January 2011 Blog Posts (3)

Large reductions in police resources were an inevitable part of UK government reaction to the financial crisis – some £100 million in the current year and £545 million by 2014-5. There is no precedent for these cuts. But the latter do have one potential research function. They may allow criminologists to ‘read-off’ the construction of the modern police as one of conflict and compromise, an uneasy dynamic power-play involving both internal and external agencies. It is certainly not the result…

I’ve worked with “slow” learners all of my 26 years as a teacher. But nothing matches the lack of understanding, insight and plain common sense that many of our politicians and their constituents show when it comes to the treatment of ex-offenders, people who by the law of the land have served their time, paid their dues, made amends, learned their lesson, been punished—whatever language matches your view of justice.

I’m thinking about ex-offenders and voting rights. In many states…

The tragedy in Tucson has, not surprisingly, raised the issue of whether our political discourse encourages members of our society who are susceptible to influence to act out as Jared Loughner did last Saturday.  The little bit of criminologist in me would like to know the answer however I am more concerned that this is a "media moment" and the outrage will not carry over into a meaningful consideration of civility in…