State Punishment

State Punishmentpresents a new approach to the question of the moral justification of punishment by the state. Nicola Lacey focuses on the theory of punishment in the context of other political questions such as the nature of political obligation and the function and scope of criminal law. Arguing that no convincing set of justifying reasons has so far been produced, Lacey puts forward a theory of punishments which places the values of the community at its center.