Privatizing Criminal Justice

by Roger Matthews (Editor)

Overview

Without abdicating their ultimate responsibility for law enforcement and criminal justice, Western governments are increasingly seeking to delegate aspects of this task to the private and voluntary sectors. The contributors assess both the actual and potential impact of privatization in this highly controversial area, and examine the experience of private prisons, especially in North America, the activities of private security firms and current developments in electronic monitoring techniques. Privatizing Criminal Justice explores the changing relations between the state and the market and evaluates whether privatization can improve the control of crime and the administration of justice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780803982406
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	12/01/1989
Series:	SAGE Contemporary Criminology series , #5
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.43(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Roger Matthews is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology and a member of the Centre for Criminology at Middlesex Polytechnic. He is co-editor (with Jock Young) of Confronting Crime (SAGE 1986) and editor of Informal Justice (SAGE 1988).

Table of Contents

Privatization in Perspective - Roger Matthews
Private Prisons and the State - Robert P Weiss
Privatization and Penal Politics - Mick Ryan and Tony Ward
Reconstructing Policing - Nigel South
Differentiation and Contradiction in Post-War Private and Public Policing
Electronic Monitoring and House Arrest - Bonnie Berry and Roger Matthews
Making the Right Connections
The Voluntary Sector's Role in a Mixed Economy of Criminal Justice - R I Mawby
Juvenile Justice and the Voluntary Sector - Mike Nellis
Private Prisons and Penal Purpose - Max Taylor and Ken Pease

Editorial Reviews

‘A contribution in British experiences of informal justice, a critique of its language, and the redefinition of the concept of social control... a book which is stimulating because of the different analytical orientations included and the diverse aspects which are highlighted.' - International Journal of Sociology of Law

‘This volume will serve as a useful source-book' - British Journal of Criminology

‘recommended reading.... The contributors include some of the most respected researchers.... the overall quality of the pieces is good, and readers will find the books useful and edifying, especially as summeries of core issues and problems.... represents the broadest available discussion of privatization movement' - Contemporary Sociology

‘This is a timely book and its eight chapters contain useful information about the privatization process.... it is a welcome and valuable contribution to debates about criminal justice. It provides a core base onto which further discussions about the role of privatization in the supervision and control of offenders can be built. I recommend it.' - International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy

‘This is one of the best collections of essays on a criminal justice issues published for a long time and will become an essential reference tool for anyone interested in privatisation.' - LCCJ Newsletter

‘The collection of articles is commendable because more than one perspective on privatization issues is provided.... From a pedagogical point of view, the book is useful for graduate and undergraduate students of corrections and social control because the collection of articles and range of topics underscore the complexity of the privatization issue and move the reader away from the pros and cons of the positions in the debate toward t consideration of other important questions of a policy, theoretical, and empirical nature. Because of the book's focus on prison and corrections, it would also be of value to policy makers, advisors, and professionals in the field of corrections.' - The Canadian Journal of Sociology

From the Publisher