AC3.2 GAPS IN STATE PROVISION

Question 1

what does gaps in state provision mean?

Answer 1

state agencies (police, CPS, courts, prisons etc.) of social control can achieve some degree of control over criminal/ anti-social behaviour but this can never be complete

Question 2

What are 4 reasons for gaps in state provision?

Answer 2

Resources
New Technology
Unreported Crime
Existing laws

Question 3

Why are there gaps in resources?

Answer 3

Funding comes mainly from taxes from public- limits on how much taxpayers are willing to pay
Governments face competing demands for resources from sectors e.g. NHS

Question 4

What were the budget cuts between 2010-2018?

Answer 4

Between 2010-2018: Police budget- cut by 19%, led to fall of 20,000 police numbers/CPS budget- cut by 1/4, lost 1/3 of staff/ Prisons- budget fell by 16% + staff levels by 15%

Question 5

Why does new technology lead to gaps?

Answer 5

Extra burden imposed on criminal investigations by digital technology
Criminal justice system unable to cope with huge amount of data generated by tech
Cost of using new technology such as DNA profiling is limitation on polices ability to investigate offences

Question 6

Why does unrecorded crime lead to gaps?

Answer 6

Can only investigate, prosecute + convict if offence is reported
40% crime goes unrecorded
Only one in four rapes + attempted rapes are reported

Question 7

Why do existing laws lead to gaps?

Answer 7

Social control can only be achieved as long as there are appropriate laws to begin with
Sometimes new type of harm emerges but no law to forbit it- state agencies unable to bring prosecutions to control harmful behaviour
Social media companies can claim they aren’t publishers and currently not be prosecuted for material found on their sites in UK