Crime and Punishment in the Nineteenth Century: A New Look at the Criminal

A new approach is needed for the study of crime & criminality in the nineteenth century. A focus on the population of arrested, released, & convicted men & women--on the criminals themselves--is emphasized, either as a replacement or a supplement to previous work. Earlier approaches, centering on police, institutions, or social thought or the attempt to construct rates of criminal offenses, are restricted by data limitations or conceptual problems. An alternative, studying the criminals directly through the use of jail registers, is proposed & discussed. The registers are described & both methodological & conceptual approaches involving their use are discussed. 2 Tables. AA.