Books by Sean McConville

A study of the English prison system with broad-based emphasis on the shaping of government policies, the workings of the government itself and state formation. It traces the shift from a rural/aristocratic base to one that is urban/democratic and details the rise of the elite of the civil service.

The authors put forward the case for a new Royal Commission that will be reflective, effective and swift, capable of building consensus and providing directions for generations. They argue that penal policy is fragmented and frequently irrational, contradictory, counterproductive, insubstantial and put together in a haphazard way.