Penal Policy and Criminological Challenges in the New Millennium

This article explores the relationship between criminology and penal policy. It draws attention to recent developments in penal law and practice that have caused concern to criminologists and discusses some of the reasons why criminological ideas and findings appear to have had less impact on penal policy than many criminologists had hoped for. It suggests that some of the blame may attach to criminologists for failing to establish a scientific legitimacy for their subject and concludes by arguing that criminology needs independent funding to guarantee a scientific agenda free of direct political influence. The establishment of an independent Criminological Research Council in their country should be the ambition of criminologists who want to take the subject forward to a period of greater legitimacy and influence as the new millennium unfolds.