Output details

England und Wales

Levels of imprisonment in England and Wales have risen sharply in recent decades. The most potent cause has been the sentencing practice of the courts, though a major contributory factor has been politically motivated policy interventions.

Six main phases of penal policy are traced, which mark a dramatic shift in the penal climate that has accompanied England’s transition from a social democratic polity prior to the 1980s to the neo-liberal standard bearer of today. There is little likelihood in the foreseeable future of England relinquishing its dubious status as one of the most punitive states in Western Europe.

Levels of imprisonment in England and Wales have risen sharply in recent decades. The most potent cause has been the sentencing practice of the courts, though a major contributory factor has been politically motivated policy interventions.

Six main phases of penal policy are traced, which mark a dramatic shift in the penal climate that has accompanied England’s transition from a social democratic polity prior to the 1980s to the neo-liberal standard bearer of today. There is little likelihood in the foreseeable future of England relinquishing its dubious status as one of the most punitive states in Western Europe.