Jessica Jacobson

Religion and ethnicity: dual and alternative sources of identity among young British Pakistanis

Abstract This article considers the interrelationship between religious and ethnic identities maintained by young British Pakistanis, and addresses the question of why religion is a more significant source of social identity for these young people than ethnicity. There are two basic manifestations of this greater significance of religion. First, it is manifest in the nature of the fundamental distinction made by many young British Pakistanis between religion and ethnicity as sources of identity. This distinction rests on the assumption that whereas Pakistani ethnicity relates to a particular place and its people, Islam has universal relevance. The greater significance of religion is manifest, secondly, in the contrast between the essential characteristics of the social boundaries delineating the two forms of social identity. The social boundaries which encompass expressions of religious identity among young British Pakistanis are pervasive and clear‐cut in comparison to increasingly permeable ethnic bound...

Islam in transition : religion and identity among British Pakistani youth

Book synopsis: Islam in Transition focuses on the ways in which Islamic religion still engenders powerful loyalties within what is now a predominantly secular society and how, in their continual adherence to their religion, many young British Pakistanis find a welcome sense of stability and permanence. By presenting material collected in field-work study and by using extensive quotations from interviews, the author argues that in a world where concepts of identity are always being challenged traditional sources of authority and allegiance still survive.

Understanding the growth in the prison population in England and Wales

This study examines why the prison population in England and Wales has been rising steeply and progressively at a time when crime rates and court workloads have been falling. It concludes that while many factors are at work, the key drivers of the rise are sentencers’ increased readiness to pass custodial sentences, and when they do so, to pass longer sentences. The changes are a result of an increasingly punitive climate of opinion about crime and punishment, and inter-related changes to legislation, sentencing guidance and guideline judgments.

When is a Nation not a Nation? The Case of Anglo-British Nationhood

This article examines the articulation of Anglo-British national identity in the tabloid Press, paying particular attention to how the emotions of shame, sorrow, defiance and nostalgia underlie much tabloid discourse of nationhood. These are depicted either as emotions aroused in the writer (and, by extension, the reader) by aspects of the Anglo-British nation; or as emotions which the nation itself (and, again, the reader) is experiencing. The exaggeration and intensity of this discourse suggests that the tabloids are adopting a special role in defending not only the virtues of the Anglo-British nation but also the very notion of nationhood, at a time when this is being undermined by various social, political and economic forces. The study thus provides insight into the dynamic and contested character of contemporary Anglo-Britishness, and illustrates that the nation is a process rather than an entity that either exists or does not exist.

Public attitudes to the sentencing of drug offences

This article presents the findings of focus group research into public attitudes to the sentencing of drug offences. The study was commissioned by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales to inform the development of their new guideline on drug offences. There were two main findings: first, participants’ responses were generally no more punitive than current sentencing practice for less serious offences; second, participants’ overriding concerns were about the harms associated with drug offences rather than the culpability of drug offenders. Thus the findings of the study indicate that lighter sentences for drug ‘mules’ (as were subsequently introduced by the Sentencing Council’s new guideline) would be tolerated by the public. However, if the Council wishes to engage more fully with public opinion it will need to take a closer look at public concerns with harm.

Disability and the criminal justice system in Zambia

Purpose Drawing on multi-method research conducted in 2013-2014, the purpose of this paper is to consider the extent and nature of disadvantage experienced by individuals with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities (PID) who come into contact with the criminal justice system in Zambia. The research was conducted as part of a wider project aiming to bring about improvements in how people with PID are dealt with by the criminal justice services. Design/methodology/approach The research activities included interviews with 29 individuals with PID who had experienced the criminal justice system as suspects, defendants or prisoners (“self-advocates”). A focus group and interviews were also conducted with the family members of people with PID who had criminal justice experience. Findings People with PID in contact with the criminal justice services in Zambia are disadvantaged and discriminated against routinely and systematically. Like all detainees, they experience harsh and at times brutal conditions of detention. However, because of their disabilities, such experiences can be more keenly felt: their disabilities may be exacerbated by detention or by limited or non-existent health care; and they are likely to be less resourceful than other detainees and, therefore, less able to cope with the privations of detention. Originality/value In drawing on the self-advocate interviews, this paper presents direct, vivid accounts of what it means to be a suspect, defendant or prisoner with disabilities in Zambia. These are extremely marginalised and multiply disadvantaged individuals whose voices are rarely heard.

‘Community’ Knows Best? Community Involvement in Criminal Justice

Community justice has been a prominent goal within criminal justice policy since the late 1990s and can be broadly defined as the aspiration that local communities should play an active part in addressing the crime and disorder problems affecting them. The potential contribution of ‘the community’ to crime control has been variously understood in terms of the informal social control exercised within social cohesive neighbourhoods; community involvement in designing and holding to account local criminal justice services; and community involvement in service delivery. Research suggests that the public appetite for active participation in design and delivery of services is limited, but that, nevertheless, community justice is a worthwhile policy goal if conceived as a matter of helping to nurture community spirit and informal social control.