Criminal by Tom Gash

Jonathan Hussey

4 days ago

2 min read

Book author: Tom Gash

Edition: Penguin · Paperback, 2017 · ISBN 9780241960431

Tom Gash challenges familiar explanations of crime and asks how evidence, opportunity and everyday decisions can inform better prevention.

Book overview

Why do apparently obvious answers to crime so often disappoint? Tom Gash approaches that question by challenging the stories that dominate public debate. Criminal examines explanations of offending, changing crime patterns and the appeal of tougher punishment, bringing research into conversation with individual experiences. Its central invitation is to question assumptions before deciding what an effective response should look like.

The most useful angle for practitioners is its attention to the circumstances surrounding an offence. At the book's Institute for Government launch, Gash highlighted examples in which changes to opportunities and immediate decisions helped reduce crime. That focus offers a productive way to think about prevention: what can be changed in a setting, routine or interaction before harm occurs? It also encourages readers to distinguish a policy's public appeal from evidence that it achieves its aim.

This makes the book a strong choice for criminology students, probation professionals and anyone who enjoys examining the reasoning behind justice policy. It would also work well as a reading-group prompt: choose a familiar claim about offending, identify the evidence behind it, and consider what would change your mind. Its broad scope is useful for orientation, but readers needing specialist detail should follow the underlying research. Published in 2016, with this paperback appearing in 2017, it should be read alongside newer evidence when applying its arguments to current policy.