Atlantic crossings

It is increasingly recognized that factors beyond the nation state are influencing and shaping domestic crime control policies. Much discussion takes place under the general rubric of ‘globalization’. This article looks at the more specific issue of ‘policy transfer’: the way in which ideas, ideologies, practices and policies are transported from one jurisdiction to another. More particularly, the focus here is upon the recent influence of the United States on areas of crime control policy and rhetoric in the United Kingdom. The article explores some of the apparent areas of influence and outlines a framework within which a substantive account of policy transfer in the crime control arena might be developed.