Trends in punishment

• Changing roles or prison

  Pre-industrial Europe had wide range of punishments, e.g. flogging, execution

  • prison used for holding offenders prior to punishment (prison is now seen as a form of punishment)
  • in liberal democracies, imprisonment is seen as most severe form of punishment > most offenders re-offend
• Changing roles in prison

  Since 80's, moved towards 'popular punitiveness'

  • politicians call for tougher sentences > risking prison population
  • UK imprisons higher proportion of people than almost any other country in Western Europe
  • Most prisoners young, male, ill-educated
  • Ethnic minorities are over-represented
• Garland


  Argues US and UK are moving towards an era of mass incarceration

  • argues crime control has become more politicised
  • US = over 3% of adult population have some form of judicial restriction on their liberty
  • 'tough on crime' policies appeal to public despite being ineffective in reducing crime
• Transcarceration

  Moving people between prison-like institutions, e.g. brought up in care > young offenders institution > adult prison

  • blurring of lines between criminal justice and welfare agencies > social and housing services are increasingly given criminal role
  • can be linked to NR who fear the underclass pose a threat to social stability
• Alternatives to prison

  Recent growth in range of community, e.g. curfews, community services

  • Cohen argues this casted 'net of control' over people > rather than diverting people away from CJS, community control may divert the m into it