Judge and Punish The Penal State on Trial

"Lagasnerie opens up possibilities for us to think differently: to escape from the force of current certainties and conventions and to re-envision the stakes of debates about justice, responsibility, crime, and punishment. The revolution he proposes is mental, with neither redistribution of wealth or regime change as prerequisites, but it remains radical. Destabilizing and anti-institutional, this is an important book; its sharp attacks on academic social science and 'expertise' will surely spark reaction, attack, and debate, and with good reason."-Todd Shepard, Johns Hopkins University "Using practical insights gained over years of observing court cases in Paris, Geoffroy de Lagasnerie elaborates a critical reflection on power, violence, and the penal state. In clear and accessible language, his book makes an original and thought-provoking contribution to our understanding of the judicial system in Western democracies."-Philippe Marlière, University College London "This detailed examination of state penal logic provides a trenchant counteroffensive in both language and practice. Along with a critical retooling of sociological inquiry, this groundbreaking work offers an exploration of justice as an institution. Judge and Punish asks the big, penetrating questions that will shape the future of justice systems throughout the Western world."-Jason S. Sexton, Editor, Boom California "Departing from venerable theoretical frameworks for comprehending the penal state and its actions, Geoffroy de Lagasnerie observes the contemporary criminal trial as a very different kind of drama, one centered on the violent relationship between the state and those who cannot escape it. A bracing combination of social theory and empirical observation."-Jonathan S. Simon, Berkeley Law