The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 was arguably the most important legislative achievement of President Clinton's first term. In this detailed account, Lord Windlesham, a prominent legal scholar, British legislator, and Oxford College Principal, brings his experience to bear in analyzing the forces inside and outside the 103rd Congress, which shaped the final content of the Act. Controversial issues discussed include racial justice, "three strikes and you're out" and mandatory sentencing, the Brady Act and the assault weapons ban, the competing claims of prison building...

Policies dealing with crime are a central feature of contemporary British political life. Crime and crime statistics receive wide exposure and evoke strong public outcry, and politicians are often judged as much by the speed and tone of their reactions as by their considered responses. In this timely sequel to his seminal work Responses to Crime, Lord Windlesham examines how criminal justice policy is first formulated and then enacted at Parliamentary and Government levels. Drawing upon scholarly material and his experience as a former Home Office Minister, Lord Windlesham identifies the...

This final volume in Lord Windlesham's magnificent collection contains detailed commentaries on the controversy over access to jury trial, the not yet completed reform of criminal legal aid, and the policy imperative of strengthening the enforcement of community penalties. It also includes a comparative study of the development of public defender systems for indigent persons charged with criminal offenses in the United States.