The art of deception – UK public protection policy and the criminal justice ‘crisis’ of 2006

Although crises are not infrequent in criminal justice policy, that which faced the British government in 2006 took on a different tone in that it came from many directions and ended by enveloping the entire process. Rather than something as simple as a prisons crisis which may not impact too much upon the public, the scale of that in 2006 took in all agencies and included virtually all decision-making. The result was huge public disquiet and major media interest. Rather like a roller coaster, this crisis kept picking up new ones as it rolled along but the underlying theme for the public was a perceived lack of protection and a government seemingly unable to take control. This article will attempt to briefly outline the unfolding crisis of 2006, to explain how the British government sought to reassure the public and end by suggesting that this reassurance may be false and in fact might be regarded as an act of deception.