The Penal System: An Introduction

Recent times have witnessed some of the worst events in the history of the penal system, which has now reached an acute state of crisis. This is highlighted in the state of prisons, with their chronic overcrowding, deteriorating physical conditions and increasing tendency to outbreaks of mass disorder.

In this textbook, Michael Cavadino and James Dignan provide a clear and comprehensive introduction to the penal system in England and Wales. They examine all aspects of the penal process, including the sentencing decision, imprisonment, parole, community-based sentences, the treatment of young offenders and the issue of bias within the criminal justice system. They also outline the many theories which seek to justify and explain the practice of punishment and consider their value in helping us to understand the penal system.

While presenting a stimulating critical analysis of the current crisis the authors argue that the penal system not only suffers from severe practical problems but is morally indefensible, and they go on to outline the radical reforms that are urgently needed. Throughout the book comparisons are drawn with other penal systems from around the world.

Written in a lively and accessible style, The Penal System: An Introduction will be compulsive reading for all undergraduates and postgraduates in criminology, criminal law, social policy and social work but will also appeal to penal practitioners and all those concerned with the increasingly urgent debate about punishment and the future of the penal system.

Michael Cavadino, who is Emeritus Professor of Law at the University of Central Lancashire, is an internationally known author and researcher in the fields of penology (the study of punishment) and mental health law. He is co-author of the leading textbook on the penal system of England and Wales (M Cavadino, J Dignan and G Mair, The Penal System: An Introduction, 5th ed., Sage Publications 2013). His other works include Mental Health Law in Context: Doctors′ Orders? (Dartmouth, 1989) and M Cavadino and J Dignan, Penal Systems: A Comparative Approach (Sage Publications, 2006).