This 1966 paperback edition of a publication which first appeared in 1963 has by now been widely reviewed as a worthy contribution to the sociological study of deviant behavior. Its current appearance as a paperback is a testimonial both to the quality of the work and to the prominence of deviant behavior in this generation. In general the author places deviance in perspective, identifies types of deviant behavior, considers the role of rule makers and enforcers, and some of the problems in studying deviance. In addition, he develops a sequential model of deviance relying on the concept of career, a concept originally developed in studies of occupations. In his study of a particular kind of deviance, the use of marihuana, the author posits and tests systematically an hypothesis about the genesis of marihuana use for pleasure. The hypothesis traces the sequence of changes in individual attitude

Outsiders Studies in the Sociology of Deviance.

Social research, issues, methods and process

Dr. Rutter’s latest work is a welcome addition to the spate of books and articles which have appeared in recent years on this topic - especially welcome since the title tells us where he stands. This text is about the variety of appearances of behaviour that puts others at risk, independent of cause or presumptive etiology. It does not attempt to characterize antisocial acts as necessarily Psychiatric, and he is careful not to force fit them into the rubric of Conduct Disorder, as so many American texts have and continue to do, with the implication of a defineable etiologic pathway. In this sense, his book is far more Sociologic than Psychiatric.

Having said that, it is praiseworthy in its scope, and as is typical for this author, for the sheer number of references cited - about seventy-five pages of them. It is, and is intended to be, a scholarly text - a reference book, not an evening’s read. There are thirteen chapters, each of which is well-organized, with an introduction, frequent headings, extensive use of bulletted lists and extremely good charts, and each with a summary of the main points. The introductory chapter makes it plain that the authors intend to abjure categorical reductionism, and they largely succeed. If there is a fault to this text, is that it tries perhaps too hard to do so - it appears to avoid conclusions regarding causation (‘splitting’ versus ‘lumping’) to the point where it can be difficult to derive an organizing perspective. Where putative ‘pathways’ to delinquent behaviour are discussed, there tends to be a reluctance to single out one among many such possible pathways as being of special significance.

For the researcher, this book is invaluable, by virtue of the scope and quality of statistical reporting, if not always analysis. I was fascinated by the richness of the data, drawn primarily from the British Home Office, but frequently incorporating some of the excellent databases developed in Sweden. Where available, attempt has been made by the authors to retrieve data from as many countries in the world as possible. One gets the distinct feeling that a principle hurdle facing the authors is that many countries do not collect the same data as others, or collect it in such an idiosyncratic fashion as to defy comparison with other countries. I could not help but notice that reporting crime rates by ethnic origin seems to be less ‘politically-incorrect’ in British publications than American.

Of special interest was a chart that must have been very difficult to compile, which broke down the reported rate of crime by victims versus the number of arrests made, and then the number of cases handled short of prosecution versus those that go to trial. I had never seen anything quite like this in other texts. It certainly brought home the message that what comes to the attention of law enforcement agencies ‘on the street’ bears little resemblance to the population most-frequently studied by Forensic Psychiatrists - youth in detention.

This text should be on the shelf of any criminologist or Forensic Psychiatrist, and serves as an invaluable tool for academic Psychiatrists writing articles and/or teaching courses on disruptive behaviour disorders. The respect for the topic by the authors is evident, as is the firm adherence to presentation of facts (as they are available) in lieu of conclusion - premature or not - with respect to causation. I look forward to the possibility of a next edition of this work, as the world statistics are open to the careful filtering of Dr. Rutter and his colleagues.

Antisocial Behaviour by Young People

Not Just Deserts. A Republican Theory of Criminal Justice

Prison on trial

Restorative justice (RJ) has found significant utility outside the prison setting. For many reasons, it has not received the same level of consideration inside the institution. While not every case can, or perhaps should be considered for restorative justice processing inside the prison, some could easily fall into the broad purview range of restorative and transformative justice. We provide examples of RJ practices that exist in some prisons focusing on: offending behavior and victim awareness programs, community service work, and victim‐offender mediation, as well as prison systems that exhibit a RJ philosophy. Also considered are the effectiveness of prison RJ practices, and the limitations of such efforts. Although RJ has the potential to have a positive impact on the work of prisons and the experience of imprisonment, it has not found wide acceptance and is currently limited to a relatively small number of prisons and then often only delivered in partial form. We believe that RJ has a realistic futur...

Restorative justice in prisons

The conceptual relationship between restorative justice and punishment has already attracted a great deal of attention in the literature. A similarly rich body of work has considered the two main aims of punishment, retributivism and reductivism, in relation to criminological theories. It is surprising, therefore, that relatively little (direct) attention has been paid to the relation between restorative justice and theories of crime. This paper first reviews the concept of restorative justice, and then examines the affinities and tensions between restorative justice and three ‘individual’ criminological theories: classicism, individual positivism, and ‘law and order’ conservatism. These theories have been selected because of their significance in the development of present criminal justice policies.

http://www.antoniocasella.eu/restorative/Mantle,Fox,Dhami_2005.pdf

Restorative justice and three individual theories of crime

Family Group Conferencing is an established method of intervention in criminal justice and social work in the UK and abroad. Describing briefly restorative justice, Family Group Conferencing and the evidence for effective interventions, this article examines relevant research and literature and explores disparities in the knowledge base regarding Family Group Conferencing and the ‘what works’ agenda. The paper highlights the limited empirical research undertaken to evaluate Family Group Conferencing, particularly where focused on vulnerable young people and especially where there are child welfare and youth justice concerns.

/pdf/family-group-conferencing-and-evidence-based-practice-what-43sb1dc5im.pdf

Family Group Conferencing and evidence-based practice: what works?

This article explores the diversionary measure of restorative final warnings within the context of the youth justice system. We examine the philosophy and rationale of the new era in cautioning and discuss the potential practice implications since its implementation in 2000, under the statutory legislation within the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. To date there has been very little research or academic debate on the new system of police cautioning of youth. Additionally, as final warnings develop a greater association with restorative justice practices, we explore how this 'pre court' intervention has the potential to broaden oppressive and discriminatory practices within the youth justice system in relation to particular societal groups. We will begin by explaining how police cautioning of youth has changed with the implementation of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and then explore contemporary police practices and outcomes regarding youth and the restorative final warning scheme. We will highlight the conflicting nature of the new scheme which requires voluntary agreement throughout its statutory process to ensure successful completion. We will also demonstrate that the systematic implementation of final warnings has reduced police discretion and increased levels of police accountability, and that this, in turn, appears to have increased the potential for net widening and disproportionate punitive outcomes received by young people, especially regarding young females.

Darrell Fox

Papers

Restorative justice in prisons

Restorative justice and three individual theories of crime

Family Group Conferencing and evidence-based practice: what works?

Restorative Final Warnings: Policy and Practice

Family Group Conferencing with Children and Young People