Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 248
•
Trim: 6¼ x 9¼
978-1-4422-6258-4 • Hardback • September 2019 • $45.00 • (£35.00)
978-1-4422-6259-1 • eBook • September 2019 • $42.50 • (£35.00)
Jerry Clark, PhD, retired as a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2011 after twenty-seven years in law enforcement, including careers as a special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Clark is an associate professor of criminal justice at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania, where he is also co-owner of Clark & Wick Investigations LLC and Fisher Security.
Ed Palattella joined the Erie Times-News, in Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1990. He has won a number of awards, including for his investigative work and his coverage of crime.
They are co-authors of Mania and Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong: Inside the Mind of a Female Serial Killer (R&L, 2017), A History of Heists: Bank Robbery in America (R&L, 2015), and Pizza Bomber: The Untold Story of America’s Most Shocking Bank Robbery (2012).
Despite the threat to public safety, Americans have long been fascinated with fugitives from justice. Over the decades, fugitives such as Jesse James; Bonnie Parker and her lover/partner in crime, Clyde Barrow; and Whitey Bulger have captivated American imaginations, elevating them to almost herolike status. This work examines the history of the fugitive in the U.S. criminal justice system, beginning with the inception of the U.S. Marshals and the FBI, as well as the creation of the FBI's "public enemy" and "most-wanted" lists. After the creation of these lists, fugitives became American icons and were often romanticized in the media. Stories of famous (and not so famous) fugitives and how they evaded capture are featured throughout. The authors describe the various methods authorities have used to capture fugitives over the years and how the digital age makes it more difficult for these criminals to remain at large.
— Library Journal
This engrossing, detailed account from associate professor of criminal justice Clark and journalist Palattella follows the history of bail from Ancient Rome to the creation of the U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI, organizations that have hunted fugitives since the 1930s. Despite the American public’s admiration for some outlaws—from Jesse James to Bonnie and Clyde and Robert Burns, who actually wrote I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang! while being a fugitive—people have been helpful in the capture of many of those on the lam, the authors note. Law enforcement agencies, which began crowdsourcing in the 1930s with the publication and posting of the FBI’s Most Wanted list, have used TV to appeal for information about fugitives (the show America’s Most Wanted, which ran from 1988 to 2012, resulted in the capture of 1,149 fugitives), and today, it’s the internet where the wanted are commonly hunted. Indeed, “head for the border” no longer guarantees freedom, as Eduardo Rodriguez learned when the LAPD used Facebook posts to track him down and capture him in Mexico. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of criminal justice.
— Publishers Weekly
On the Lam offers an insight into the government's ingenious and efficient strategies in the pursuit of fugitives. It is revelatory while outlining the interesting history of the federal agencies responsible to bring to justice criminals on the run.
— Daniel Simone, True Crime Writer and author of The Lufthansa Heist
On the Lam is a fascinating read; a great blend of substantive history and anecdote. The authors have done their homework, while offering a unique approach to the subject; and the result is a well-researched book that will appeal to many audiences.
— Sean Patrick Griffin, PhD, Professor of Criminal Justice and Department Head, The Citadel