Crime Police And Penal Policy

This book provides a synthesis of recent research on the history of crime and criminal justice in Europe from the mid-18th to the mid-20th centuries. It tackles the subject chronologically, paying due attention to the evolving economic, social, and political aspects of the continent over the two centuries. It addresses specifically the different forms of criminal offending and the changing interpretations and understandings of that offending at both elite and popular levels. It explores how both old regimes and the new nation states, that emerged in the early 19th century, responded to criminal activity with the development of police forces and the refinement of forms of punishment.

The study of crime and criminal policy is a key area in social policy and sociology. This book examines the component parts of the British penal system in detail, supported by a selection of key documents, a general overview of the background of the penal system and a discussion of the future prospects of justice. Fully up-to-date it includes discussions on the 1991 Criminal Justice Act, the major prison disturbances in recent years and an examination of the Wolf report, the Home Office response and the emerging issues of privatisation.

"PTCJ shines on empirical detail and an illuminating account of how policy transfer works in criminal justice. ...highly recommended for readers interested in understanding the current state of criminal justice policy." Political Studies Review "A very interesting book and excellent at setting the context of criminal justice policies in the UK. Thoroughly researched and written in an engaging style." Tina Eadie, Senior Lecturer, De Montfort University Since the late 1980s, it seems that policy-makers and politicians in the UK have increasingly looked West across the Atlantic for inspiration in the field of crime control. More broadly, recent years have seen a growing focus upon the extent to which, and ways in which, policy ideas and practices travel within and across national boundaries. Scholars from a number of disciplines have become increasingly interested in the concepts of ‘policy transfer’ and related ideas. This book contains the first major empirical study of policy transfer in the field of criminal justice and crime control. It focuses upon policy transfer from the USA to the UK, and undertakes a detailed examination of the processes of policy change in three key areas that have been widely perceived as imports from the USA: the privatization of corrections, ‘two’ and ‘three strikes’ sentencing, and ‘zero tolerance’ policing. Drawing upon a wealth of documentary evidence and interviews with leading politicians, policy makers and other key players in policy developments, the authors explore the complex processes involved in policy transfer and analyse the nature and degree of US influence in these areas.

In the years between 1750 and 1868, English criminal justice underwent significant changes. The two most crucial developments were the gradual establishment of an organised, regular police, and the emergence of new secondary punishments, following the restriction in the scope of the death penalty. In place of an ill-paid parish constabulary, functioning largely through a system of rewards and common informers, professional police institutions were given the task of executing a speedy and systematic enforcement of the criminal law. In lieu of the severe and capriciously-administered capital laws, a penalty structure based on a proportionality between the gravity of crimes and the severity of punishments was erected as arguably a more effective deterrent of crime. This book, first published in 1981, examines the impact of these two important developments and casts new light on the way in which law enforcement evolved during the nineteenth century. This title will be of interest to students of history and criminology.

This book brings together leading international criminologist to examine the link between the fruits of criminological research and the development of criminal justice policy. This volume includes comparative discussions of the United States, Germany, Australia, England and Wales. It is divided into four parts: Part 1 discusses the theoretical issues surrounding the relationship between public policy and the discipline of criminology; Part 2 consists of three essays exploring historical aspects of that relationship. Part 3 then examines three distinct areas of penal policy: sentencing, policing and parole; Part 4 is devoted to international comparisons and considers the factors that distinguish research projects that influence criminal justice policy from those that appear not have any influence.

First published in 1978, Crime and Penal Policy is primarily addressed to non-professional people interested in criminal law and the penal system, such as magistrates, prison visitors, and anyone accused or convicted of criminal offences. At the same time, many of the topics discussed will be of central interest to practising professionals and academic specialists in law, criminology and penal policy. Barbara Wootton was appointed to the Bench before she was old enough to vote, and served for forty-four years as a Justice of the Peace in London, including many years as a chairman in the Metropolitan Juvenile Courts and Deputy-Chairman of the South Westminster Bench. In this book she has brought together personal reflections on her exceptionally wide experience, and on her contacts with the development of penal policy as a member of the House of Lords, the Government Advisory Council on the Penal System and many other official Committees.

First published in 1990, The Politics of Redress is a product of and commentary on significant developments in critical criminology. It shifts the emphasis from the criminologist as a police agent to a fighter for social justice. The author focuses on the role of punishment in society, in general, and in criminology, in particular, urging the reader to reimagine the concept of punishment, especially penal punishment. The arguments addressed in this book range from a comparative analysis of penal policies in various countries to philosophical debates about whether punishment is compatible with a just social order. With the Black Lives Matter movement, the topic of prison abolition has, once again, gripped society’s conscience making this text a vital read for students of law, criminology, sociology, philosophy, and history.

As crime increasingly crosses national boundaries, and international co-operation takes firmer shape, so the development of ideas and policy on the control of crime has become an increasingly international and transnational affair. This book is concerned both with the very specific issue of 'policy transfer' within the crime control arena, and with the issues raised by a more broadly conceptualized idea of comparative policy analysis.