Globalising Risk? Distinguishing Styles of 'Neo-Liberal' Criminal Justice in Australia and the USA

CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND POLITICAL CULTURES, pp. 30-48, T. Newburn and R. Sparks, eds., Willan Press, 2004

Sydney Law School Research Paper No. 09/111

29 Pages Posted: 9 Oct 2009

See all articles by Pat O'Malley

Pat O'Malley

The University of Sydney - Faculty of Law

Date Written: October 9, 2009

Abstract

The thesis of the 'risk society' has become enormously influential as an explanation of the spread of risk as a way of governing diverse institutions and areas of life. While some criminologists have used it to analyse changes in criminal justice, this chapter argues that such a framework tells us very little about how, why and with what implications the mobilisation of risk in different jurisdictions varies significantly. Likewise, while neo-liberal politics is widely regarded as shaping risk in criminal justice, neo-liberalism has become itself a highly diverse politics. It is articulated with social democrats, neo-conservatives and others - producing very different criminal justice polices. Analysis of how risk is applied to criminal justice needs to take into account the specificities of local situations with regard both to risk and to neo-liberalism as 'master' explanations in contemporary criminology.

Keywords: risk, security, criminal justice, policing, globalization, neo-liberalism

JEL Classification: K10, K14, K30, K33

Suggested Citation

O'Malley, Pat, Globalising Risk? Distinguishing Styles of 'Neo-Liberal' Criminal Justice in Australia and the USA (October 9, 2009). CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND POLITICAL CULTURES, pp. 30-48, T. Newburn and R. Sparks, eds., Willan Press, 2004, Sydney Law School Research Paper No. 09/111, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1485905

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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