Prisons, peace, and terrorism : penal policy in the reduction of political violence in Northern Ireland, Italy, and the Spanish Basque country, 1968-97

A comprehensive analysis of the role that prison policy can play in the reduction of terrorism, this book examines the experience of three western Europe jurisdictions: Northern Ireland, Italy and the Spanish Basque Country. It looks at the role of the prisons both as tools for counter-insurgency and as part of a process of conflict resolution. It looks in detail at each jurisdiction and then compares the experience of the three conflicts. Over the last 30 years several western European nations have faced protracted low-intensity conflicts. A key aspect in the state's response to such political violence is through the prison system, yet this is an area that up to now has only been of peripheral interest to scholars. This book is a study of the role that prison can play in the reduction of terrorism. It examines the experiences of three western Europe jurisdictions: North Ireland, Italy and the Spanish Basque Country. It looks at the role of the prisons both as tools for counter-insurgency and as part of a process of conflict resolution. The book also takes a detailed look at each jurisdiction and then compares the experience of the three conflicts. "In recent years the three most violent low-intensity conflicts in western Europe have been in Northern Ireland, Italy and the Spanish Basque Country. This book examines in detail how each jurisdiction has dealt with the problems presented by politically motivated violent offenders and how the penal system has been used to reduce the level of conflict."--BOOK JACKET. "This book looks at the role that prison can play both in terms of counter-insurgency and conflict resolution. It addresses the thorny moral questions of when it is legitimate to release terrorists and what role they play in the process of conflict resolution."--BOOK JACKET Front Matter....Pages i-viii The Politically Motivated Violent Offender....Pages 1-18 The Implications of Politically Motivated Criminals for the Penal System....Pages 19-47 Northern Ireland, 1969–97....Pages 48-87 Italy, 1969–97....Pages 88-118 The Spanish Basque Country, 1969–97....Pages 119-144 The Role of Penal Policy in the Reduction of Political Violence....Pages 145-173 Back Matter....Pages 174-208 Michael Von Tangen Page. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 194-200) And Index.