Engaging with Punitive Attitudes Towards Crime and Punishment: Some Strategic Lessons From England and Wales (From New Punitiveness: Trends, Theories, Perspectives, P 139-149, 2005, John Pratt, David Brown, et al., eds. -- See NCJ-210217)

• NCJ Number: 210225
• Author(s): Mick Ryan
• Date Published: 2005
• Length: 11 pages
• Sale Source: Willan Publishing
• Publication Format: Book Chapter
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This paper examines past traditional penal policy in England and Wales and contrasts it to today’s modern penal policy focusing on the impact of public opinion.

Abstract

Today, the policymaking process in England and Wales, as well as many other Western democracies, has changed. The public’s voice is increasingly being heard, especially when crime and punishment are on the agenda. In the past, there was a liberalizing direction in relation to criminal justice policy. However, since the late 1970s, there has been a punitive drift in Britain and a rise in the public’s voice. Britain launched an attack on the established liberal agenda and the rhetoric of neoclassicism overtook that of welfare. Longer sentences were delivered for repeat offenders and drug traffickers, and securing parole was made more difficult and the conditions of parole tighter. For many, this phase in British penal history is regarded as the beginning of Modern Times or the birth of a new punitive populism. The manner in which modern democracies operate has significantly increased the pressure on today’s politicians to accommodate public opinion. References