This book investigates the shifting landscape of security governance and the evolving relationship between state-led policing and private justice mechanisms. The authors, Clifford D. Shearing and Les Johnston, draw upon extensive research in criminology and political theory to analyze how the monopoly of the state over security is being challenged by pluralistic, non-state actors. They present a framework that redefines security not as a static government function, but as a dynamic process of governance involving diverse institutional stakeholders.

Experts in the field of criminology frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the privatization of security. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which is tailored for students and researchers in political science and justice studies.