Doing Time: An Introduction to the Sociology of Imprisonment - Softcover

Matthews, Roger

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0230235522 ISBN 13: 9780230235526

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009

Synopsis

Doing Time is an essential text for students in criminology and criminal justice – a one-stop overview of key debates in punishment and imprisonment. This edition, thoroughly revised and updated throughout, is a highly accessible guide, providing the tools to critically engage with today's central issues in penology and penal policy.

Examining imprisonment both historically and sociologically, and in international perspective, Doing Time outlines theoretical debates, and goes beyond standard introductory texts to help students develop their own critical and informed opinions.  

This new edition includes:
· three new chapters
· an up-to-date bibliography
· fully revised statistical information
· a guide to key internet resources

Issues explored include:
· how incarceration became established as the foremost form of punishment
· the role of space, time and labor in the evolution of prisons and prison life
· why prison populations are rising despite the fall in crime figures
· an examination of key prison populations – juveniles, women and ethnic groups
· crime and the business cycle – links between crime, unemployment and imprisonment
· globalization and crime control
· the future of imprisonment

About this title

About the Author

ROGER MATTHEWS is Professor of Criminology at London South Bank University, UK. He is Head of the Crime Reduction and Community Safety Research Group. He is the author of Armed Robbery and Prostitution, Politics and Policy. He has also produced joint authored texts on community safety and edited a number of books on criminological theory, imprisonment and crime control.

Review

“Here is the greatly awaited second edition of Doing Time  keeping pace with this rapidly changing field.  Unafraid of controversy, theoretically sophisticated and international in its scope this is the only book which covers the field, introduces students to the current debates and takes the argument forwards.  It is a must for students and researchers alike.” – Jock Young, Distinguished Professor of Criminal Justice, John Jay College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York, and author of The Criminological Imagination

'Doing Time is a theoretically sophisticated and challenging analysis of the key issues that define the contemporary prison.  Students of penal studies need to pay serious attention to the core arguments of this book' - Professor Eugene McLaughlin, City University, UK
 
'Far more than a descriptive introduction to prisons, Doing Time presents a challenging, theoretically sophisticated discussion of the role of crime and punishment in society in the tradition of Foucault, Garland and Rusche and Kircheimer.  Readers of all levels will find much to chew on here' - Professor Shadd Maruna, Queen's University Belfast, UK

'Doing Time will make an excellent co-text for upper level criminology and penology courses' - Linda Deutschmann, Teaching Sociology
 
'...the book is characterised by an intellectual honesty and a refusal to accept familiar or comfortable positions...the idea of 'doing time' is refreshed by this original approach'- Rob Canton, Probation Journal

Edition details

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0230235522
• ISBN 13: 9780230235526
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 308