Table Of ContentThe New Politics of
Crime and Punishment
Edited by
Roger Matthews and
Jock Young
The N ew Politics of Crime and
Punishment
The New Politics of Crime and
Punishment
edited by
Roger Matthews
Jock Young
B Routledge
Taylor & Francis Group
LONDON AND NEW YORK
First published by Willan Publishing 2003
This edition published by Routledge 2011
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ISBN 13:978-1-903240-92-2 (hardback)
ISBN 13:978-1-903240-91-5 (paperback)
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Contents
Editors' Preface
About the contributors
1 New Labour, crime control and social exclusion
Jock Young and Roger Matthews 1
2 Winning the fight against crime? New Labour, populism
and lost opportunities
jock Young 33
3 Institutional racism in policing: the Macpherson report
and its consequences
John Lea 48
4 Youth justice in England and Wales
John Pitts 71
5 It's the family, stupid: continuities and reinterpretations
of the dysfunctional family as the cause of crime in
three political periods
Jayne Mooney 100
6 Drugs: the great cannabis debate
Catriona Woollier and Betsy Thom 111
The New Politics of Crime and Punishment
7 Urban regeneration and crime reduction: contradictions
and dilemmas
Lynn Hancock
8 The politics of policing: managerialism, modernization
and performance
Denise Martin
9 Of crowds, crimes and carnivals
Patrick Slaughter
10 Probation into the millennium: the punishing service?
Anthony Goodman
11 Rethinking penal policy: towards a systems approach
Roger Matthews
Index
Editors’ Preface
The political climate in the United Kingdom has changed dramatically
over the past decade, and the expectation has been that this would
result in a significant shift in government policy on crime and
punishment. This expectation has in part been met, although the nature
of the changes which have taken place are not always those that were
expected.
When New Labour swept to power in 1997 it was widely anticipated
that this would lead to a less punitive, more informal and community-
based approach, which would place greater emphasis on crime
prevention and addressing the causes of crime, particularly since there
was growing evidence of a decrease in most forms of crime. The
popular slogan 'tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime', which
was coined by Tony Blair, signalled his desire to make New Labour the
party of 'law and order' and his commitment to take crime seriously,
because he believed that this issue was a priority for the electorate.
During the first period of administration there was a predictable
emphasis on young people, who increasingly came to be seen as
responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime. There was also a
growing focus on the protection of victims as well as the development
of inter-agency partnerships and 'evidence-based' policy. There was a
clear commitment to increasing police numbers and to addressing
growing concerns about police effectiveness, particularly following
the publication of the Macpherson Inquiry and claims about institu
tional racism. At the same time, the continuing increase in the number
of people imprisoned led many critics to claim that New Labour
had in fact adopted a largely Conservative agenda, and that in their
The New Politics of Crime and Punishment
attempt 'to get tough on crime' they had moved increasingly to the
right.
In the first few years of the new century, however, the assessment of
government policy has become more diverse and more positive. The
passing of the Crime and Disorder Act (1998) has increasingly been
identified as a watershed in policy, by its linking of crime with
disorder and its placing them both within a broader framework of
community safety. This, in turn, has broadened the focus from crime
control to issues of social and distributive justice. It has also involved
a realignment of the major regulatory agencies, with responsibility for
crime control and community safety shifting increasingly to local
authorities. Within this changing context, crime and disorder are
increasingly linked to issues of urban decline and regeneration. This
broadening of the focus of intervention has resulted in a growing
interest in the dynamics of social inclusion and exclusion.
The main objective of this book is to examine these developments
and to assess their significance. In doing so the authors are faced with
the perennial task of distinguishing rhetoric from reality and appearan
ces from underlying processes. A cursory examination of recent policy,
however, indicates that the Labour government is no longer offering
'more of the same' and simply trying to outdo its Conservative
predecessors. In fact, there is a growing realization that New Labour is
now moving in a different direction, involving different priorities,
methods and objectives. A more complex and differentiated strategy is
emerging, which no longer simply mimics 'get tough' policies, but
which is in the process of developing a more diverse approach, which
will undoubtedly have profound consequences not only on 'law' and
order' but also on social life in this country in general.
All of the contributors to this volume have a close association with
Middlesex University. The criminology group at Middlesex have
regularly contributed over the past two decades to the ongoing debates
on the politics of crime and punishment, and have attempted to
contribute to the development of policy. It is also 30 years since the
Masters Programme in Criminology was introduced at Middlesex, and
a number of those who have studied on this pioneering course are now
involved in developing and implementing the policies discussed in this
volume.
About the contributors
Anthony Goodman is a Principal Lecturer at Middlesex University. He
has extensive experience of probation practice and teaching, and a
special interest in the changing nature of probation practice, which was
the subject of his doctorate. He is currently researching the effect of
parenting programmes on young offenders.
Lynn Hancock is Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the
Open University. She was Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Middlesex
University 1997-2002, and Lecturer in Criminology at Keele University,
1993-96. She held a Leverhulme Special Research Fellowship between
1996 and 1998 at Keele University and Middlesex Universities respect
ively. The research entitled 'Neighbourhood Change, Crime and Urban
Policy' was published in her book Community, Crime and Disorder:
Safety and Regeneration in Urban Neighbourhoods (Palgrave, 2001). Her
current research interests focus on urban/neighbourhood change and
crime, community responses to crime and disorder, and public
attitudes towards criminal justice.
John Lea is Professor of Criminology at Middlesex University. He is
author (with Jock Young) of What Is to Be Done about Lazv and Order
(Pluto Press, 1993). He has published on issues such as postmodernism
in criminology ands racism in criminal justice agencies. His most recent
book is Crime and Modernity (Sage, 2002).
Denise Martin is a doctoral student at Middlesex University research
ing Best Value in the Police Service. She previously worked as a
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