A history of criminal justice in England and Wales /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:Hostettler, John.
Imprint:Hook, Hampshire : Waterside Press ; Portland, Or. : North American distributor, International Specialised Book Services, 2009.
Description:x, 347 p. ; 24 cm.
Language:English
Subject:Criminal justice, Administration of -- England -- History.
Criminal justice, Administration of -- Wales -- History.
Criminal law -- England -- History.
Criminal law -- Wales -- History.
Criminal justice, Administration of.
Criminal law.
England.
Wales.
History.
Format: Print Book
URL for this record:http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/7920602
Hidden Bibliographic Details
ISBN:9781904380511 (pbk.)
1904380514
9781906534790 (e-book)
1906534799 (e-book)
Notes:Includes bibliographical references (p. [311]-320) and index.
Review by Choice Review

As a young republic, the US adopted criminal justice practices from its English parent. That is what makes this sweeping history relevant to anyone remotely interested in the topic. Hostettler, a former magistrate and established author in the field, draws deeply from primary sources and uses them well from earliest times on. Even in the Anglo-Saxon (pre-Norman) era, emergence of broadening liberties, common law, and trial by jury are demonstrated. By the late 18th century, over 200 capital offenses were on the books in England and Wales and the American Colonies. The author's narrative rarely flags and is enlivened by interesting tidbits, such as the criminal justice origins of the expressions "one for the road" and "on the wagon." (The first expression relates to ale given to the condemned on their journey to be hanged; the second expression notes that their guards were not allowed to drink while the condemned were "on the wagon.") Hostettler evokes pride for his land's "gift to the world," namely, modern human rights. But he also documents that Albion is on a slippery slope with politization of crime and the mindless increase in prison as a legal sanction. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. R. D. McCrie John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review