The Abuses of Punishment [Paperback]

Robert Adams (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0312176171 | ISBN-13: 978-0312176174 | Publication Date: February 15, 1998

This book departs from the customary focus of penology on punishments in criminal and youth justice and deals also with punitive elements of punishments employed, sometimes informally, in the household, nursery, school or at work. It argues that abusive punishments are particularly deeply rooted in authoritarian states in some Western countries such as Britain and the USA. Many punitive practices such as corporal and capital punishment have been exported from imperialist Britain over past centuries. Punishments have shifted ove the past 200 years from public spectacles of the stocks, the whip or the gallows to seclusion of the prison yard, or hte execution house.

The book surveys a variety of psychological, physically constraining, custodial, corporal and capital punishments. The implicit punitive content of judicial processes such as trials, as well as treatments such as behavioural therapy, may have as much psychological impact as more explicitly physical punishments.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'This is an important book and one that I would certainly choose to have close by my side. There is a rare humanity and wisdom about it.' - Greg Mantle, Anglia Polytechnic University, Chelmsford 'This is at times not an easy book to read, but it deals in a profound and comprehensive fashion with a subject which is of fundamental importance to our society. The vast bibliography helps to make this a very useful textbook.' - David Mathieson, Probation Journal --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Robert Adams is Professor of Human Services Development at the University of Lincolnshire and Humberside.

Product Details

• Paperback: 282 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (February 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312176171
• ISBN-13: 978-0312176174
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,385,630 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Robert Adams was born in Hampshire in the South of England, moved to Yorkshire about 40 years ago and now lives on the wooded outskirts of Hessle near the Humber Bridge, where he writes full time. He worked as a gardener, hotel cellarman, prison officer and acting governor of a penal institution before going into social work. He has had what he describes as a double life, writing fiction and poetry under different pseudonyms alongside studying at Manchester, London, York and Leeds universities and holding full and visiting professorships in three UK universities, where he has written and edited more than 100 books about crime, protest, empowerment, social policy, social work and complementary health. Some of his books are best-selling, have sold in every continent and have been translated into several languages, including Japanese, Portuguese, Korean and Chinese.
Robert was a member of the Advisory Council of Radio Humberside in the north of England soon after its inception and has contributed to English local radio programmes. He has published two volumes of poems, short stories, novels and children's books. He is a member of the Crime Writers' Association, one of their collections including his short story 'The Hull Executive'. He was the chair of the Books Committee of the Writers' Guild of Great Britain for several years and was chair of the judges of the Writers' Guild 2008 Best Book award and a juror in the UK for the European Literary Awards, 2011. His crime novel The Really Dreadful Crime Company was published in 2011 and a well known screenwriter is currently preparing the film script.