This book explores the origins of the so-called 'punitive turn' in penal policy across Western nations over the past two decades. It demonstrates how the context of neoliberalism has informed penal policy-making and argues that it is ultimately neoliberalism which has led to the recent intensification of punishment. CONTENT: Introduction PART I: THE INTENSIFICATION OF PUNISHMENT Lock 'em up! Trojan Horses: The rise of out-of-court justice The New Welfare Sanction Erecting the Boundaries of Exclusion Whither the Punitive Turn? PART II: EXPLAINING PUNITIVENESS Defining Neoliberalism Neoliberal Punishment Constructing the Authoritarian Consensus Conclusion: Towards Penal Dystopia?