# Crime and Justice in News from Nowhere

> Theme guide for News from Nowhere by William Morris.

Crime is rare and arises from hot blood or error, not from class enmity; there are no prisons or criminal laws, as the abolition of private property and class inequality has eliminated the root causes of most offenses.

## Where it surfaces

- [XII: Concerning the Arrangement of Life](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/chapters/xii-concerning-the-arrangement-of-life): Old Hammond argues that crime stems from private property and that punishment is unnecessary in a society of equals; remorse and atonement replace legal penalties.
- [XXIV: Up the Thames: The Second Day](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/chapters/xxiv-up-the-thames-the-second-day): The story of the violent death raises questions about justice and forgiveness, as the slayer had no malice but is now at risk of suicide.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/themes/crime_and_justice
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/themes