This book explores the critical questions of how and why criminal justice policies emerge, and examines how criminal justice policy is understood and applied by practitioners. It questions whether diversity in implementation implies policy failure or a sign of healthy activism among local practitioners.
The contributors reflect upon policy change in historical periods - including criminal justice under Thatcher, community service in the 1970s, and youth justice in the 1980s - specific regions of the United Kingdom, and contentious contemporary issues such as the 'transformation' of rehabilitation, payment by results, multi-agency work on prolific offenders, and the reform of youth courts. The contributions in this volume also analyse the management of criminal justice policy implementation, particularly surveying managerialism in the courts, consistency and fairness in out-of-court disposals, and prison policy. Important critiques of long-standing policy issues are offered with a focus upon anti-social behaviour, 'troubled families', and the role of the 'community' in criminal justice. With contributions from leading researchers, practitioners and policymakers in criminology and criminal justice, this book is essential reading for those interested in the management of change in criminal justice.
Includes contributions from: Rob Allen, Rose Broad, Mary Corcoran, David Faulkner, Stewart Field, Penelope Gibbs, John Harding, Jessica Jacobson, Theresa Lynch, Katrina Morrison, Peter Neyroud, Sotirios Santatzoglou, Molly Slothower, Roger Smith, Jon Spencer, Chris Stanley, Martin Wasik, Alexandra Wigzell and Anne Worrall.
