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Introduction
43
thediversityoffactorsdeterminingsocialphenomenashould
promptustolikewisediversifycriminalpolicies,dependingon
ourjudgementofthegivensituation,ajudgementincluding
allthevitalparametersofthesocialenvironment.Underno
circumstancesshouldcriminalpolicybebasedondatathat
areuncertainordonotpertaintotheenvironmentinwhich
thepolicyistobeimplemented.Thislastprovisiondealspar-
ticularlywiththeworryingworldwidetendencytocopyin-
discriminatelysomeoftheUScriminalpolicies.5Thereasons
forchoosingthesemodelsareseldompresentedtothepublic,
apartfrominvokingtheir“efficiency,”understoodasshort-
-termcostsavingcapacity,andthetheoreticalpremisesofthe
researchquotedtobackthemupareoftenvague.6Atthesame
time,theinformationwedopossessaboutsolutionsadopted
indifferentcriminaljusticesystemscallsforareflectionon
theirdiversityevenwithineachculture,withwhatonemight
assumetobecommonnorms,valuesandasharedbodyof
scientificknowledgeconcerningcriminalpolicy.7Meanwhile,
therationalisationsusedtosupportsomeofthenormative
andorganisationalmeasuresinthisdomainareinstarkdis-
agreementwiththecurrentstateofknowledgeaboutman
andsociety.8Suchstatements,ifnotentirelythoughtless,can
atbestbeseenasservingthepurposesofintimidationand
exclusionbutarecertainlynotinplaceinacivilisedworld,
5FormoreonthedangersofindiscriminateAmericanisationofcriminal
policyviewedasanexportgood,see:JohnBraithwaite,Crime,Shame,and
Reintegration,CambridgeUniversityPress,Cambridge1999,p.6;MichaelTonry
,
PunishmentandPolitics.EvidenceandEmulationintheMakingofEnglishCrime
ControlPolicy,Willan,Cullompton2004.
6Cf.e.g.TomDaems,MakingSenseofPenalChange,OxfordUniversityPress,
Oxford–NewYork2008;JohnPratt,PunishmentandCivilization.PenalTolerance
andIntoleranceinModernSociety,Sage,London2002;WayneMorrison,Crimi-
nology
,CivilizationandtheNewWorldOrder,Routledge–Cavendish,Oxford–New
York2006.
7Cf.DavidNelken,ComparativeCriminalJustice,MakingSenseofDifference,
Sage,LosAngeles–London2010.
8Formoreonpseudo-scientificjustificationsofcriminalpolicies,oftenpro-
ducedwithininstitutionswhichonlyposeasrealscientificestablishments
andbypeoplewholackactualscientificexpertisebutaretaskedwithforcing
throughparticularlegalchangeswhichleadtoanewsystemofsocialcontrol,
see:LoïcJ.D.Wacquant,PunishingthePoor.TheNeoliberalGovernmentofSocial
Insecurity,DukeUniversity
,Durham,NC2009(Punirlespauvres.Lenouveau
gouvernementdel!insécuritésociale,Agone,Marseille2004).
