Crime and Punishment A Concise Moral Critique

• Challenges conventional wisdom on crime and punishment, offering a provocative critique of the morality of punishing criminal wrongdoers
• Develops a principled position, presenting potential reforms to the criminal justice system
• Bridges the divide between theory and practice within the arena of criminal justice, presenting philosophical ideas grounded in the real experience of criminal punishment
• Provides an engaging introduction to thinking philosophically about the morality of punishment, making excellent introductory reading for courses on punishment theory

It is generally assumed that we are justified in punishing criminals because they have committed a morally wrongful act. Determining when criminal liability should be imposed calls for a moral assessment of the conduct in question, with criminal liability tracking as closely as possible the contours of morality. Versions of this view are frequently argued for in philosophical accounts of crime and punishment, and seem to be presumed by lawyers and policy makers working in the criminal justice system.

Challenging such assumptions, this book considers the dominant justifications of punishment and subjects them to a piercing moral critique. It argues that none overcome the objection that people who are convicted of a serious crime and sent to prison have their basic human rights violated. The institution of criminal punishment is shown to be a regrettable necessity not deserving of the moral enthusiasm it enjoys among many politicians and the popular press. From a moral point of view, punishment is entitled at best to grudging toleration.

In the course of developing the argument, the book introduces the principal issues of criminal law theory with the aim of presenting a morally enlightened perspective on crimes and why we punish them. Enforcement of the law by police, prosecutors, and courts is a matter of concern for political morality, and the principal practices of the criminal justice system are subjected to moral scrutiny. The book offers an engaging, provocative introduction to thinking about the philosophy of crime and punishment, challenging students and other readers to think about whether we are justified in punishing wrongdoers.

Readership: Students and academics working on the law and/or philosophy of criminal justice; Professionals working in the criminal justice system; general readers with an interest in the law and/or philosophy of criminal justice.