Carefully researched, cogently argued, and written in a gently felicitous prose, David Downes's study is one which should be read not just by penologists and Home Office officials--for whom it will be essential--but by anyone who wishes to understand how institutions are shaped by the web of social and cultural relations in which they exist.

David Garland, British Journal of Sociology

fascinating comparative analysis ... powerful and scholarly enquiry

New Statesman and Society

expertly crafted and beautifully written ... ambitious, creative, and a model in comparative empirical scholarship. As such it will prove to be a significant and lasting contribution to several fields, including criminology, social policy, politial science, and sociology.

Richard V. Ericson, University of Toronto