How does crime control policy travel? Insights from the Narrative Policy Framework

Over the past 25 years, criminologists have begun to focus more explicitly on policy travel, recognizing its significance in shaping legal and institutional practices across different contexts. While this body of scholarship has shed light on some of the complexities of policy travel, persistent questions remain about the mechanisms through which transfer occurs (Jones & Newburn, 2021). In this paper, we argue that the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) might provide a useful perspective on the diffusion and adoption of policy arrangements. NPF is a theory of the policy process that essentially points to the importance of narratives in shaping policy outcomes. We present key findings from NPF research and focus specifically on recent debates about causal mechanisms. NPF suggests that narrative persuasion and narrative attention play a crucial role in processes of policy travel.