The Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice has announced two special issues. All manuscripts will be peer-reviewed. For each special issue, manuscripts should be no more than 25 typed, double-spaced pages including tables, figures and references.

The first special issue of the Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice is on Empirical Research on the Impact of Sentencing Reforms. The issue will focus on the impact of sentencing reforms that have been enacted over the last 25 years. The journal is particularly interested in empirical research that investigates whether reforms have resulted in more punitive sentences, less crime, or reductions in disparity and discrimination. Also of interest are studies on sentencing outcomes in the post-reform era. Direct questions to one of the two guest editors: Cassia Spohn, Arizona State University (cassia.spohn@asu.edu, 602-543-0023); Pauline Brennan, University of Nebraska at Omaha (pkbrennan@mail.unomaha.edu, 402-554-2205). Please send four manuscript copies, along with the manuscript on disk, to Cassia Spohn, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University, PO Box 37100, Phoenix, AZ 85069-7100. Deadline: April 1, 2008

The second special issue of the Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice is on the topic Firearms and Violent Crime. Appropriate topics include the impact of firearm availability on violent offenses at the individual and aggregate levels, differential lethality of types of firearms, evaluations of interventions designed to reduce the supply of firearms or to change gun carrying behaviors, the use of firearms for self-defense, changes in the demographic characteristics of firearm owners, and methodological issues in researching the area of firearms and violent crimes. Direct questions to guest editors Jay Corzine (hcorzine@mail.ucf.edu) or Tom Petee (peteea@mail.auburn.edu). Please send four manuscript copies, along with the manuscript on disk, to Jay Corzine, Department of Sociology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816-1320. Deadline: June 1, 2008