Sociology & Criminology for a Changing World
A political strategy that promotes harsher punishments in response to public fears of crime.
Punitive populism describes how politicians and policymakers advocate “tough on crime” measures—such as longer sentences, mandatory minimums, or sex offender registries—often in reaction to public opinion or media pressure rather than evidence-based policy. It is linked to the rise of mass incarceration and reflects how penal policy is shaped by symbolic politics rather than effectiveness.
Garland’s Culture of Control, criminological analyses of penal policy.
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