Crime & Punishment in Ireland

As New condition analysis on Criminal Justice System. First Edition 252 unmarked pages.
This book presents and critically analyses two rich sources of factual information on the Irish criminal justice system the official statistical picture of crime and punishment from 1973 to the present and the results of a comprehensive survey of the personal, social and criminal backgrounds of a large representative sample of Mountjoy prisoners. The Irish situation with respect to crime and punishment and to prisoners is described and interpreted in a context of international comparison. The many original and sometimes surprising findings are related to established theoretical perspectives. The reality as opposed to the media image of the current crime situation and of how the Irish criminal system responds are described. In particular, trends in both crime and punishment over the past two decades are examined. This book focuses on the important policy implications arising from an analysis of available factual material. Special emphasis is placed on the pivotal issue of sentencing policy and on the key but contentious question of the role of social deprivation and disadvantage in the generation of crime. Attention is also paid to the factors within the criminal justice system which promote chaos and breakdown and to possible improvements and remedies.