3.1 - explain the role of agencies in social control Flashcards
police general role in social control:
aims and objectives ?
police to investigate crime, arrest, detain and question suspects in accordance with legal obligations.
must also monitor all criminal activity and respond to emergency calls.
police general role in social control:
funding?
philosophy?
police divided into force area that are responsible for managing their own budgets. income for the police mainly comes from government grants and council tax.
to reduce crime and preserve life.
police general role in social control:
working practises - type of crime, type of offenders, reach?
police working on patrol and general duties responding to emergency and non emergency calls from public.
opt for specialised areas like criminal investigations department, firearms and dog handlers.
national and local reach - 43 territorial police forces, 39 England and 4 Wales.
also specialist branches like national crime agency.
police role in external social control:
police may act as what?
what do they use?
threat of police?
may act as a pressure to try and persuade or compel members of society to conform to the rules.
use coercion to achieve desired result.
threat of police action like arrest and detention is an external form for individual and general deterrence.
police role in external control:
fear of consequence?
court action?
shame and embarrassment?
fear punishments of being arrested - loss of a job, relationship, home.
court proceedings follow police action - reminded of the consequence of criminal action.
shame of being arrested and questioned.
Probation service general role in social control:
Aims and objectives?
Funding?
Philosophy?
The priority of the National Probation Service is to ‘protect the public by the effective rehabilitation of high-risk offenders, by tackling the causes of offending and enabling offenders to turn their lives around.
Served by 35 probation trusts, the NPS is funded by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), again through income taxation. The community rehabilitation companies are businesses and are self-funding.
Enabling offenders to turn their lives around.
Probation service general rule ins social control:
working practices:
- types of criminality
- types of offenders
- reach
Types of criminality: The probation service will deal with all types of criminality. However, will have left involvement with minor offences such as speeding. The probation service will often preparing pre-sentence reports for courts, to help them select the most appropriate sentence for offender. Managing approved premises for offenders with a residence requirement on their sentence; assessing offenders in prison to prepare them for release on licence to the community, when they will come under supervision.
Types of offenders: The probation service will deal with different types of offenders. Certain probation officers will specialise with certain types of offenders. For example, there are probation officers that deal specifically with young offenders.
Reach: The probation service has a national and local reach with 42 probation areas and 25 probation trusts across England and Wales.
Probation role in external social control:
what is it?
- coercion
- Individual deterrence
- general deterrence
Probation is an external form of social control that acts as a pressure to try and persuade or compel members of society to conform to the rules.
·Coercion: Probation uses coercion to achieve a desired result. For example, if breach your terms of order the probation service will have you re-arrested and sent back to prison.
Individual Deterrence: There is an individual deterrence with a continued threat of custody for future breaking of the law, including a breach of the terms of the order.
General Deterrence: Probation orders could be seen as a general deterrence by members of society. This includes the fear that a probation order be given together with the restrictions and conditions it imposes. People can envisage the potential consequences of breaking the law.
CPS role in social control :
- Aims and objectives
- funding
- philosophy
Aims and Objectives: Prior to the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985, the police not only investigated but also prosecuted criminal cases on behalf of the state. However, in an attempt to promote independence, the CPS became the principal prosecuting authority in England and Wales in 1986, with the police maintaining their investigatory role.
Funding: The CPS is a government-funded body with the majority of its budget being approved by Parliament, with the 2016-2017 budget being over £500 million. When costs are awarded by courts, the CPS recovers some of the costs of its prosecutions from defendants. In addition, the CPS recovers criminal assets through its confiscation, restraint and enforcement activities.
Philosophy: To pursue the successful prosecution of offenders.
CPS role in social control:
working practices :
- types of criminality?
- types of offenders?
- reach ?
Types of criminality: The CPS will deal with all types of criminality. In all cases of criminality a code of practice used to help decide if a prosecution should take place. It has two parts, and both must be satisfied for a prosecution to take place (the evidence test and the public interest test – there must be enough evidence to secure a conviction and prosecuting the case must be in the public interest). If there is not sufficient evidence for the suspect to be charged, then the threshold test can be applied by the CPS.
Types of offenders: The CPS will deal with different types of offenders. Some prosecutors will specialised with different types of cases and therefore deal with these types of offenders.
Reach: The CPS has a national and local reach and consists of 13 geographical areas across England and Wales, and CPS Direct is available 24/7 to provide the police with charging advice. The head of the CPS is the Director of Public Prosecutions.
CPS role in external social control:
- what is it?
- coercion?
- individual deterrence ?
- general deterrence?
CPS is an external form of social control that acts as a pressure to try and persuade or compel members of society to conform to the rules.
Coercion: CPS uses coercion to achieve a desired result. For example, if you commit an offence the CPS will prosecute you to ensure you cannot commit those offences again.
Individual Deterrence: There is an individual deterrence with a continued threat being prosecuted by the CPS for future breaking of the law.
General Deterrence: CPS also act as general deterrence. This includes the fear of the implication of a prosecution, for example, loss of employment. People in society can envisage the potential consequences of breaking the law and the consequence of the prosecution is one of them.
Judiciary role in social control:
- Aims and objectives?
- funding?
Aims and Objectives: Judges in the appeal courts, such as the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, rule on appeal cases. They also interpret the law if it is unclear and set precedent, or legal rules, for other courts to follow.
Funding: Judicial salaries are decided following the recommendation of the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB). The SSRB provides independent advice to the Prime Minister, the Lord Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Defence on the salary of the judiciary. Although judiciary salaries are higher than the average wage in England and Wales, a successful solicitor or barrister from a top firm can earn more than a senior judge. Research carried out in 2008 by Dame Hazel Glenn showed that many highly qualified lawyers were put off applying to join the High Court because they could earn up to three times more in their current post than they could as a judge.
Judiciary role in social control:
working practices:
- types of criminality
- types of offenders
- reach
Types of criminality: Judges will deal with most of types of criminality. However low-level criminality will be dealt with my magistrates not judges.
Types of offenders: Judges must take two oaths when they are sworn in. Collectively known as the judicial oath, the first is the oath of allegiance and the second is the judicial oath. One of the most cherished principles of the judiciary is that they are independent. Because judges have the ultimate responsibility for decisions regarding the freedoms, rights and duties of people, it is vital that they make decisions solely on the basis of the law, evidence and facts, without any improper outside influence
Reach: The judiciary have a national and local reach. There are various courts across the country mostly controlled by the judge-based decisions.
Judiciary role in external social control:
- what is it?
- coercion?
- individual deterrence?
- general deterrence ?
The Judiciary is an external form of social control that acts as a pressure to try and persuade or compel members of society to conform to the rules.
Coercion: Judges uses coercion to achieve a desired result. For example, they sentence criminals to various punishment which the offender is forced to obey.
Individual Deterrence: There is an individual deterrence with a continued threat being sentenced by a judge for future breaking of the law.
General Deterrence: CPS also act as general deterrence. This includes the fear of the implication of a sentence, for example, loss of employment. People in society can envisage the potential consequences of breaking the law and the consequence of the prosecution is one of them
Prison general role in social control:
- Aims and objectives ?
- funding?
Aims and Objectives: The aim is to keep those sentenced to prison terms in custody.
Funding: Most prisons are government-funded with finances being raised through taxation. In 2015 the budget for prisons was £3.4 billion. An official study compiled by the University of Lausanne for the Council of Europe (cited in Barrett, 2015) found that taxpayers in England and Wales pay more to run prisons than most other major countries in Western Europe. According to the report, expenditure was at £87 a day in 2012, £15 higher than the European average of £72 a day per prisoner. In 2015 it was estimated that the average cost of keeping a prisoner was £36,000 per year.
