A thorny question faced by all civilized societies is what to do when people commit crime, and, in particular, how criminals are to be punished. Yet the nature of punishment, its justifications, aims, and effects has varied markedly throughout history and across—and within—cultures. These matters continue to be vigorously debated and frequently give rise to sharp divisions along lines of morality, politics, faith, and effectiveness.

This vital new Routledge collection now brings together the major works on punishment, a central, important, and fascinating area of study, not just for the modern field of criminology but also for lawyers, philosophers, and thinkers in related disciplines. This four-volume ‘mini library’ enables users to consult influential texts, both old and new, and to trace the development of this important area of research and study.

Topics covered include:

• philosophical debates on punishment;
• sociological theories of punishment;
• international comparative research;
• historical perspectives;
• prisons;
• rehabilitation;
• fines;
• the death penalty;
• community penalties;
• restorative justice;
• the electronic monitoring of offenders;
• penal populism;
• punishment and human rights; and
• recent international developments in punishing and crime-handling.

The gathered materials have been carefully selected by the learned editors to offer a definitive overview of punishment, and a newly written introduction places the texts in their historical and thematic context, allowing users not merely to become familiar with penal topics, but also to understand the key questions that have animated scholarly research, both historically and today.