Can a victim's experience really be improved purely by diminishing the rights of offenders and increasing penalties for offending? Writing at a time when the UK is beginning to accept that an offender-led criminal justice system cannot provide direct benefits to the victim of crime, Dr Brian Williams lays bare the assumptions about victims and offenders that currently restrict efficient policy-making. He evaluates proposed solutions, including restorative justice and informal community justice, and draws on evidence and experiences from the UK and around the world to investigate which...

War baby Brian was born in Hemel Hempstead at the very end of 1941, and between then and now, his life has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride, with many ups and downs, interesting events, and fascinating people. Share his stories of growing up in a very different time, of a working life with some unexpected twists, and a retirement which brought perhaps the biggest surprise of all.