David Downes

Volume III of The Official History of Criminal Justice in England and Wales draws on archival sources and individual accounts to offer a history of penal policymaking in England and Wales between 1959 and 1997. The book studies the changes underlying penal policymaking in the period, from a belief in the rehabilitative potential of imprisonment to a reaffirmation in 1993 that ‘Prison Works’ as a deterrent to crime. A need to curb the rising prison population initially focussed on developing alternatives to prison and a new system of parole; however, their relative ineffectiveness led to sentencing becoming the key to penal reform. A slackening of faith in rehabilitation led to pressure for greater emphasis on humane containment and the rebalancing of security, order and justice in prison regimes. Thus, 1991 was the climactic year for what became largely unfulfilled hopes for lasting penal reform. Escapes, riots and prison occupations were prime catalysts for changes, often highly contentious, in penal policymaking. Notably, there was no simple equation between political party, minister and policy choice. Both Labour and Conservative governments had distinctly liberal Home Secretaries and, after 1992, both parties took a more punitive approach. This book will be of much interest to students of criminology and British history, politics and law.

Volume III: The Rise and Fall of Penal Hope

The Official History of Criminal Justice in England and Wales

Paul Rock

Understanding Deviance

Conor Gearty

Christine Chinkin

Professor of Social Administration David Downes

Professor of Social Institutions Paul Rock

The work of Stanley Cohen over four decades has come to acquire a classical status in the fields of criminology, sociology and human rights. His writing, research, teaching and practical engagement in these fields have been at once rigorously analytical and intellectually inspiring. It amounts to a unique contribution, immensely varied yet with several unifying themes, and it has made, and continues to make, a lasting impact around the world. His work thus has a protean character and scope which transcend time and place. This book of essays in Stanley Cohen's honour aims to build on and reflect some of his many-sided contributions. It contains chapters by some of the world's leading thinkers as well as the rising generation of scholars and practitioners whose approach has been shaped in significant respects by his own.

From Moral Panics to States of Denial, Essays in Honour of Stanley Cohen

Crime, Social Control and Human Rights

Eugene McLaughlin

In Understanding Deviance, Seventh Edition, leading experts David Downes, Paul Rock, and Eugene McLaughlin examine the major sociological theories behind crime and deviance, covering their development, recent research, and varying perspectives on their explanations of criminality. The authors discuss key debates in depth, challenging students to question assumptions and explore new avenues of scholarship. An extensive bibliography provides references to a wide range of both classic and lesser-known texts.

A Guide to the Sociology of Crime and Rule-Breaking

David Downes

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