Crime and Justice Since 1750

This book provides a comprehensive, introductory text for students taking courses in crime and criminal justice history. It covers all of the key historical topics central to an understanding of the current criminal justice system, including the development of the police, the courts and the mechanisms of punishment (from the gallows to the prison). The role of the victim in the criminal justice system, changing perceptions of criminals, long-term trends in violent crime, and the rise of surveillance society also receive detailed analysis. In addressing each of these issues and developments, the authors draw on the latest research in this rapidly expanding field to explore a range of historiographical and criminological debates.

This new edition continues its exploration of criminal justice history right through to the present day and discusses recent events in the criminal justice world. Each chapter now ends with a ’Modern parallels’ section - a detailed case study providing historical analysis pertinent to a specific contemporary issue in the field of criminal justice and drawing parallels between historical context and modern phenomenon. Each chapter also includes a ’Key questions’ section, which guides the reader towards appropriate sources for further study.

The authors draw on their in-depth knowledge and provide an accessible and lively guide for those approaching the subject for the first time, or those wishing to deepen their knowledge. This makes the book essential reading for those teaching or studying modules on criminal justice, policing and youth justice.

Barry Godfrey is Professor of Social Justice at the University of Liverpool. He has over 20 years’ experience of researching comparative criminology, with particular specialisms in longitudinal studies of crime, comparative international studies of offending and sentencing, and desistance studies. His current research focuses on the long-term impact of youth justice interventions in the period 1850--1945; and he leads the Digital Panopticon project with colleagues in Sheffield, Oxford, Sussex and Tasmania.

Paul Lawrence is Senior Lecturer in History at the Open University. His research is focused on the British police since 1750, particularly their interactions with the poor and socially excluded, police use of violence and the self-image of police officers. His current research focuses on the development of the notion of preventive policing and the evolution and legacy of the Vagrancy Act of 1824. He is currently director of the International Centre for the Study of Crime, Justice and Policing at the Open University.