is devoted to the scientific study of crime and attracts criminology scholars, students, government officials, and public and private practitioners from around the world. In keeping with the mission of the WSC, the goal of the Western Criminology Review is to provide a forum for publication and discussion of theory, research, policy, and practice in the interdisciplinary fields of criminology and criminal justice. This landmark issue of the Western Criminology Review includes an impressive collection of articles that reflect the 1998 WSC conference theme of restorative justice as well as an overview of the conference proceedings. Patrick Jackson, WCR Editor, has devoted the past year to the development and production of the journal and the WSC Executive Board and I thank Pat for his commitment to furthering the professional and scholarly interests of the WSC. I also wish to thank our distinguished Editorial Advisory Board.

Barbara Bloom
President of the Western Society of Criminology