Since the early 1970's major changes have been seen in the theoretical thinking about punishment in the United States. This article dealt with developments in penal policies during the last quarter of the twentieth century in the United States and to a lesser degree in a few other industrialized countries. Some of the major principles behind the changing penal policies were strongly rooted in the culture of Western industrial societies. Two of these principles were individual responsibility and effectiveness. With the emphasis on individualism, individual freedom, and individual rights in Western societies there was an underlying belief that individuals are fully responsibly for their own actions. These new penal policies influenced a growing number of States to change the sentencing system from indeterminate to determinate punishments. The change was related to the decline in the idea of rehabilitation and of the “medical model” of corrections. In addition, the change to determinate sentencing resulted in changes in the power relationships in the criminal justice system. Although it is difficult to predict the future direction in punishment policies, there were certain indications of possible trends for the short run. It was likely that the current policies based on the new penology would continue but some changes, such as limitations on capital punishment, the slowing down on privatization, the rethinking of rehabilitation, and the expansion of restorative justice programs might occur. References