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Punishment in Modern Societies : The Prevalence and Causes of Incarceration Around the World

Clegg, John LU ; Sptiz, Sebastian ; Usmani, Adaner and Wolcke, Annalena (2024) In Annual Review of Criminology 7. p.211-231
Abstract
The literature on the prevalence and causes of punishment has been dominated by research into the United States. Yet most of the world's prisoners live elsewhere, and the United States is no longer the country with the world's highest incarceration rate. This article considers what we know about the prevalence and causes of incarceration around the world. We focus on three features of incarceration: its level, inequality, and severity. Existing comparative research offers many insights, but we identify methodological and theoretical shortcomings. Quantitative scholars are still content to draw causal inferences from correlations, partly because (like qualitative scholars) they are often limited to studying the present and the developed... (More)
The literature on the prevalence and causes of punishment has been dominated by research into the United States. Yet most of the world's prisoners live elsewhere, and the United States is no longer the country with the world's highest incarceration rate. This article considers what we know about the prevalence and causes of incarceration around the world. We focus on three features of incarceration: its level, inequality, and severity. Existing comparative research offers many insights, but we identify methodological and theoretical shortcomings. Quantitative scholars are still content to draw causal inferences from correlations, partly because (like qualitative scholars) they are often limited to studying the present and the developed world. More data will allow better inferences. We close by defending the goal of building precise and generalizable theories of punishment. (Less)
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author
; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
comparative criminology, comparative criminal justice systems, incarceration, prison conditions, capital punishment, punitiveness
in
Annual Review of Criminology
volume
7
pages
211 - 231
external identifiers
  • scopus:85184046135
ISSN
2572-4568
DOI
10.1146/annurev-criminol-022422-020311
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
a006787d-1111-4ed9-87fd-3edee2e4f361
date added to LUP
2024-09-06 21:50:14
date last changed
2025-04-04 15:08:23
@article{a006787d-1111-4ed9-87fd-3edee2e4f361,
  abstract     = {{The literature on the prevalence and causes of punishment has been dominated by research into the United States. Yet most of the world's prisoners live elsewhere, and the United States is no longer the country with the world's highest incarceration rate. This article considers what we know about the prevalence and causes of incarceration around the world. We focus on three features of incarceration: its level, inequality, and severity. Existing comparative research offers many insights, but we identify methodological and theoretical shortcomings. Quantitative scholars are still content to draw causal inferences from correlations, partly because (like qualitative scholars) they are often limited to studying the present and the developed world. More data will allow better inferences. We close by defending the goal of building precise and generalizable theories of punishment.}},
  author       = {{Clegg, John and Sptiz, Sebastian and Usmani, Adaner and Wolcke, Annalena}},
  issn         = {{2572-4568}},
  keywords     = {{comparative criminology; comparative criminal justice systems; incarceration; prison conditions; capital punishment; punitiveness}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{211--231}},
  series       = {{Annual Review of Criminology}},
  title        = {{Punishment in Modern Societies : The Prevalence and Causes of Incarceration Around the World}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev-criminol-022422-020311}},
  doi          = {{10.1146/annurev-criminol-022422-020311}},
  volume       = {{7}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}