Choice vs. Crisis: How Scotland could transform thinking about prisons and punishment

Published: February 2009

We review the report of the Scottish Prisons Commission (2008), arguing that its significance lies in avoiding a crisis management approach to penal policy making. The SPC Report connects penal policy to national well-being, recognises the role of the criminal justice system itself in driving up prison populations, and re-connects Scotland’s tradition of enlightened social welfarism to a philosophy of punishment that emphasises restoration and reintegration.

Authors / Editors

Prof Sarah Armstrong

University of Glasgow

Prof Fergus McNeill

University of Glasgow

Research Themes

Criminal Justice Process and Institutions