Radical criminology and the techno-security-capitalist-complex

Under the bestiary that is contemporary capitalism, radical criminology retains great utility in the exploration and explanation of the myriad ways in which technology, crime and the political economy intersect. Irrespective of individual schisms, collectively radical theories offer a conceptual frame through which activist scholars can bring forth an engaged critical perspective to interrogate authoritarian techno-mediated approaches to crime control and criminal justice. More specifically, radical criminology can contribute to the presentation of perspectives, narratives and analysis that contest state-defined concepts of technocrime, oppose the growth of intrusive surveillance regimes, and call to question the degree to which technology protects rather than encroaches on citizens' civil liberties. The chapter evidences the contemporary relevance of radical criminology in technocrime and technosecurity through a tripartite analysis of the techno-security-capitalist complex, in order to demonstrate how radical theorising can be employed 'to expose the hegemonic ideologies that [mask] the 'real' nature of crime and repression in capitalist society.' (Rock 2007: 23).