Name: Harsh Justice By James Q. Whitman (Ford Foundation Professor of Comparative and Foreign Law, Ford Foundation Professor of Comparative and Foreign Law, Yale University)
SKU: 9780195182606
Price: 4.30 GBP
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Harsh Justice Summary

Harsh Justice: Criminal Punishment and the Widening Divide between America and Europe by James Q. Whitman (Ford Foundation Professor of Comparative and Foreign Law, Ford Foundation Professor of Comparative and Foreign Law, Yale University)

Criminal punishment in America is harsh and degrading-more so than anywhere else in the liberal west. Executions and long prison terms are commonplace in America. Countries like France and Germany, by contrast, are systematically mild. European offenders are rarely sent to prison, and when they are, they serve far shorter terms than their American counterparts. Why is America so comparatively harsh? In this novel work of comparative legal history, James Whitman argues that the answer lies in America's triumphant embrace of a non-hierarchical social system and distrust of state power which have contributed to a law of punishment that is more willing to degrade offenders.

Harsh Justice Reviews

"Whitman's whirlwind tour of the punishment practices of three countries over the last two centuries is well worth the price of admission. He has a deep pool of knowledge and an eye for the telling detail-a picture, a turn of phrase, or a small historical event-that helps to advance his thesis."-Boston Review
"Its combination of elegant writing, deep erudition and bold theorizing make the book a terrific read. Indeed, it ought to be required reading for anyone interested in how a society comes to punish the way it does-and how it should."-American Prospect
"Harsh Justice is original, imaginative, and erudite. I read it with great pleasure. The mastery of sources in many languages is awe-inspiring and Whitman's argument resounds with daring suggestions and bold insights. A genuinely learned book, nothing short of brilliant."-Lawrence Friedman, Stanford University
"In this book James Whitman asks and answers questions in realms where others fear to tread. He confronts the brutal fact that we punish more harshly in the United States than do Europeans and forces us to think about the questions of social structure that lie behind this practice. He develops a thesis about the current impact of Nazi jurisprudence that is sure to trigger arguments from more conventional thinkers. This is a profound book, impeccably researched and documented, one that will change the way we think about criminal punishment and increase our appreciation of comparative legal studies."-George Fletcher, Columbia Law School

About James Q. Whitman (Ford Foundation Professor of Comparative and Foreign Law, Ford Foundation Professor of Comparative and Foreign Law, Yale University)

James Q. Whitman is Ford Foundation Professor of Comparative and Foreign Law at Yale University. He has taught at Stanford and Harvard Law Schools and was trained as a historian at the University of Chicago before taking his law degree at Yale.

Introduction ; 1. Degradation, Harshness, and Mercy ; 2. Contemporary American Harshness: Rejecting Respect for Persons ; 3. Continental Dignity and Mildness ; 4. The Continental Abolition of Degradation ; 5. Low Status in the Anglo-American World ; Conclusion: Two Revolutions of Status ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

Additional information

Sku

GOR013383632

ISBN 13

9780195182606

ISBN 10

019518260X

Title

Harsh Justice: Criminal Punishment and the Widening Divide between America and Europe by James Q. Whitman (Ford Foundation Professor of Comparative and Foreign Law, Ford Foundation Professor of Comparative and Foreign Law, Yale University)

Author

James Q. Whitman (Ford Foundation Professor of Comparative and Foreign Law, Ford Foundation Professor of Comparative and Foreign Law, Yale University)

Condition

Used - Very Good

Binding type

Paperback

Publisher

Oxford University Press Inc

Year published

2005-05-05

Number of pages

336

Prizes

Winner of 2004 Distinguished Book Award of the Division of International Criminology of the American Society of Criminology.

Cover note

Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.

Note

This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Harsh Justice James Q. Whitman (Ford Foundation Professor of Comparative and Foreign Law, Ford Foundation Professor of Comparative and Foreign Law, Yale University)

Harsh Justice by James Q. Whitman (Ford Foundation Professor of Comparative and Foreign Law, Ford Foundation Professor of Comparative and Foreign Law, Yale University)

Summary

Harsh Justice Summary

Harsh Justice: Criminal Punishment and the Widening Divide between America and Europe by James Q. Whitman (Ford Foundation Professor of Comparative and Foreign Law, Ford Foundation Professor of Comparative and Foreign Law, Yale University)

Harsh Justice Reviews

About James Q. Whitman (Ford Foundation Professor of Comparative and Foreign Law, Ford Foundation Professor of Comparative and Foreign Law, Yale University)

Table of Contents

Additional information

Customer Reviews - Harsh Justice