This volume investigates the extent to which academic criminological research influences the formulation and implementation of public penal policy. Edited by Andrew Ashworth and Lucia Zedner, the collection serves as a festschrift for Roger Hood, a prominent figure in Oxford criminology. The contributors examine the historical and contemporary intersections between scholarly inquiry and state-sanctioned punishment, providing a critical framework for understanding how empirical evidence informs legislative and judicial decision-making.

Experts recognize this collection as a significant contribution to the study of penal philosophy and policy development. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is tailored for scholars, legal practitioners, and advanced students of criminology.