Summary
What is evident from this brief overview of the topics to be covered in this book is that the subject of punishment is complex, and that it has inspired a rich body of philosophical, sociological and criminological literature. Punishment is of profound theoretical and practical importance. Crime is something which affects the quality of life of all citizens, and so its reduc¬tion would be of great benefit. Hence the appeal of reductivist theories, and of technicist penology. The quality of our civilization is also gauged by how we treat those whom we define as wrongdoers or outsiders, and so we all share the responsibility to be just and humane in our response to crime. Law's moral authority derives from its claims to fairness and equality, to represent the general good against sectional interests, and thus the socio¬logical depiction of its true nature, and the penology which draws on those insights, is equally important. Finally, since punishment is, after all, the deliberate imposition of pain and deprivation by the state on individuals, it behoves society to ensure that this imposition is kept within proper limits, and is inflicted only for proper purposes.