This social history analyses a period in which the modern prison experienced some of its most serious challenges both on a practical and philosophical level. These include the way in which prison was utilised to deal with poor, disaffected and political sections of society, and the failure to establish in the prison a legitimate means of punishment. English prisons have been the site of continued struggles over power, waged between prisoners, prison staff and prison authorities. Such struggles have been strongly influenced by social, political and penal contexts. These dynamics are examined...

This work looks at child prostitution in 20th-century England, tracing the roots of a contemporary problem which has been the subject of increased publicity and concern. It uncovers a mass of new evidence to indicate the extent of the phenomenon from the late 19th century to the present day, arguing that child prostitution is a significant aspect of child abuse, and one of the clearest ways in which deviant groups can be conceived of as both victims and threats.

In the last decade there has been growing international concern about the increasing numbers of women in prison, the effects that imprisonment has on their children, the realisation that gaoled women have different criminal profiles and rehabilitative needs to male prisoners, and the seeming intractability of the associated problems. In response there has been an overarching policy concern in many countries to fashion and co-ordinate gender-specific policies towards female offenders which aim both to slow down the rate of their offending and/or imprisonment, and also to engender flexible...