This book offers a fresh perspective on the policy making process in the criminal justice system offering a detailed overview of both the theory behind it and how it plays out in practice with contemporary policy examples.

This new textbook will provide students of criminology with a better understanding of criminal justice policy and, in doing so, offers a framework for analysing the social, economic and political processes that shape its creation. The book adopts a policy-oriented approach to criminal justice, connecting the study of criminology to the wider study of British government, public administration and politics. Throughout the book the focus is on key debates and competing perspectives on how policy decisions are made. Recognising that contemporary criminal justice policymakers operate in a highly politicised, public arena under the gaze of an ever-increasing variety of groups, organisations and individuals who have a stake in a particular policy issue, the book explores how and why these people seek to influence policymaking. It also recognises that criminal policy differs from other areas of public policy, as policy decisions affect the liberty and freedoms of citizens. Throughout, key ideas and debates are linked to wider sociology, criminology and social policy theory. Key features include: a foreword by Tim Newburn, leading criminologist and author of Criminology (2nd Edition, 2013), a critical and informed analysis of the concepts, ideas and institutional practices that shape criminal justice policy making, an exploration of the relationship between criminal justice and wider social policy, a critical analysis of the debate about how and why behaviour becomes defined as requiring a criminal justice solution, a range of case studies, tasks, seminar questions and suggested further readings to keep the student engaged. This text is perfect for students taking modules in criminology; criminal justice; and social and public policy, as well as those taking courses on criminal and administrative law.

The second edition of Crime Policy in America describes the process of policy-making and the substantive nature of policy directions in crime and justice in America, particularly from the beginning of the 1970s. This book examines the nature of presidential policy-making in crime and justice from Nixon to Obama, congressional policy-making since the birth of the Bill of Rights, and judicial policy-making since the promulgation of the Judicial Act of 1789. The perspective of this book is deeply historical, sociological, and legalistic. Historically, the book has explored the evolution of different policy strategies at different periods of American history; sociologically, it scrutinized the impact of the get-tough policy paradigm on crime and justice, and from a legal perspective it has examined the conflict and the consensus of Congress and the federal judiciary on different issues of crime and justice from drug crimes to sex crimes to counterterrorism. The second edition of the book has particularly illuminated the changing directions of US crime policy from the dominance of the “get tough” approach in the 1980s and 1990s to a more balanced approach to crime control and prevention in the beginning of the 21sr century.

An unrivalled explanation of how criminal policy came to be formed in three states due to the enormous influence of three men: James Q Wilson (USA), Dato Steenhuis (The Netherlands) and David Faulkner (UK). By one of the UK's leading analysts.

Criminal Policy in Transition comes along at a time when the literature in criminology is desperately short of “global” perspectives. It helps fill that gap while it presents important new insights into changing penal policy and practice. That it raises as many questions as it seems to answer is one of its great strengths. The authors write knowledgeably about their home societies without being prematurely bounded by comparative criteria. As a result,they develop a complex and uneven image of similarities and differences, of divergence and convergence through time. In this sense the collection offers a model of how international collaborative work should proceed. The book is the product of a workshop held at the International Institute for the Sociology of Law (IISL) in Onati, Spain. The IISL is a partnership between the Research Committee on the Sociology of Law and the Basque Government

This current collection of essays on contemporary U.S. criminal justice policy is a timely response to the significant recent growth of policy-oriented research in the fields of criminology and criminal justice. "U.S. Criminal Justice Policy: A Contemporary Reader" addresses how criminal justice policy issues are framed, identifies participants in the policy process, discusses how policy is made, and considers the constraints and opportunities found in the policy process. Findings are linked to broader institutional, cultural and global criminal justice trends, and are used to determine what recent research reveals about crime policy and democratic governance. The main goal of this book is to encourage readers to engage in a dialogue about criminal justice policy, and to think about the potential for criminal justice reform.

Europe is caught between the extreme diversity of national systems and the increasing complexity of supranational institutions. Some fear the worst. They claim that diversity is linked to insecurity because, from one country to another, the sanction for the same crime varies considerably. Several years' experience has shown in cases of transborder crimes, that the development of mutual assistance pacts improves the efficiency of the national systems. Beyond that, it seems inevitable that at least in the area of frauds against Community financial interests, we will arrive at a system of Community penal and administrative sanctions to meet the demand of the European Parliament, on the condition that the sanctions respect the democratic principles of legality and an independent judiciary. Starting from the plurality of European legal sources (Community law, the Conventions of the Council of Europe, the Schengen Accords, the Conference on Security and Cooperation) and their underlying logic (national interests European interests, security/protection of the fundamental rights), this volume examines their impact on the subjects of the Maastricht Treaty. After describing practices of control and sanction, as well as procedures and guarantees, it tackles the ultimate question of common guiding principles. The bet being that, beyond the bottom line of current penal policy, could be the design for - in the singular, no longer the plural - a criminal policy for the Europe of tomorrow.

Outlining the key developments of the Disability Hate Crime policy agenda, this book analyses the contributions of activists, politicians, policy makers and criminal justice system practitioners and recommends progressive policy changes.

National borders do little to prevent trafficking in illegal goods, but often hamper the efforts of the authorities in pursuit. In this new edition Boister examines whether too much focus on suppressing criminality, and not enough on protecting human rights and the rule of law, has prevented efforts to create an effective transnational legal space.

Criminal Justice and the Policy Process develops a synthesized policy making model that explains how complex justice policy is developed, implemented, and evaluated. Unlike other texts, this study weaves together important aspects of several competing explanations of policy choice into a single model. Further, this text emphasizes the importance of implementing policy as an important component in the ultimate outcome of policy decisions. The book fills a void in introducing students to the policy making process coupled with the importance of justice administration as a component. Important themes throughout the book include the role of the media, special interests, elite policy makers, and discretion.