O K, enough American Idol. Enough Lost. Time for court administrators, criminal justice planners, those who run programs, supervise others and are justice system leaders to hike over to the local community college library to get this book or one of the other two books by David Garland.
The Culture of Control is a fascinating history book. It is a bit heavy, somewhat detailed, yet readable story of criminal justice history in the United States and the United Kingdom. Just how much do you know about historical shifts in your profession? And, when might we define down deviance (DDD) based on local politics, caseload size, or the latest ‘public opinion’ or street philosophy? Or, when might broken windows theory, zero tolerance or ‘net widening’ thinking be seen where you work? In this book, the shift from the rehabilitative model to a more control - oriented administration of justice is outlined. Garland, a law and sociology professor from N.Y.U. , provides historical and sociological analysis for the serious inquirer. The primary postulate is that "the last three decades have seen an accelerating movement away from the assumptions that shaped crime control and criminal justice for most of the twenty century." Garland paints a picture showing the reemergence of more punitive sanctions and just deserts sentencing. This book offers you a great chance to reflect on criminal justice field assumptions between 1890 and 1980 and to see why the ideas prevalent in those years are now shattered.
The changes, all outlined in the book, have been many. Society has changed so much. Families have changed and now often are ‘single’ parent settings. Even intact families have both mom and dad in the work place. We now have private prisons and sentencing guidelines as well as no parole in some cases. We have less confidentiality for offenders and even have ‘on line’ public registries of sex offenders. Victims are no longer just used by prosecutors as a witness and cast off. In fact, most states enacted Victim Rights legislation in the past decade. Some of our Virginia Court Service Units have full time victim service coordinators. Victim impact statements are now required for court reports. Victims have even had laws names after them (Megan’s Law, et. al.) Our new prisons seem to be an answer to public demand as well as journalistic and political posturing. The confinement is at "unprecedented levels of correctional expenditure.” Garland tells us (page 151) that “legislatures have increasingly reclaimed the power to punish that they had previously delegated to experts.”
Garland offers a map of the new terrain. Over the past few decades we have seen expanded caseloads (despite decreased levels of crime) and unprecedented changes in national confinement or incarceration rates. Do you agree with Garland that the “crime control landscape that has emerged in America and Britain at the end of the twentieth century has surprised experts and defied historical predictions?” It is not important to agree with any of the conclusions in this book; only to understand the changes in our society from a crime control and criminal justice frame of reference. This scholarly work, The Culture of Control, may help you in your daily work.
Eric Assur is employed by the 17th Court Service Unit in Arlington. Suggestions for future book reviews can be sent to bookem@vjja.org.
