Redemptive Criminology

Drawing on criminology, philosophy and theology, this book develops a theory of ‘redemptive criminology’ for practice in criminal justice settings. The therapeutic impulse for the text is a focus on the individual practitioner’s ability to embrace difference with the other, to resist harsh penal measures and to bring about change from ‘the bottom up’.

By challenging concepts and practices of rehabilitation, the authors argue for the possibility of redemption and for forgiveness as the star...