Payment by results: the materialist reconstruction of criminal justice

Abstract

Purpose – The criminal justice system in England and Wales is being reconstructed on a new operating platform of which Payment by Results (PbR) is the material signifier. This critical historic transformation is occurring during a period of radical economic disruption and political restructuring after 2007-2008. PbR signals the deeper penetration of the core principles of capitalism into the body of the state and its welfare and criminal justice system. Conceptually a Lacanian-Žižekian framework is put to work to theorise these important transformations. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The design and methodology of this research paper utilises open sources and documentary materials on the development of PbR, in its application primarily to the criminal justice system. Findings – There is evidence that PbR, located within the wider context of capitalist reconstruction, is radically transforming the delivery of criminal justice services. Originality/value – This is the first critical analysis of PbR located within the context of late modern capitalism.