Missing the Punitive Turn? Canadian Criminal Justice, 'Balance' and Penal Modernism

THE NEW PUNITIVENESS: TRENDS, THEORIES, PERSPECTIVES, pp. 201-207, J. Pratt and D. Brown, et al., eds., Willan Publishing, 2005

Sydney Law School Research Paper No. 09-95

30 Pages Posted: 22 Sep 2009 Last revised: 25 Jan 2010

See all articles by Jeffrey Meyer

Jeffrey Meyer

Carleton University

Pat O'Malley

The University of Sydney - Faculty of Law

Date Written: September 17, 2009

Abstract

While it is now conventional criminology to accept the argument that there has been a global shift toward increasing punitiveness in criminal justice sentencing, Canada does not conform with this trend. There has been very little change in such a direction in the past 20 years, even though there has been a succession of liberal and conservative governments at the federal level. In part, this is attributable to the general preservation of a welfare state and its associated ideologies. It is also significant that a theme of 'balance' has been prominent in criminal justice since the 1970s. In addition, the particular political position of Canada vis-a-vis the United States leads to many adverse comparisons with American justice theory and practice.

Keywords: punishment, criminology, punitiveness, Canada, criminal justice, control

JEL Classification: K10, K14, K30

Suggested Citation

Meyer, Jeffrey and O'Malley, Pat, Missing the Punitive Turn? Canadian Criminal Justice, 'Balance' and Penal Modernism (September 17, 2009). THE NEW PUNITIVENESS: TRENDS, THEORIES, PERSPECTIVES, pp. 201-207, J. Pratt and D. Brown, et al., eds., Willan Publishing, 2005, Sydney Law School Research Paper No. 09-95, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1475038

Jeffrey Meyer

Carleton University ( email )

Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6
Canada

Pat O'Malley (Contact Author)

The University of Sydney - Faculty of Law ( email )

New Law Building, F10
The University of Sydney
Sydney, NSW 2006
Australia

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