Frances Heidensohn
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199565955
- eISBN:
- 9780191701948
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199565955.003.0007
- Subject:
- Law, Criminal Law and Criminology
This chapter examines David Downes' contribution, through both Contrasts in Tolerance and his earlier paper to comparative criminology, especially in the context of the recent wave of studies. He ...
More
This chapter examines David Downes' contribution, through both Contrasts in Tolerance and his earlier paper to comparative criminology, especially in the context of the recent wave of studies. He stated that instructive comparisons of criminal justice policies have a long history. Contrasts offers a model case study despite the author's modesty about his achievement. It is also used as a link to study and evaluate the burgeoning range of work on comparative criminology and criminal justice. Discussion on the creation of taxonomy is provided. It is noted that Downes allowed himself some optimism about the Dutch penal model and its scope for transfer; today that system is seemingly in ruins, but the scope for conducting comparative criminological studies has never been greater.Less
This chapter examines David Downes' contribution, through both Contrasts in Tolerance and his earlier paper to comparative criminology, especially in the context of the recent wave of studies. He stated that instructive comparisons of criminal justice policies have a long history. Contrasts offers a model case study despite the author's modesty about his achievement. It is also used as a link to study and evaluate the burgeoning range of work on comparative criminology and criminal justice. Discussion on the creation of taxonomy is provided. It is noted that Downes allowed himself some optimism about the Dutch penal model and its scope for transfer; today that system is seemingly in ruins, but the scope for conducting comparative criminological studies has never been greater.
Nicola Lacey
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199565955
- eISBN:
- 9780191701948
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199565955.003.0008
- Subject:
- Law, Criminal Law and Criminology
This chapter explores two recent contributions to the flourishing debate about the history of criminal justice in modern societies so as to develop some ideas about how it can add to the structured, ...
More
This chapter explores two recent contributions to the flourishing debate about the history of criminal justice in modern societies so as to develop some ideas about how it can add to the structured, macro-level understanding which comparative studies also promise. It emphasizes James Q. Whitman's Harsh Justice and Markus Dirk Dubber's The Police Power. In line with this, it proposes that historical studies can usefully complement comparative research, can put questions on the agenda of comparative studies, and can fulfil some of the same explanatory and policy-relevant functions as comparative scholarship. A blend of Whitman's degradation hypothesis and of David Downes' interpretation may usefully be combined with the insights of recent political-economic analysis of comparative institutional advantage. It is argued that additional contributions to the genre of comparative scholarship exemplified by David Downes' Contrasts in Tolerance is important. In addition, the legitimacy of criminology or criminal justice studies as autonomous disciplines must be questioned.Less
This chapter explores two recent contributions to the flourishing debate about the history of criminal justice in modern societies so as to develop some ideas about how it can add to the structured, macro-level understanding which comparative studies also promise. It emphasizes James Q. Whitman's Harsh Justice and Markus Dirk Dubber's The Police Power. In line with this, it proposes that historical studies can usefully complement comparative research, can put questions on the agenda of comparative studies, and can fulfil some of the same explanatory and policy-relevant functions as comparative scholarship. A blend of Whitman's degradation hypothesis and of David Downes' interpretation may usefully be combined with the insights of recent political-economic analysis of comparative institutional advantage. It is argued that additional contributions to the genre of comparative scholarship exemplified by David Downes' Contrasts in Tolerance is important. In addition, the legitimacy of criminology or criminal justice studies as autonomous disciplines must be questioned.
