The Practice of Punishment by Wesley Cragg HARDBACK 9780415041492

Taylor & Francis

Cragg combines the findings of contemporary studies, reports and papers focusing on crime, punishment and penal practice with philosophical argument and thereby constructs a radical theory of restorative justice. > This study focuses on the practice of punishment, as it is inflicted by the state. The author's first-hand experience with penal reform, combined with philosophical reflection, has led him to develop a theory of punishment that identifies the principles of sentencing and corrections on which modern correctional systems should be built. This new theory of punishment is built on the view that the central function of the law is to reduce the need to use force in the resolution of disputes. Professor Cragg argues that the proper role of sentencing and sentence administration is to sustain public confidence in the capacity of the law to fulfil that function. Sentencing and corrections should therefore be guided by principles of restorative justice. He points out that, altT