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Austerity continues to impact the criminal justice process in England and Wales: police numbers are down, the Crown Prosecution Service is in disarray, legal aid has been reduced, courts are closing and magistrates are leaving.

Research into the criminal process usually focuses on England, however this book offers a rare insight into South Wales. Drawing on first-hand accounts of lawyers, police, suspects, and the convicted and their families, it uncovers how these affected individuals navigate the challenges caused by austerity, what has changed and what can be done to improve the system.

This book is a reliable and evocative account of the reality of criminal justice in Wales.

“A thought-provoking book that policymakers must read to ensure the mistakes of austerity are not repeated.” Ed Johnston, University of the West of England

"This timely, meticulously-researched account of the criminal justice system in south Wales is located in its community but will inform scholarship more widely" Hannah Quirk, King's College London

Daniel Newman is Senior Lecturer in Law at Cardiff University. He has previously published 'Legal Aid Lawyers and the Quest for Justice' (Hart) and 'Justice in a Time of Austerity' (Bristol University Press).

Roxanna Dehaghani is a Senior Lecturer in Law at Cardiff University. She has previously published 'Vulnerability in Police Custody: police decision-making and the appropriate adult safeguard' (Routledge).

Why Wales?

A System in Crisis

The People and Their Experiences

Criminal Justice in Its Place

Pressures of Practice

Criminal Justice Relationships

Navigating the Criminal Justice System

Doing Criminal Justice Differently

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