Vol. 6. Selected papers from the 2003 British Criminology Conference, Bangor in June 2003

Editor’s Note

This volume brings together a selection of papers presented at the British Society of Criminology conference held at the University of Bangor in June 2003. The conference, which takes place annually, attracts over 400 delegates from around the world.

Writing just over 30 years ago, Stanley Cohen registered his scepticism and unease about the narrow and parochial character of British criminology. Today, in 2005, the reverse is very much the case: British criminology is shaped by an extravagantly diverse spectrum of perspectives and ‘problematics’. With its spirit of internationalism and solidarity, the British criminology conference is one of the many forces which have colluded with this happy development. As Editors’ of the 2003 journal, it gives us great pleasure to be co-conspirators.

Any presenter at the conference could submit his or her paper for consideration for publication. The papers were subjected to full peer review procedures.

‘We are a significant minority’: Old Women in English Prisons

‘Sending More People to Prison than Gaddafy’s Libya.’ An Alternative to a League Table Approach to Understanding Sentencing Trends and Differences between Jurisdictions

The Boundaries of Drug Assisted Rape: the Findings of a Pilot Study

Towards a New Paradigm of Sovereign Power? Community Governance, Preventative Safety and the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships

Negotiated Order: Gender, Youth Transitions and Crime

Responsibility, Rhetoric and Reality: Practitioners’ Views on Their Responsibility for Crime and Disorder in the Community Safety Partnerships

Crime in Japan – a Lesson for Criminological Theory?
The Cultural Dimension in Crime – What Can the Japanese Experience Tell Us?