Penal Populism and Public Opinion

Lessons from Five Countries

Julian V Roberts author Mike Hough author Loretta J Stalans author David Indemaur author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Oxford University Press Inc

Published:19th Dec '02

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Penal Populism and Public Opinion cover

Although criminal justice systems vary greatly around the world, one theme has emerged in all western jurisdictions in recent years: a rise in both the rhetoric and practice of severe punishment at a time when public opinion has played a pivotal role in sentencing policy and reforms. Despite the differences among jurisdictions, startling commonalities exist among the five countries-the U.K., USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand-surveyed here. Drawing on the results of representative opinion surveys and other research tools the authors map public attitudes towards crime and punishment across countries and explore the congruence between public views and actual policies. Co-authored by four distinguished sentencing policy experts, Penal Populism and Public Opinion is a clarion call for limiting the influence of penal populism and instituting more informed, research-based sentencing policies across the western world.

"Penal Populism and Public Opinion is an important contribution to the growing debate about how penal policy is made in late modern societies, and as such, deserves to be read well beyond North America."--Ottawa Law Review "Penal Populism and Public Opinion is an important contribution to the growing debate about how penal policy is made in late modern societies, and as such, deserves to be read well beyond North America."--Ottawa Law Review

ISBN: 9780195136234

Dimensions: 157mm x 236mm x 23mm

Weight: 503g

264 pages