Research and development in criminal law and criminology

Research and development in criminal law and criminology

Experience-Based Approaches in the Criminal Justice System: A Solution to Enhance the Effectiveness of Criminal Policy

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 PhD Student, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Humanities, Gorgan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Gorgan, Iran..
2 Associate Professor, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad Branch, Iran.
Abstract
The criminal justice system has historically implemented a variety of strategies to prevent and reduce crime. However, the outcomes of these measures have often fallen short of expectations, leaving persistent social issues unresolved. A significant challenge remains the increasing crime rate and the diversity of offenses, particularly complex and organized crimes, which exacerbate insecurity and fear of crime within society. This situation necessitates a reevaluation of existing strategies. After assessing the results of past interventions, policymakers have concluded that adopting innovative, experience-based approaches is essential to reducing crime and enhancing the efficiency of the criminal justice system.
In this context, this article examines the successful experiences of the criminal justice system in England concerning crime reduction. Utilizing a descriptive-analytical method, it analyzes England's actions in various domains, particularly in crime prevention and the reduction of offenses. The findings indicate that England's criminal justice system, with its emphasis on experience-based approaches and practical, evidence-driven methods across legal reforms, social prevention, and judicial practices, has achieved significant success in reducing crime.
The study concludes that Iran's criminal justice system must also adopt practical transformations based on real-life experiences from other countries, particularly England, to effectively address crime-related challenges. These transformations could include legal reforms, improved judicial practices, and evidence-based preventive strategies. Merely relying on new laws and regulations without considering practical experiences and tested trends from other systems is unlikely to reduce crime. Instead, these experiences must be localized to provide effective solutions for crime reduction in Iran.
Keywords
Subjects

Andrews, D., 1995, The psychology of criminal conduct and effective treatment, in J. McGuire (ed) What works: Reducing reoffending, Chichester: Wiley, pp 35-62.
Barclay, G.C. (ed), 1991, A digest of information on the criminal justice system, London: Home Office Research and Statistics Department.
Blackburn, R., 1980, Still not working? A look at some recent outcomes in offender rehabilitation, Scottish Branch of British Psychological Society Conference on Deviance, University of Stirling, February.
Brody, S., 1976, The effectiveness of sentencing, Home Office Research Study No 35, London: HMSO.
Burnett, R., 1996, Fitting supervision to offenders: Assessment and allocation decisions in the Probation Service, Home Office Research Study 153, London: Home Office.
Colledge, M., Collier, P. and Brand, S., 1999, Crime Reduction Programme and constructive regimes in prisons – Programmes for offenders: Guidance for evaluators, Research, Development and Statistics Directorate, London: Home Office.
Dhiri, S. and Brand, S.,1999, Crime reduction programme – Analysis of cost and benefits: Guidance for evaluators, Research, Development and Statistics Directorate, London: Home Office.
Farrington, D.P., 1989, The origins of crime: The Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development, Research Bulletin No 27, London: Home Office Research and Planning Unit, pp 29-32.
Gendreau, P. and Ross, R.R., 1980, Effective correctional treatment: bibliotherapy for cynics, in R.R. Ross and P. Gendreau (eds) Effective correctional treatment, Toronto, Canada: Butterworths.
Gendreau, P. and Ross, R., 1987, Revivication of rehabilitation: evidence from the 1980s, Justice Quarterly, vol 4, pp 349-407.
Gottfredson, M. and Hirschi, T., 1990, A general theory of crime, Standford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Home Office, 1997, Getting to grips with crime: A new framework for local action, A consultation document, London: Home Office.
Home Office, 1998, Reducing offending: An assessment of research evidence on ways of dealing with offending behaviour, Home Office Research Study 187, London: Home Office Research and Statistics Directorate.
Home Office, 1999, What works – Reducing offending: Evidence-based practice, London: Home Office.
Lipton, D., Martinson, R. and Wilks, J., 1975, The effectiveness of correctional treatment: A survey of treatment evaluation studies, New York, NY: Praeger.
Losel, F., 1995, The efficacy of correctional treatment: a review and synthesis of meta-evaluations, in J. McGuire (ed) What works: Reducing reoffending, Chicester: Wiley, pp 79-114.
McGuire, J. (ed) (1995) What works: Reducing reoffending, Chicester: Wiley.
McGuire, J. and Priestley, P., 1995, Reviewing What works: past, present and future, in J. McGuire (ed) What works: Reducing reoffending, Chicester: Wiley, pp 3-34.
McWilliams, W., 1983, The mission to the English Police Courts 1876-1936, Howard Journal, vol 22, pp 129-47.
Mair, G.,1994, Standing at the crossroads: what works in community penalties, National Conference for Probation Committee Members, Scarborough, 7-9 October.
Maltz, M., 2001, Recidivism, London: Academic Press.
Martinson, R., 1974, What works? Questions and answers about prison reform, Public Interest, vol 35, pp 22-54.
Martinson, R., 1979, New findings, new views: a note of caution regarding sentencing reform, Hofstra Law Review, vol 7, pp 243-58.
Nutley, sundra and Davies, huw, 2009, Criminal justice: using evidence to reduce crime, in the What works? Evidence-based policy and practice in public services Edited by: Huw T.O. Davies, Sandra M. Nutley and Peter C. Smith.
Palmer, T., 1975, Martinson revisited, Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, July, pp 133-52.
Pawson, R. and Tilley, N., 1997, Realistic evaluation, London: Sage Publications.
Roberts, C., 1995, Effective practice and service delivery, in J. McGuire (ed) What works: Reducing reoffending, Chicester: Wiley, pp 221-36.
Sherman, L.W., Gottfredson, D.C., MacKenzie, D.L., Eck, J., Reuter, P. and Bushway, S.D., 1997, Preventing crime: What works, what doesn’t, what’s promising, Office of Justice Programs Research Report, Washington, DC: US Department of Justice.
Tarling, R. and Dowds, L., 1997, Crime and punishment, in R. Jowell, J. Curtice, A. Park, L. Brook and K. Thomson, C. Bryson (eds) British social attitudes: The 14th Report, Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing, pp 197-214.
Thomas, M., 1996, What works: quality management and professional protocols, Vista, pp 54-61, May.
Wilkinson, J., 1994, Using a reconviction predictor to make sense of reconviction rates in the probation service, British Journal of Social Work, vol 24, pp 461-75.