An Introduction to Criminal Justice

Jamie Harding received his PhD from the Department of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.  He has been employed at Northumbria University since 1995, first as a lecturer in Housing Studies and more recently as a Senior Lecturer in Research Methods in the Department of Social Sciences.  Before moving into higher education he worked for a number of social housing organisations.Jamie’s main area of interest is qualitative and quantitative research methods, which he teaches at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral level.  He also lectures on criminal justice – an area where he has edited a textbook – and homelessness, a subject on which he has written two monographs.  He is programme leader for the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship, which is run in partnership with Northumbria Police.Jamie is married with two adult children and two grandchildren.  He enjoys running and was delighted to win the highly prestigious Claremont Road Runners summer club handicap race in 2021.Professor Pamela Davies′ research interests coalesce around gender, crime, harm, victimization and justice. Combining her interest in victimology and social harm with a critical/feminist infused approach she has explored a range of contemporary social problems – both visible and hidden. Her early research explored female offending and the inter-play between women’s offending patterns and experiences of victimization. More recently she has examined tensions around social and environmental justice adopting a case study approach. She has lead a number of research projects and evaluations of multi-agency innovations that tackle gendered forms of harm including interpersonal violence, domestic abuse, the policing of serial perpetrators and support for victims. The ways in which gender mediates our life experiences continues to provoke new areas of inquiry and she is currently working with colleagues on ‘gendering green criminology’.Pam has published widely on the subject of victimization and social harm and on how gender connects to matters of community safety, public protection and well-being. Her most recent books are Crime and Power authored with Tanya Wyatt and Victimology Research Policy and Activism edited with Jacki Tapley. She is the series editor of the Palgrave Macmillan ‘Victims and Victimology’ book series (with Associate Professor Tyrone Kirchengast, University of New South Wales, Sydney). George Mair is Professor of Criminal Justice and Head of the Department of Social Science at Liverpool Hope.  Previously (1995-2012), he was Professor of Criminal Justice in the School of Law at Liverpool John Moores University; and prior to that (1979-1995) he was a member of the Home Office Research and Planning Unit, latterly as Principal Research Officer leading a team carrying out research and policy-advice on community penalties.  He has been a member of the Merseyside Probation Board (2001-2007), and a member of the Liverpool Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (1999-2006).

This is a splendid introduction to criminal justice in England and Wales, with substantial but accessible chapters written by many of the leading authors in their fields.  Never ducking important critical questions of injustice, power and inequality, the book takes seriously the wide range of issues and influences shaping the context of contemporary criminal justice while containing many extra features, including a website containing a diverse array of additional materials, to support students’ learning and really whet their appetites for further enquiry.

• 1 Introduction - Pamela Davies, George Mair, Jamie HardingPart One: The Criminal Justice Process in Context - George Mair, Jamie Harding, Pamela Davies2 Criminal Justice Since 1945: a brief history - George Mair3 Definitions and the Counting of Crime - Ian Mahoney4 Purposes of the Criminal Justice Process - Joanne Clough5 Characteristics of Offenders - Hannah Bows6 Diversity and the Criminal Justice Process - Colin Webster7 Media Representations of Criminal Justice - Ian Marsh8 Government, Governance and Criminal Justice - Tim Newburn9 Researching Criminal Justice - Mike HoughPart Two: The Criminal Justice Process - Jamie Harding, Pamela Davies, George Mair10 Community Safety and Crime Prevention - Esther Van Ginneken11 Policing - Matt Jones and Kelly Stockdale12 Policing as Part of a Multi-Agency Approach - Tanya Wyatt and Mary Laing13 Prosecution and the Alternatives - Alison Howey14 Criminal Courts - Bankole Cole and Timi Osidipe15 Community Sentences - George Mair16 Imprisonment - Charlotte Bilby17 Parole and Release from Prison - Harriet Pierpoint18 Youth Justice - Tim Bateman19 Dealing with Complaints and Misconduct - Jamie Harding20 Supporting Victims and Witnesses - Ian Cook and Pamela DaviesPart Three: Key Issues in Criminal Justice - Pamela Davies, George Mair, Jamie Harding21 Does the Criminal Justice Process Work? - Mike Rowe22 Globalisation and International Criminal Justice - Matthew Hall23 Criminal Justice Futures - George Mair, Jamie Harding, Pamela DaviesGlossaryIndex