David Garland

David Garland, a professor of law and sociology at New York University, spoke to academics, criminal justice professionals and students this week about his book on the US criminal justice system.

Professor Garland, who is originally from Dundee, is the author of Law and Order Leviathan: America’s Extraordinary Regime of Policing and Punishment. The book examines why the US has such high levels of homicide, police killings, gun violence and prison populations in comparison to nations in western Europe.

Figures highlighted by Professor Garland include:

• The USA has six homicides per 100,000 people per year (the UK has less than one).
• The USA has 650 prisoners per 100,000 people (the UK has around 150).
• Around one thousand people are killed by the police every year.
• There are more guns (400 million) in the USA in circulation than its population (330 million).

Professor Garland, who is also an honorary professor at Edinburgh University, said America’s “peculiar gun culture” led to a “fear of crime” for civilians and to more aggressive behaviour by police forces.

“Right from the beginning of US history there has been a decision not to disarm the US population and permit the use of violence by private individuals,” he said, referring to frontier violence by settlers, gun use as a component of slavery and by private police when supressing labour disputes.

He argues failing to provide resources such as jobs, housing, and education in inner cities since the 1960s led to struggling families, disorganised neighbourhoods, and a surge in crime and violence.

Professor Garland said: “America’s labour market and welfare state fail to protect working people which ensures high levels of inequality, insecurity, and social problems, making it worse to be a working person in the USA than any developed countries. Inequality, impoverishment, social problems such as ill-health, drug use, single parent households, children in poverty, suicides and mental health problems. All these issues are significantly worse in the US because of the political economy. And worst of all in segregated, poor, communities of colour.

“As a result of this ultra-liberal political economy, America has some of the richest people in the world but also the poorest people. This is a liberalism that aims to free market forces, and corporate power, not to make sure every individual is free and able to thrive.”