forensic psychology-dealing with offending behaviour

Question 1

what are the 4 aims of custodial sentencing

Answer 1

-deterrence
-incapacitation
-retribution
-rehabilitation

Question 2

what is deterrence

Answer 2

the unpleasant experience is designed to keep the individual away from commiting crimiminal activity
its based on the behaviourist priniple of conditioning-the idea that behaviour that is punished is less likely to be repeated

Question 3

what is incapacitation

Answer 3

the offender is taken out of society to prevent them from reoffending as a way of protecting the public
putting offenders into prison mean they no longer threaten the public

Question 4

what is retribution

Answer 4

the notion that the offender should pay for their actions
putting them in prison means they are paying for the consequences of there criminal activity

Question 5

what is rehabilitation

Answer 5

in order to reduce the chance of reoffending prisons should provide the opportunity to develop skills or access treatment
this allows them to be a more efffective member of society

Question 6

what are 4 psychological effects of cusodial sentencing

Answer 6

-stress and depression
-self-harm
-institutionalisation
-brutilisation

Question 7

AO1 stress and depression

Answer 7

suicide test are considerably higher in the prison population compared to the general public
risk of suicide is higher in the first 30 days suggesting adjusting to prison life is too distressing for some inmates

Question 8

AO3 stress and depression

Answer 8

the prison reform trust found that 25% of women and 15% of men reported symptoms indiciative of psychosis
-may trigger psychological disorders in vulnerable people so may seem oppressive
prison can have a negative effect on mental health
custodial sentences may not be effective at rehabilitating the offender

Question 9

AO1 self-harm

Answer 9

depression may be expressed in terms of self-harm
it may also be a way of becoming part of prison culture

Question 10

AO3 self-harm

Answer 10

dolley 300/442 death were due to suicide
deaths mainly occured at night through hanging

Question 11

AO1 institiutionalisation

Answer 11

inmates may have become so used to prison life that they are unable to adjust to the demands outside prison life
institutionalisation can lead to
-confomity to social role

Question 12

AO3 institiutionalisation

Answer 12

zimbardo prison experiment
The loss of personal identity was a key issue in Zimbardo’s study. The prisoners were de-individuated by being stripped of their individuality – they were given a uniform and a number. This led to the weakening of self-identity.
The control exercised by the guards was severe; the prisoners showed signs of learned helplessness, they ceased to initiate any action, showed signs of depression and anxiety.

Question 13

AO1 brutilisation

Answer 13

refers to the way in which prisoners are socialised into adopting the inmate code
-behaviour that is unacceptbale in the outside world may be encouraged in the inmate world

Question 14

AO3 brutilisation

Answer 14

cheeseman-many agressive acts occured as a way to reduce stress
situational factors eg-stress in prison could be responsible for agressive incidence