The Unmaking of Crime

Reviews / Votes

"Beginning with a Durkheimian understanding of crime and punishment, Benazeth has produced a fully French reconceptualization of the desistance concept that is theoretically sophisticated and critically nuanced in way that few can do as well as the French. A gift to criminology akin to the Statue of Liberty."

Shadd Maruna, Professor of criminology, Queen's University Belfast.

"Prison overcrowding is a problem as old as the prison itself, but in the late modern period it has reached unprecedented heights and combined with long sentences and aging prisoners is creating a humanitarian disaster in many countries. In this much needed book, Valerian Benazeth points to a hopeful way out too often abandoned or overlooked by contemporary prison services, learning from the many former prisoners who have desisted from crime and no longer need prison bars to protect safety."

Jonathan Simon, Lance Robbins Professor of Criminal Justice Law, Berkeley University.

"Overall, Benazeth's book is exemplary. It provides non-French readers with a detailed account of France's cultural, institutional, and legal contexts. The work extensively engages with the international literature to frame and analyse its findings. The book is rich with nuance and detail, far beyond what can be fully conveyed in these limited lines. For instance, although the French legal system offers several mechanisms for expunging criminal records, Benazeth demonstrates that a criminal past nonetheless has a negative impact. In France, taking gap years is uncommon, and gaps in one's CV are not easily explained away. Furthermore, there are no robust systems for 'further learning education' and even menial positions often require high qualifications. As Benazeth shows, individuals who drop out of school are unlikely to ever secure stable employment."

Martine Herzog-Evans, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, France