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Social Exclusion and the Politics of Criminal Justice: A Tale of Two Administrations

NCJ Number
186774
Journal
Howard Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 39 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2000 Pages: 369-381
Author(s)
Mark Drakeford; Maurice Vanstone
Editor(s)
Tony Fowles, David Wilson
Date Published
November 2000
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This article argues that policies in the criminal justice area can only be understood and judged within the context of social policy as a whole, and raises the question as to whether criminal justice has shaped social policy or vice versa.
Abstract
This article deals with the relationship between the emerging criminal justice and social policies of the 1997 Labor government. It analyses the legacy inherited from the previous administrations and explores the extent to which policy making in one area is now influenced by activity in the other. It is suggested that the objectives of criminal justice policy are most likely achieved when understood and developed within a social policy context. A successful criminal justice policy is one that relies upon the development of an inclusive social policy. In conclusion, the current government seems more likely to pursue social policy objectives by invoking the instruments of criminal justice. References