The Management of Change in Criminal Justice : Who Knows Best?

This book explores the critical questions of how and why criminal justice policies emerge, and examines how criminal justice policy is understood and applied by practitioners. It questions whether diversity in implementation implies policy failure or a sign of healthy activism among local practitioners.lied by practitioners. This book explores the critical questions of how and why criminal justice policies emerge, and examines how criminal justice policy is understood and applied by practitioners. It questions whether diversity in implementation implies policy failure or a sign of healthy activism among local practitioners. The contributors reflect upon policy change in historical periods - including criminal justice under Thatcher, community service in the 1970s, and youth justice in the 1980s - specific regions of the United Kingdom, and contentious contemporary issues such as the 'transformation' of rehabilitation, payment by results, multi-agency work on prolific offenders, and the reform of youth courts. The contributions in this volume also analyse the management of criminal justice policy implementation, particularly surveying managerialism in the courts, consistency and fairness in out-of-court disposals, and prison policy. Important critiques of long-standing policy issues are offered with a focus upon anti-social behaviour, 'troubled families', and the role of the 'community' in criminal justice. With contributions from leading researchers, practitioners and policymakers in criminology and criminal justice, this book is essential reading for those interested in the management of change in criminal justice Front Matter....Pages i-x Who Knows Best? A Question About How Criminal Policy Change Takes Place....Pages 1-29 Front Matter....Pages 31-31 The End or the Beginning of an Era? Politics and Punishment Under Margaret Thatcher’s Government....Pages 33-48 Troubled, Troubling or Troublesome? Troubled Families and the Changing Shape of Youth Justice....Pages 49-63 Understanding the Marketisation of the Probation Service Through an Interpretative Policy Framework....Pages 64-79 ‘Community’ Knows Best? Community Involvement in Criminal Justice....Pages 80-97 Continuity and Change in Prisons....Pages 98-112 Front Matter....Pages 113-113 ‘We Were the System’: Practitioners’ Experiences and the Juvenile Justice Mosaic in the 1980s....Pages 115-133 From Planning to Practice: Pioneering Community Service Orders in England and Wales, 1972–1974....Pages 134-151 The Management of Community Justice Services in Scotland: Policy-Making and the Dynamics of Central and Local Control....Pages 152-169 Developing Local Cultures in Criminal Justice Policy-Making: The Case of Youth Justice in Wales....Pages 170-185 Regulating Street Sex Workers: A Reflection on the Use and Reform of Anti-Social Behaviour Measures....Pages 186-205 Front Matter....Pages 207-207 Managing Magistrates’ Courts: A Loss of Local Control....Pages 209-225 The Crown Court: Unified Structure or Local Justice?....Pages 226-240 The Youth Court: Time for Reform?....Pages 241-258 Integrated Offender Management: A Microcosm of Central and Local Criminal Justice Policy Turbulence....Pages 259-274 Wielding the Sword of Damocles: The Challenges and Opportunities in Reforming Police Out-of-Court Disposals in England and Wales....Pages 275-292 Back Matter....Pages 293-296 Cover 1 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of Contents 6 Preface 8 List of Contributors 10 1 Who Knows Best? A Question About How Criminal Policy 12 Part I Making Policy Choices 41 2 The End or the Beginning of an Era? Politics and Punishment Under Margaret Thatcher’s Government 42 3 Troubled, Troubling or Troublesome? Troubled Families and the Changing Shape of Youth Justice 58 4 Understanding the Marketisation of the Probation Service Through an Interpretative Policy Framework 73 5 ‘Community’ Knows Best? Community Involvement in Criminal Justice 89 6 Continuity and Change in Prisons 107 Part II Developing Policy Through Practice 122 7 ‘We Were the System’: Practitioners’ Experiences and the Juvenile Justice Mosaic in the 1980s 123 8 From Planning to Practice: Pioneering Community Service Orders in England and Wales, 1972–1974 142 9 The Management of Community Justice Services in Scotland: Policy-Making and the Dynamics of Central and Local Control 160 10 Developing Local Cultures in Criminal Justice Policy-Making: The Case of Youth Justice in Wales 178 11 Regulating Street Sex Workers: A Reflection on the Use and Reform of Anti-Social Behaviour Measures 194 Part III Managing Policy Implementation 214 12 Managing Magistrates’ Courts: A Loss of Local Control 215 13 The Crown Court: Unified Structure or Local Justice? 232 14 The Youth Court: Time for Reform? 247 15 Integrated Offender Management: A Microcosm of Central and Local Criminal Justice Policy Turbulence 265 16 Wielding the Sword of Damocles: The Challenges and Opportunities in Reforming Police Out-of-Court Disposals in England and Wales 281 Index 299