Ac3.4 evaluate the effectiveness of agencies in achieving social control

Question 1

Police effectiveness

Answer 1

Effective at:

• working in the community
• preventing crime
• keeping the public safe.

Question 2

Police ineffectiveness

Answer 2

• police have been labeled institutionally racist by the media following the Stephen Lawrence case.
• police closed almost half of offences with no suspect identified this suggests a lack of effectiveness of social control.
• police believe crime is on the increase through statistics for example 20% increase in gun and knife crime however statistics have been used to cautiously due to validity issues.

Question 3

CPS effectiveness

Answer 3

• a fair agency
• allows a due process model of justice

Question 4

CPS ineffectiveness

Answer 4

• occasions when the CPS has failed to bring about social control due to funding problems and the amount of bureaucratic “red tape”
• there has at times been a lack of effort to take formal action against known offenders for example Abu Hamza

Question 5

Judiciary’s ineffectiveness

Answer 5

• suggested lack of efficiency of the judiciary due to the increased number of appeals following innate sentences by judges and courts
• the media portray judges as being out of touch with real society so cannot apply relevant knowledge to a case and subsequently a suitable verdict.
• judges have at times made inappropriate comments during trials leading to sentences thought to be unsuitable
• For example, A case were a model caught stealing from Harrods, was spared jail after judge praises her “talents”

Question 6

Prison service ineffectiveness

Answer 6

• Many statistics show that prison service is limited in achieving social control for example prisons have a poor record of reducing reoffending.
• Within prisons there are questions over social control due to the rising numbers of prison disturbances. riots are becoming more common within UK prisons.
• Drug use and the availability is increasing inside prisons again suggesting a lack of social control.
• Assaults on prison staff by prisoners are rising.

Question 7

Probation service effectiveness

Answer 7

in certain areas probation has been shown to be a good quality with strong leadership

Question 8

probation service ineffectiveness

Answer 8

• reports suggest probation has spent too much time and focuses on paperwork and targets that are at the expense of prisoners.
• too many prisoners have been released without knowing where they would sleep that night.
• lack of mentors for offenders released from prison
• and risk assessments not always being carried out adequately.

Question 9

charities and pressure groups effectiveness

Answer 9

• many campaigns to work towards an effective penal system.
• Many companies are designed to promote topics on mental health and vulnerable individuals.
• charities and pressure groups work with other agencies of society such as the police and the NHS on campaigns.

Question 10

charities and pressure groups ineffectiveness

Answer 10

effectiveness can be limited by only being able to put pressure on governments they cannot force the government to take action.