Chris Clarkson – författare

Sentencing practice and reform has in recent years assumed a high political profile in many jurisdictions. Changing public attitudes about the relative seriousness of different offences, evidence of inconsistent governmental concerns about the escalating costs of criminal justice, and support for a return to more traditional conceptions of justice in the wake of loss of faith in individualistic rehabilitative responses to offending, have all given sharper focus to the reformist agenda.This text brings together case-studies of legislative sentencing reform initiatives in the USA and Canada, Australia, Sweden, and England and Wales alongside three essays by leading international authorities on the impetus for and dynamics of change. The picture that emerges is complex. Changing sentencing policy is a highly political process in which, as these case studies show, options are judged to be acceptable as much for their presentational as their substantive characteristics.Contributors: Rod Morgan, Chris Clarkson, Tony Bottoms, Arie Freiberg, Nils Jareborg, D. A. Thomas, Andrew von Hirsch, Richard S. Frase, Anthony N. Doob, Andrew Ashworth, Michael Tonry

Domestic Reforms tells a complicated story of family andwelfare law reform within the context of British Columbia'stransformation from a British colonial enclave to a white settlerCanadian province. It inherited a British legal system that grantedmarried men control over most family property and imposed fewobligations on them toward their wives and children. Yet from the 1860sonward, lawmakers throughout the Anglo-American world, includinglegislators on the Pacific Coast, began to grant women and children newrights. Feminist scholars have long debated the reasons for thesereforms. Why did male legislators choose to depart from patriarchalnorms, enacting laws that eroded husbands' control over propertyand increased their obligations? More important, what were the legaland social consequences?Chris Clarkson examines three waves of property, inheritance, andmaintenance law reform, arguing that each was related to a broaderpolitical vision intended to precipitate vast social and economiceffects. He analyzes the impact of the legislation, with emphasis onthe ambitions of regulated populations, the influence of the judiciary,and the social and fiscal concerns of generations of legislators andbureaucrats.

A family reconnects to their joy after the loss of one of their own in this picture book debut—perfect for fans of The Heart and the Bottle and Ida, Always When the snow falls, Charlie misses his brother more than anything else in the world. Daddy says that any time it snows Charlie can write down his five favorite things to do with Benjamin. The only problem is there are hundreds of things to remember! Like playing in the pool, eating dessert before dinner, running in socked feet, planting daisies in the garden, and so much more.As Charlie remembers Benjamin, he remembers a loving and playful big brother, and a house filled with happiness and joy. He soon discovers that Mom and Dad each have their own lists, and they can find their way by relying on one another. From debut picture book creators Chris Clarkson and Annalise Barber comes an honest and authentic exploration of grief, hope, and family strength.

A gentle look at transitions and new beginnings through the eyes of a child in foster care—Chloe and the Fireflies is a warm picture book that expands the view of what a family can beIt’s always hard to be the new kid—Chloe knows that better than anyone. But for the first time, in her new foster home, Chloe feels like she doesn’t have to hide. Suddenly her life is full of sleepovers with friends, baking cookies, and living room dance parties. With the support of her dads and her community, Chloe is able to thrive like never before. When Chloe catches a firefly, she can only think of one wish: she wishes she’ll be able to stay. But even if her wish doesn’t come true, Chloe knows she will always treasure the time they spent together.This gentle picture book is an expansive celebration of family love and community care.

Disruptive Prisoners reconstitutes the history of Canada’s federal prison system in the mid-twentieth century through a process of collective biography – one involving prisoners, administrators, prison reformers, and politicians. This social history relies on extensive archival research and access to government documents, but more importantly, uses the penal press materials created by prisoners themselves and an interview with one of the founding penal press editors to provide a unique and unprecedented analysis.Disruptive Prisoners is grounded in the lived experiences of men who were incarcerated in federal penitentiaries in Canada and argues that they were not merely passive recipients of intervention. Evidence indicates that prisoners were active agents of change who advocated for and resisted the initiatives that were part of Canada’s "New Deal in Corrections." While prisoners are silent in other criminological and historical texts, here they are central figures: the juxtaposition of their voices with the official administrative, parliamentary, and government records challenges the dominant tropes of progress and provides a more nuanced and complicated reframing of the post-Archambault Commission era.The use of an alternative evidential base, the commitment of the authors to integrating subaltern perspectives, and the first-hand accounts by prisoners of their experiences of incarceration makes this book a highly readable and engaging glimpse behind the bars of Canada’s federal prisons.

Disruptive Prisoners reconstitutes the history of Canada’s federal prison system in the mid-twentieth century through a process of collective biography – one involving prisoners, administrators, prison reformers, and politicians. This social history relies on extensive archival research and access to government documents, but more importantly, uses the penal press materials created by prisoners themselves and an interview with one of the founding penal press editors to provide a unique and unprecedented analysis.Disruptive Prisoners is grounded in the lived experiences of men who were incarcerated in federal penitentiaries in Canada and argues that they were not merely passive recipients of intervention. Evidence indicates that prisoners were active agents of change who advocated for and resisted the initiatives that were part of Canada’s "New Deal in Corrections." While prisoners are silent in other criminological and historical texts, here they are central figures: the juxtaposition of their voices with the official administrative, parliamentary, and government records challenges the dominant tropes of progress and provides a more nuanced and complicated reframing of the post-Archambault Commission era.The use of an alternative evidential base, the commitment of the authors to integrating subaltern perspectives, and the first-hand accounts by prisoners of their experiences of incarceration makes this book a highly readable and engaging glimpse behind the bars of Canada’s federal prisons.