Seizing the Populist Moment: Towards a New Penal Politics?

Abstract

Abstract In the context of rising populism across the globe, penal populism has returned with a vengeance. However, somewhat paradoxically, this paper asks if the populist moment may be regarded as an opportunity rather than a threat when it comes to promoting less punitive solutions to the crime problem. This is a moment that appears to be marked by a strong desire for increased popular participation in politics, as exemplified by the gilets jaunes movement in France. It is argued that democratization of the policy-making process through greater representativity and accountability could respond to this desire while promoting justice, especially by refocussing attention away from punishment and demonstrating how political, social, economic and legal justice are inextricably linked together.