Rethinking Punishment

About this book

"There are visible signs that the 'get-tough' era of punishment is finally winding down. A 'get-smart' agenda has emerged that aims to reduce costs and crime by reducing the incarceration of non-violent drug offenders, expanding use of community-based corrections, revising sentencing structures, and supporting offender re-entry into the community. This change in policy affords an opportunity to re-examine and challenge certain other conventions in the study and practice of punishment. Each chapter of [this book] examines a convention and posits arguments that challenge that convention and expand the conversation. These arguments are based on the prior literature, existing and original data, and historical documents. These conventions and arguments for rethinking punishment are framed accordingly: justifying penal policy; defining the attributes of punishment; measuring the scope and severity of punishment; and evaluating effectiveness in punishment. Finally, the author provides specific recommendations for research and policy based on these original arguments."--