Crime, Inequality And the State A Reader

This thoughtful, well-edited volume of ground-breaking articles explores criminal justice policy in light of recent research on changing patterns of crime and criminal careers. Why has crime dropped while imprisonment still grows? Can prison expansion be seen as a sign of growing punitiveness? What has fuelled it? Showing that prison expansion contradicts recent findings of "what works" in reducing crime and re-offending, Mary Vogel situates this development socially and historically to present a very different explanation to existing arguments. She argues that the "carceral turn," while initially involving a reassertion of state power, is ultimately a move towards its weakening. The book draws on work by leading scholars in the field to explore: recent trends in crime and punishment; changing contours of imprisonment; the most up to date research findings about the causes of crime; what succeeds in reducing offending and reoffending; recent transformations in the workings of the police and the courts; leading explanations to date for growing punitiveness. This volume uses a compelling inter-play of theoretical works and powerful empirical research to present vivid portraits of individual life experiences. Punitivenes has prevailed despite evidence that severity does not deter. Mandatory penalties have limited effect and welfare societies are less fraught by crime and violence. Much is known about how to prevent crime and the book concludes by asking how fresh preventive and less costly approaches might be acted upon in our global future. Included are works by: Robert Sampson ; Michael Tonry ; Eli Anderson ; Charles Ogletree ; Ben Bowling ; Tom Tyler ; Jonathan Simon ; Tony Jefferson ; Lorraine Gelsthorpe ; William Julius Wilson ; David Farrington ; Rosemary Gartner ; Jurgen Habermas ; and Elliott Currie .Vogel, Mary E. is the author of 'Crime, Inequality And the State A Reader', published 2007 under ISBN 9780415382694 and ISBN 0415382696.