SAGE has been part of the global academic community since 1965, supporting high quality research and learning that transforms society and our understanding of individuals, groups and cultures. SAGE is the independent, innovative, natural home for authors, editors and societies who share our commitment and passion for the social sciences.
Find out more at: www.sagepublications.com
David Scott and Nick Flynn 2014
First edition published as Penology in 2008. Reprinted 2010, 2011 (twice) & 2013
This edition published 2014
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form, or by any means, only with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers.
All material on the accompanying website can be printed off and photocopied by the purchaser/user of the book. The web material itself may not be reproduced in its entirety for use by others without prior written permission from SAGE. The web material may not be distributed or sold separately from the book without the prior written permission of SAGE. Should anyone wish to use the materials from the website for conference purposes, they would require separate permission from us. All material is David Scott and Nick Flynn 2014.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2013950939
British Library Cataloguing in Publication data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-1-4462-7346-3
ISBN 978-1-4462-7347-0 (pbk)
SAGE Publications Ltd
1 Olivers Yard
55 City Road
London EC1Y 1SP
SAGE Publications Inc.
2455 Teller Road
Thousand Oaks, California 91320
SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd
B 1/I 1 Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area
Mathura Road
New Delhi 110 044
SAGE Publications Asia-Pacific Pte Ltd
3 Church Street
#10-04 Samsung Hub
Singapore 049483
Editor: Natalie Aguilera
Editorial assistant: James Piper
Production editor: Sarah Cooke
Copyeditor: Solveig Gardner Servian
Proofreader: Lynda Watson
Indexer: Martin Hargreaves
Marketing manager: Sally Ransom
Cover design: Wendy Scott
Typeset by: C&M Digitals (P) Ltd, Chennai, India
Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY
CONTENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
David Scott is senior lecturer in Criminology at Liverpool John Moores University. David has published widely on prisons, punishment and critical criminology. Recent book titles include Controversial Issues in Prisons (Scott and Codd, 2010), Critique and Dissent (Gilmore, Moore and Scott, 2013), The Caretakers of Punishment (2014) and Why Prison? (2013). David is a former co-ordinator of the European Group for the Study of Deviance and Social Control and is a member of the steering committee of the Reclaim Justice Network. He is also an associate editor of the Howard Journal of Criminal Justice and is on the editorial board of Criminal Justice Matters.
Nick Flynn is senior lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice at De Montfort University. Nick has published widely on prisons, rehabilitation theory and practice, and environmental criminology. His most recent book is Criminal Behaviour in Context: Space, Place and Desistance from Crime (2010). Prior to teaching, Nick worked as a freelance researcher on criminal justice issues and as a campaigner for penal reform. He is on the editorial board of the British Journal of Community Justice.
COMPANION WEBSITE
Prisons & Punishment: The Essentials is also accompanied by a companion website, which is accessible at: www.uk.sagepub.com/scottandflynn
The website, which contains resources for both lecturers and students, intends to complement and build on the material here presented and includes the following material:
Links to government reports
Links to related websites and blogs
Links to free journal articles
A glossary
1.1 THINKING LIKE A PENOLOGIST
Core areas
introduction to the book
running themes in penology
fugitive thought: a brief introduction to penology
thinking outside the box
Running themes
Social divisions
Power
Imagination
INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK
Welcome to Prisons and Punishment: The Essentials. Many people are drawn to the study of punishments, crime control and other means of responding to wrongdoing and social deviance. Those who harm, and how we should best respond to those harms, fascinate us. This focus on punishment and penal institutions, such as the prison, and their possible justifications is the remit of what is called penology. Students can approach penological subject matter from various academic disciplines, such as philosophy, history, social policy, or the social sciences. The study of penology is a fast-growing area in many universities and, while there are many specialist books and introductory textbooks, it is difficult for those who are new to the subject to decide what best to read and in what order. The intention of Prisons and Punishment: The Essentials is to provide you with a one-stop, easy-to-use reference guide that covers the main themes of prison and punishment modules.
The book is not intended to act as a replacement for lectures, textbooks, journal articles or specialist contributions in the field, but rather as a complement to such materials and activities. In short, the aim of the book is to help you to get the most from your studies. If this text can clarify and make sense of a complex penological debate, stimulate your interest, encourage you to look at issues in more depth, or help you use your imagination to start thinking more creatively about how social problems can be conceived of or addressed, then it will have achieved its aimand perhaps much more.
The book introduces some of the common principles and concepts of prison, community sanctions and punishment. It provides hints, tips and handy summaries of the main themes and issues; and, ultimately, it aims to enhance your understanding of, and ability to use, penological knowledge. It should help you to structure and organise your thoughts, and it should enable you to get the most from your textbooks and the other reading that you do as part of your course. We also hope the book appeals to the general reader who is looking for a straightforward introduction to, and summary of, penology that is easily digestible and can be read relatively quickly. Overall,
