Book review: John Kendall, Regulating Police Detention: Voices from Behind Closed Doors
| Author | Catherine Davidones |
| Published date | 01 November 2019 |
| Date | 01 November 2019 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/1748895818822546 |
| Subject Matter | Book review |
Criminology & Criminal Justice
2019, Vol. 19(5) 622 –623
© The Author(s) 2019
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Book review
John Kendall, Regulating Police Detention: Voices from Behind Closed Doors, Policy Press: Bristol,
2018; 160 pp.: 9781447343516, £45.00 (hbk)
Reviewed by: Catherine Davidones, University of Stirling, UK
DOI: 10.1177/1748895818822546
John Kendall’s Regulating Police Detention: Voices from Behind Closed Doors gives
readers an insight into those ‘secret places’ or ‘total institutions’ (p. 22); as described by
Kendall with reference to custody blocks within police stations in England and Wales.
This relatively compact book – located within the Policy Press SHORTS: Research series
– presents the author’s informed insights and key findings from his ‘self-funded’ (PhD)
research based on an ‘empirical and analytical examination of custody visiting in England
and Wales’ (p. 11); which the author claims goes much deeper into the subject than any
previous inquiry. Drawing on Lukes’ (2005) theory of ‘three dimensional power’ the
author examines the power differentials within the criminal justice system; paying par-
ticular attention to the disparity of power between the police and everyone else, and
argues that policy is shaped by the police within the custody visiting scheme to ensure
that ‘its prescribed aims and methods are compatible with “business as usual”, and that
it makes virtually no impact on the way they run custody’ (p. 4). Kendall also utilizes
Packer’s (1968) ‘crime control’ and ‘due process models’ of criminal justice to examine
‘the ideological stance of the visiting scheme’ (p. 6). Highlighting how volunteers are
often shaped to view ‘detainees’ as ‘prisoners’ and thus subject to crime control rather
than focusing on due process with respect to ‘innocent until proven guilty’.
This is a well-organized book which sets out in five chapters the key issues (high-
lighted as crucial) to Kendall’s research within the policy of custody visiting. Chapter 1
introduces the reader to the concept of custody visiting and the background and motives
for the research (including his case study research methods); with Kendall drawing on
his past experiences within a legal sphere and as an independent custody visitor (ICV) to
highlight the inconsistencies within the custody visiting scheme. Chapter 2 focuses on
‘policy’ (one of four key issues identified by Kendall impacting on how the scheme is
regulated and controlled by the police). Kendall presents to the reader a ‘critical and
analytical history of custody visiting’ (p. 33) by drawing attention to some of the core
issues raised for example: the role of Michael Meacher MP in 1980 (giving evidence
822546CRJ0010.1177/1748895818822546Criminology & Criminal JusticeBook review
book-review2019
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