Rövid leírás:
Many innovations in recent British penal policy derive from American experience. Mandatory minimum sentences of imprisonment for certain categories of repeat offenders, the greater resort to custody as retributive punishment, ‘honesty in sentencing’, scepticism towards the efficacy of crime prevention projects in the community, and restrictions on sexual offenders after their release from custody, are among the examples examined in this new book. The political context is the policies towards crime and law enforcement enacted in federal legislation by the 103rd and 105th U.S. Congresses between 1992-96, while the focus throughout is on the potent influence of American public opinion and special interest groups on elected representatives in the formulation of public policy.
Több
Hosszú leírás:
In this timely, challenging book, a former minister and current legislator in the British government examines the wave of American federal crime-control laws that surfaced both before and after the 1994 „Republican Revolution” in Congress. Lord Windlesham focuses on the pressure that populist opinion and special interests can exert in shaping crime policy. Several law-making actions and arguments are explored, such as the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act (thought by many to be the key legislative achievement of President Clinton’s first term), the Brady Act, the „three strikes and you’re out” rule, Megan’s Law, and so forth. Furthermore, in presenting controversial views on the NRA and its competitors, the book ultimately asks how long America can continue to tolerate the private possession of deadly weapons.
His latest book shows a grasp of the political and legal dynamics of another country which has astonished even Americans, and his care for detail adds to its interest./ Prof. Nigel Walker, Institute of Criminology, Cambridge / New Law Journal, 26/02 /99
