This short paper is the 5th in a series of working papers from the Howard League called What is Justice? Re-imagining penal policy.
Kotova notes that despite previous research showing that prisoners' families in the UK are affected financially, socially, emotionally and practically by imprisonment, this is not yet one of the key topics in criminology and/or the sociology of punishment. Furthermore, criminal justice policy does not engage with prisoners' families needs, instead the rhetoric is largely focused on punishments and how just they are. This paper builds on the concept of social justice to argue that a broader understanding of justice within criminal justice is essential if social justice is to be achieved for prisoners' families. Four types of injustices are discussed- these are highlighted by using a social justice outlook to think about prisoners' families. In conclusion Kotova notes that to enable justice for prisoners' families, the meaning of justice in criminal justice must be widened, and social justice and the damaging impacts of imprisonment must be discussed.
Read Justice and Prisoners Families below:
