Reviews : A Study of Violence in Probation Hostels BRUCE, COWAN, WHYMS South Yorkshire PACS, April 1982;pp 12 micro
| Published date | 01 September 1982 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455058202900312 |
| Date | 01 September 1982 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
specified, and my worry is that these
aims of the book is to identify both the
rather broad phrases could encapsulate
dynamics and the parameters of selective
too much.
assessments carried out by social workers
Second, although the authors acknow-
in their interventions.
ledge that any protective sentencing
The authors realise, quite rightly, that
serategy necessitates accurate prediction,
it is almost impossible to achieve an
they also concede that this is, at best, a
integrated theory of man in society.
hazardous and often unreliable exercise.
Indeed, throughout the book we are
Simply put, predictive restraint neces-
constantly reminded that it in no way
sarily involves locking up some non-
represents an ’all-inclusive’ recipe book
dangerous offenders. But, such arithmetic
of social work theory. It merely sketches
is no more than a trifling inconvenience
a framework for making explicit the
for the authors: if the greater public
psycho-social dimensions of the inter-
good is served by mistakenly detaining
action in a way which provides as ’fully
non-dangerous offenders, then so be it.
human a
picture as possible’. The
Considerations of utility seem more
authors go on to highlight the inherent
important than morality.
contradictions and difficulties of produc-
Third, the legitimacy of taking dan-
ing a synthesis of a number of sometimes
gerous offenders out of circulation is a
conflicting disciplines in relation to a
product of their belief that it is proper
particular piece of social work interven-
and desirable to engage in some form of
tion. However, the book is most definitely
penal pre-emptive strike against future
a positive step in the development of a
criminal misconduct. But, is it not one
useful work ’tool’.
of the hallmarks of criminal justice that
Only one gripe about the book. The
we should be punished only for what we
authors claim of accessibility even to
have done, and not for what we might
those who have no prior knowledge of
do?
...
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