Why the Radical Pluralism Account Explains the Penal Crisis Better
Than the Orthodox Account
Name: Robin Ellis
Module: Prisons & Penology - June 2015 - Mid-Module Assignment
Tutor: Hilary Miller
Submission Date: 27th July 2015
Confidentiality: I have read, understand and adhere to the KOL Confidentiality Policy.
Academic Integrity Statement: I have read and understood the Academic Integrity guidelines for Kaplan Open Learning and the University Of Essex, and declare that this assignment conforms to all of the rules and regulations contained therein.
1. Summary
There can be no doubt that the penal system in the United Kingdom is in crisis. With prisons already overcrowded, the criminal courts continue to imprison offenders at an alarming rate. There are several good reasons for this occurrence, but to explain the crisis, there is a need to delve into the various factors that combine together to create the problem. This report will take a critical look at the problem using the Orthodox Account and again using the Radical Pluralism Account in order to explain why the latter is better than the former.
2. Introduction
When analysing and probing various crises and systems, it is often fruitful to look at the subject from at least two differing standpoints, looking for reasons and causes of crisis, weaknesses of structure and seeking clues on the correct way forward. This report will not focus on any solution to the penal system crisis, but will centre
