As the most comprehensive and authoritative single volume on the subject, the seventh edition of the acclaimed Oxford Handbook of Criminology is a completely revised collection of 44 essays by leading authors in the field. It is organized into four sections: constructions of crime and justice; borders, boundaries, and beliefs; dynamics of crime and violence; and responses to crime. Criminology is expanding its borders and seeking new answers to questions of crime and punishment, citizenship, and democratic living, including issues of state crime and globalization. Some of the newest areas of study in criminology include migration, asylum, and the integration of global populations following war or famine; privacy and the governance of ‘big data;’ and the movement to abolish the police and prisons. All of these topics, as well as classic questions of the causes and consequences of crime, receive attention here. The editors have also made room for greater inclusiveness and diversity, with a wider range of newer scholars, and taking account of new developments in the fields of zemiology and green criminology, as well as previously neglected themes such as victimology, sexual violence, and atrocity crimes. The chapters contain extensive references to aid further research, and the book is accompanied by an online resource centre featuring: selected chapters from previous editions; guidance on answering essay questions; practice essay questions; web links; and figures and tables from the text.
Book
Edited by Alison Liebling, Shadd Maruna, and Lesley McAra
As the most comprehensive and authoritative single volume on the subject, the sixth edition of the acclaimed Oxford Handbook of Criminology is a completely revised collection of 44 essays by leading authors in the field. It is organized into four sections: Constructions of crime and justice; Borders, boundaries, and beliefs; Dynamics of crime and violence; and Responses to crime. Criminology is expanding its borders, and seeking new answers to questions of crime and punishment, citizenship, and democratic living, including issues of state crime and globalisation. Some of the newest areas of study in criminology include migration, asylum, and the integration of global populations following war or famine; privacy and the governance of ‘big data;’ and the privatisation of justice and security. All of these topics, as well as classic questions of the causes and consequences of crime, receive attention here. The new editors have also made room for greater inclusiveness and diversity, with a wider range of newer scholars taking account of new developments in the field such as zemiology and green criminology, as well as previously neglected themes such as domestic violence and sex work. The chapters contain extensive references to aid further research, and the book is accompanied by an online resource centre featuring: selected chapters from previous editions; guidance on answering essay questions; practice essay questions; web links; and figures and tables from the text.
Chapter
This chapter discusses the place that punishment occupies as a response to crime. In many ways, the idea of punishment lies at the heart of our thinking about crime and criminal justice. It acts as a kind of balancing factor to the offence and seems like an obvious and natural consequence of a wrongful act, as in the biblical idea of ‘an eye for an eye’. However, the criminologist’s task is precisely to interrogate fundamental assumptions and to question the obvious. As such, there is a need to consider, with a critical eye, some well-established conventions such as the principle of ‘just deserts’ and the idea that we should make ‘the punishment fit the crime’. The chapter explores aspects of the historical development of punishment and its changing role in society and looks at particular forms of penal sanction, notably the death penalty, the use of imprisonment, and community-based alternatives to the deprivation of liberty. The chapter then assesses the role of the judiciary in administering punishments, the consequences of imposing punitive measures, and the criticisms of the use of punishment.
Chapter
Gwen Robinson and Fergus McNeill
This chapter examines the development and expansion of community sanctions and measures in the UK since the introduction of probation and parole in the early twentieth century. After introducing the main types of punishment in the community (supervision; unpaid work; treatment and other activities; restrictions and prohibitions), it considers their evolution in relation to four main rationales: rehabilitation, reparation, management, and punitiveness. The chapter then reviews some key sociological perspectives on punishment in the community, focusing on work inspired by Foucault, Durkheim, and Marx. Finally, it provides an introduction to recent research on punishment in the community in other jurisdictions, particularly Europe and the USA. The chapter presents two main conclusions: firstly, that there is now substantial international evidence to suggest that the expansion of punishment in the community has failed to deliver reductions in the use of imprisonment; and secondly, that arguments for penal moderation should take into account the ‘painful’ character of community sanctions and measures.
Chapter
Gwen Robinson and Fergus McNeill
This chapter examines the development and expansion of community sanctions and measures in the UK since the introduction of probation in the early twentieth century. After introducing the main types of punishment in the community (supervision; unpaid work; treatment and other activities; restrictions and prohibitions), it considers their evolution in relation to four main rationales: rehabilitation, reparation, management, and punitiveness. The chapter then reviews some key sociological perspectives on punishment in the community, focusing on work inspired by Foucault, Durkheim, and Marx. Finally, it provides an introduction to recent research on punishment in the community in other jurisdictions, particularly Europe and the USA. The chapter presents two main conclusions: firstly, that there is now substantial international evidence to suggest that the expansion of punishment in the community has failed to deliver reductions in the use of imprisonment; and secondly, that arguments for penal moderation should take into account the ‘painful’ character of community sanctions and measures.
