This book investigates the fundamental shift in crime control policies and criminal justice practices that have emerged in Britain and the United States over the past quarter-century. David Garland, a professor of sociology and law, utilizes a historical and sociological framework to argue that these changes are not merely administrative adjustments but are deep-seated responses to the social and economic conditions of late modernity. He posits that contemporary crime control is a product of specific cultural sensibilities and political adaptations that have redefined the relationship between the state, the citizen, and the offender.

Experts frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the sociological underpinnings of modern penal policy. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which requires a strong background in social theory to fully grasp the author's arguments.