3.1 Explain The Role In Agencies Im Social Control. Flashcards
(27 cards)
Social control.
Getting people to conform to the Norms and laws in a society through agencies (the government and privately run companies).
Philosophies of the police.
1) to prevent crime and order.
2) physical forces should only be used as a last resort.
3) they are expected to be impartial when serving the law.
4) code of ethics should be followed by all police officers to ensure public respect.
5) require corporation and trust from public.
Aims and objectives of the police.
- maintain order, protect all life and property, bring offenders to justice, and prevent and investigate crime.
- have legal power to help fulfil their duties such as detain, arrest, and question under the police and criminal evidence act (1984).
Police funding.
Money provided by council tax and central government.
Majority of funding comes from gov.
In 2018, police budget was £12 billion, however the budget has faced major decline in previous years.
Working practices of the police.
- Duties vary from general (patrolling), to specialised duties done by the criminal investigation department, whom deals with drug squads and counter terrorism.
- deal with the majority of offenders apart from those who commit tax evasion or fraud, in which the HR revenue and customs deal with.
Roles of the police.
Unarmed officers - most police are unarmed.
Special constables - unpaid volunteers who have the same powers as paid police.
Police community support officers - deal with underage drinking and littering.
Police crime commissioners - elected representatives that account for the performance of the police in a specific area.
Crown prosecution service.
Prosecutors cases investigated by the police and other organisations in England and wales.
Philosophies of the crown prosecution service.
- honesty, openness, respect and professionalism.
- to demonstrate equality and inclusion to improve confidence towards the public.
Aims and objectives of the crown prosecution service.
Set up in 1986.
- Aimed to eliminate the bias of police.
- aimed to advise police investigations about evidence.
- aim to review evidence independently and decide to prosecute the offender guilty or not.
Funding of the crown prosecution service.
- half a billion a year from the government to fund the CPS.
- however experienced a 25% decrease in 2018 causing major concerns.
Working practices of the crown prosecution service.
- responsible for all serious cases operation across England and wales with 14 regional teams.
- to prosecute someone, the CPS must follow the ‘code for crown prosecution’:
1) the case must pass the evidential test - there has to be enough admissible evidence to prosecute.
2) must pass the public interest test - whether the case is within public interest, if the case has caused societal harm or impacted a community.
3) if case passes the above 👆, it’s still eligible for a threshold test- where there is still reasonable grounds to suspect guilt.
Philosophies of The judiciary system.
(Judges in courts).
- judges should be independent and not influenced by the government.
- must be impartial to both sides of the case.
- must be honest and hold strong moral principles.
- must uphold standards of society.
- ensure everyone is treated equally.
Aims and objectives of the judiciary system.
Must ensure fairness to all parties involved and explain legal issues and relevant information.
Also summarise evidence to determine a sentence If offender is found guilty.
Funding of the judiciary system.
Determined by the ‘senior salaries review body’
E.g salary for senior judge in 2018 = £275,000
Working practice of the judiciary system.
- judges can only be removed from their position via petition from Royal family.
- They have guaranteed salary which makes their position sought after.
- They deal with all offences and all offenders except those dealt by police (crimes unworthy of court).
Philosophies of prisons.
(HM prisons and probation services).
- a government agency that helps prevent future victims.
- helps change behaviours and decisions of offenders.
Aims and objectives of prisons.
- to protect the public, rehabilitate convicted offenders and hold offenders in security whilst a sentence is carried out.
Funding for prisons.
- paid by taxes.
- budget in 2018 = £3 billion after drastic cuts.
- cuts led to educational courses and rehab programs being disregarded.
- It’s around 37,000 to keep a prisoner in prison for a year. (Stats from 2017-2018).
Working practices of prisons.
- run by government agencies.
- Once sentenced an offender will be placed in a local prison where they are categorised by their crime, before being transferred to an appropriate cell.
- Prisons provide opportunities such as education as part of rehabilitation however a lack of funds means to decline in programs and rehab. Leading to decreased opportunities for prisoners.
National probation service (NPS)
Philosophies.
- to emphasise dignity and value of offenders, and are committed to equality, diversity and social justice.
Aims and objectives of NPS
- to protect the public through rehabilitating offenders.
- Working with agencies such as courts and police to provide offenders with programs such as community payback.
NPS funding.
- they have the same funding scheme as HM prison and probation services.
Some companies are involved in rehab contracts. (Provide a private source of funding).
Many companies pulled out of contracts during Covid which led to a decline in private sectors funding the NPS.
Working practices of NPS.
- must prepare pre-sentence reports to aid sentencing and approve premises such as accommodation for offenders.
- must also prioritise well-being of offenders who have been imprisoned for longer than 12 months.
Charities and pressure groups.
(NARCO).
- voluntary organisations to help those in need.
