We are pleased to announce the publication of Development of Criminal Policy in Central and Eastern European Countries: Similarities and Differences in Penal Policy, edited by Miklós Lévay, Klára Kerezsi and Zsófia Ivanics and published by Routledge.

Based on the blurb, the focal points of the book can be summarised as follows.

The volume examines the development of criminal policy in Central and Eastern Europe from the political transformation that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 to the present day. Focusing on ten countries of the region, the book analyses how criminal policy, criminal legislation, sentencing practices and broader criminal justice approaches have evolved over the past three decades.

Through detailed country studies covering Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia, the contributors identify both common regional trends and significant national differences. The volume explores the political, legal and social factors that have shaped penal policy in these countries and highlights the diverse paths they have taken in responding to crime.

Adopting a comparative perspective, the book also includes cross-cutting analyses of sentencing practices, penal policy developments and the emergence of penal populism across the region. By placing national experiences within a broader regional framework, the volume offers valuable insights into the mechanisms and events that have influenced criminal policy-making in Central and Eastern Europe.

The publication is intended for scholars, researchers and students of criminology, criminal law, criminal justice and political science, as well as for professionals interested in contemporary developments in criminal policy.

Further information about the volume is available on the publisher’s website.

Congratulations to the editors and all contributing authors on this important scholarly achievement.