This chapter provides an overview of the major themes in the history of crime and punishment in England and Wales over the last 250 years. It discusses the usefulness of historical research in this field and the research methods employed by historians; some salient features of the history of crime, criminal justice, and punishment; and aspects of criminal justice history that can assist in the understanding of contemporary issues and debates. The chapter demonstrates that the nature of crime and criminal justice at any given time can only be understood within the period's specific political context.
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2. History of crime and punishment
Anne Logan
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23. Policing
Trevor Jones
This chapter, which considers some key themes within policing research, begins by discussing the definition of ‘policing’, and its growth as a focus of political concern and criminological enquiry. It outlines the organization and structure of policing in England and Wales. The chapter then examines what the police actually do in practice; provides an overview of some contrasting models of policing; and explores several key debates within the policing literature.
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20. The criminal justice system
Steve Uglow
This chapter, which examines the role of the criminal justice system in England and Wales, begins with a short overview of the system as a whole, followed by individual sections on its main components. These include the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, the courts, the sentencing and the correctional system, the youth justice system, and the right of appeal.
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41. Confronting state power: dissenting voices and the demand for penal abolition
Joe Sim
This chapter discusses dissenting voices and demands for penal abolition in line with confronting state power. It starts with the call for defunding prisons being central to the abolitionist praxis in England and Wales, which correlates to George Floyd's brutal murder by a police officer. Additionally, prosecutions add another layer to the abolitionist critique of the dangerous prisoner. Since 1970, abolitionists in England and Wales have demonstrated that another penal and social world is possible through contestation and resistance. The chapter notes the historical movement's idealistic commitment to building a better world, based on a collective, compassionate sense of social justice.
