What’s Going On? Society, Politics and Law and Order Understanding Criminology 17 th March 2009

Lecture Outline New Labour Centrality and importance in 'law and order' politics "Governing through Crime” Crime Prevention Surveillance and Risk Responsibilisation Multi-agency Partnership Managerialism Evidence Based Practice Changed Sentencing The Place of the Victim Human Rights Political Priorities Organisational Change Judicial Priorities

Labour’s Law and Order Record Successes According to Labour Reduction in Crime Increase in Policing Increased Prison Provision More effective Prison Experiences

Centrality of Law and Order Politics “Tough on Crime: Tough on the Causes of Crime” Response to crime is heavily weighted towards the ‘tough on crime’ side Law and Order policies seen as the solution to crime, not broader social and economic policies

Governing Through Crime (Jonathan Simon) The “War against Crime” has become the defining feature of government policies The prevention of crime has become the key ‘salience’ issue Social policies are assessed differently when couched in crime prevention terms Definitions of ‘crime’ expanding Results in a culture of fear and control: liberty constrained; social inequalities intensified.

Crime Prevention Situational: Significant new approaches, encompassing product design; security and target-hardening; environmental design; pathways, nodes and land usage; community structures Social: Underplayed Important Statutory Changes –Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships

Surveillance and Risk Growth in forms of State surveillance –CCTV –ID Cards –Criminal Records Bureau Discretion reduced Focus on the ‘usual suspects’ Mass Private Property Risk awareness –Lowest Common denominator –Social Exclusion –Evidence Base –Self-fulfilling prophecy

Responsibilisation (David Garland / Pat O’Malley) Citizens induced by a variety of incentives and pressures to take responsibility for their own protection –risk awareness -> fear –adjustment of routines –technical responses Privatisation of crime reduction Self-regulation Formal responsibilities expanded (e.g. CDRPs; housing; education, Victim Support)

Multi-Agency Partnerships E.g. CDRPs; YOTs Well-received –Some evidence of considering the “causes of crime” –Joined-up thinking –Recognition of potential for crime prevention –Local policy and practice fitting local conditions

Managerialism New Public Management –Pre-dated current government (1993), but continued by New Labour –Aims: to alleviate inefficiency and produce value for money “hands on” professional management in the public sector standards and measures of performance: quantitative measure of success resource allocation linked to successful performance (PIs) –Problems: Inappropriateness of market model Conflicting Aims

What Works? Evidence Based Practice Strong commitment to evidence based practice? –Crime Reduction Programme: establish effective practice based on robust evaluation Evidence suggests many other factors are key influences on policy agenda Many policies are pursued in the face of no (or even negative) evaluation evidence (e.g. imprisonment, CCTV installation) Biases towards realism – root cause evidence more difficult to uncover

Changed Sentencing Sentencing drifting upwards: why? –Increased punitiveness –A decline in faith in rehabilitation, or community alternatives –A belief in the need for longer sentences to allow change –A belief in intervention to ‘save the wrongdoer’ –“Lowest hanging fruit” (Rod Morgan) minor infractions now in receipt of formal sanction: these push the young offender up the sentencing tariff –Target Hitting

The Place of the Victim Some genuine advances –In-court provision for vulnerable victims and witnesses –Victim Support increasingly influential in CJS –Victim consideration by police, probation, CPS However –Questionable motives Emotive politics to gain popular support Victim prostitution to justify increased punitiveness Rhetoric over Reality e.g. the promise of a Victim Commissioner

Human Rights Some Advances –Human Rights Act –Stephen Lawrence Enquiry Some Concerns –Expansion of state powers of surveillance, incarceration without trial, summary justice