Now in its fifth edition, The Penal System: An Introduction remains the most complete, accessible and authoritative resource for your studies in Criminal Justice and Criminology. Fully revised and updated to account for recent changes in the Criminal Justice System, the new edition includes:




Expanded material on restorative justice
An expanded section on gender and the Criminal Justice System
Greater coverage of comparative issues, focussing especially on Scotland
An annually updated companion website, keeping you up-to-date with relevant legislation and crucial developments
An accessible writing style balanced against a critical and scholarly approach
A glossary of key terms that you'll encounter throughout your studies
Continued critical coverage of the deepening penal crisis, including sections on the managerial crisis and the crisis of accountability


The Penal System consolidates and builds on the successful formula of the fourth edition, bringing the text in line with the key issues facing the Criminal Justice System today. It will prove essential reading across all undergraduate levels for modules on Criminal Justice and Prisons/Punishment.