The Punitive Turn in Welfare State Sweden by Henrik Tham - 9781041218593

The Punitive Turn in Welfare State SwedenAuthor(s): Henrik Tham\nFormat: Hardback\nPublisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd, United Kingdom\nImprint: Routledge\nISBN-13: 9781041218593, 978-1041218593\nSynopsis\nThis analysis of the Swedish criminal system makes sense of a markedly punitive turn in policy despite the countrys relatively liberal approach. That Sweden, often considered the welfare state par excellence, should show a move towards punitiveness needs an explanation from the view of both criminology and criminal policy. The book explores how the politicization of criminal policy, the questioning of experts, the increasingly emotional orientation of politics, and the proactive policy all contribute to the development towards increased repression in criminal policy. The types of crime that are at the centre of the criminal policy debate - drugs, violence, and organized crime - also all contribute to these general trends, and are politically exploited and affected by a growing poli.