Crime rates in Latin America are among the highest in the world, yet there has been little systematic effort to study crime in the region and the effectiveness of policies designed to tackle it. This book contributes to the current debate on causes and solutions by applying lessons learned from recent developments in the economics of crime. Contributors address a variety of topics, including the impact of kidnappings on investment, mandatory arrest laws, education in prisons, and the relationship between poverty and crime. The book also presents research from outside Latin America, illustrating the broad range of approaches that have been fruitful in studying crime in developed nations.