NCJ Number
182523
Date Published
1999
Length
224 pages
Annotation
This book analyzes past and present policies in British criminal justice and develops broad options for the future.
Abstract
The authors note that for some time from around the middle of the century until the early 1970's, the prospects for the treatment and rehabilitation of offenders were the focus. This did not mean, however, that there were no retributive, deterrent, or restorative elements in dealing with criminals. The 1990's involved a swing toward a more overtly punitive response to crime, but some treatment programs and the promotion of proven rehabilitation schemes continued. The authors identify three broad policy options that have emerged to varying degrees in contemporary British criminal justice. One strategy identified is the futile, expensive, and doomed quest to control crime by ever-increasing levels of harsh punishment. A second strategy is the managerial, bureaucratic approach that tries to achieve maximum efficiency and cost-effectiveness. A third strategy is the principled approach, which seeks to protect the human rights of both offenders and victims by means such as rehabilitation, reintegration, and restorative justice. The authors argue that in moving toward the 21st century, there is an important choice to be made about which strategy will form the basis for future policy. Subject index