3.1 Explain the role of agencies in social control

Question 1

What is the philosophy of the police?

Answer 1

Summed up by met police founder Robert Peel:
To prevent crime and order
To impartially serve the law
The use of physical force is a last resort
The police are like normal citizens
The police’s ability to perform their duties depends on the public’s co-operation and approval

Question 2

According to the association of Chief police officers, the 4 aims of the police are

Answer 2

To maintain order and peace
To protect life and property
To prevent, detect and investigate crime
To bring offenders to justice

Question 3

Explain Police funding

Answer 3

The 2020/21 budget was 15.2 billion GBP, sourced, 2/3 from the central government, local council tax and charging for services

Question 4

List Police working practices

Answer 4

National and local reach - 39 regional police forces in England and Wales

The police deal with all types of offenders

They have duties such as patrolling an area, responding to public calls for help, gathering evidence from witnesses etc

There are also specialist departments, either e.g. Fraud squads under the CID, CEOP under the National crime agency

Non-specialist unites do not carry guns, PSCOs have limited powers as they deal with anti-social behaviour

Question 5

List Aims and Objectives of the CPS

Answer 5

Advising police in their investigations, assesses police evidence, decides on and prepares the prosecution, assists and supports victims and witnesses

Question 6

List values of the CPS

Answer 6

Prosecuting with bias to deliver justice - fairness
Honesty
Universal respect
Professionalism
Equality

Question 7

How are the CPS funded?

Answer 7

Government - roughly half a billion yearly budget HOWEVER in 2018 they were reported to have a budget 25% less than previously, leading to argument that their effectiveness has decreased

They also acclaim some through other means e.g. recovering assets confiscated from criminals

Question 8

List CPS working practices

Answer 8

Deals with all serious cases and has national and local reach, with 14 regional teams for local cases, working 365 days a year

The CPS code sets out tests that must be passed in order to prosecute a case:
Evidential test - Is there admissible, credible, adequate evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction?
Public interest test - It the prosecution within public interest on the grounds of seriousness, Suspect’s level of culpability, has the suspect suffered harm, are they old enough to understand their actions, will the prosecution impact the community, is it a proportionate response
If their is inadequate evidence for a prosecution a suspect may still be charged if they pass the THRESHOLD TEST: Is the offence serious enough for an immediate charge, would it be too risky to let the suspect out on bail and is there reasonable grounds to believe the suspect is guilty

Question 9

What is the philosophy of the judiciary, the 6 principles from the Guide to judicial conduct 2016 and their 2 oaths?

Answer 9

Judicial independence from the government
Impartiality
Integrity
Propriety
Equal treatment for everyone who becomes the courts
Competence

The oath of allegiance - loyalty to the monarch
The judicial oath - to treat people equally, with impartiality and according to the law

Question 10

List aims of the Judiciary

Answer 10

In the Crown Court they manage the trial, explain the law to the jury, sum up evidence and pass the sentence

In the appeal courts they judge appeals and sometimes create precedents

Question 11

How are the judiciary funded?

Answer 11

Comes from the senior salaries review body who advise the government on how much judges should be paid - In 2020 Lord chief justice earned £262,000, while district judges earned £112,000

Question 12

List working practices of the judiciary?

Answer 12

Security of tenure
Guaranteed salary
Deal with all types of crime
They have National and local reach

Question 13

What is the philosophy of Prisons

Answer 13

‘preventing victims by changing the lives of offenders’

Question 14

List aims of prisons

Answer 14

Protect the public from harm, to rehabilitate offenders, to implement court orders/sentences

Question 15

How are prisons funded

Answer 15

By the government through taxation - 3 billion GBP budget in 2018, 16% lower than 2010 leading to staff cuts
The average cost of keeping a prisoner in public prisoners annually was 41000GBP in 2019

Question 16

List working practices of prisoners

Answer 16

In 2019 there were 121 prisons holding 80,000 prisoners, including 15 private ones

Prisons deal with offenders deemed to dangerous, have National and local reach as offenders are first placed in a local prison for a risk assessment before going to the equally spaced out HMPs

Rehabilitation has been criticised in its lack of implementation - In 2020 the chief inspector of prisons said half of those he had inspected had too few programmes of useful activity

Earned Privileges (IEPs) incentivise prisoners to keep to the rules ; There are 3 levels in which prisoners are sorted into depending on their behaviour, and will determine the extent of the benefits such as, their earnings, their number of visits, a TV in their cell

Question 17

What is the philosophy of the National probation service?

Answer 17

Offenders can change for the better, are worthy individual members of society

They have a commitment to social justice and equality

Question 18

List aims of the National probation service

Answer 18

To protect the public by rehabilitating offenders,

Through Community sentences involving group programmes for e.g. anger management or up to 300 hours of unpaid work, or releases on license, or partnerships with CRCs

Question 19

How is the national probation service funded?

Answer 19

Government funding through taxation - 4.6 billion GBP 2018 of the joint Prison-Probation service budget that is shared

However CRCs were defunded after 19/21 of them failed to meet their reduction of re-offending target

Question 20

List working practices of the national probation service

Answer 20

Deal with offenders safe enough to take part in community service

Have national and local reach by preparing pre-sentence reports for courts, assessing prisoners for release on license etc

Question 21

Describe the Philosophy, aims and objectives of the charity group NACRO

Answer 21

NACRO stands to care and resettle offenders, wanting social justice, to change lives, strengthen communities and prevent crime

It houses over 3000 tenants in its own properties, educated 4900 people through its education services in 2018, and advise young people against offending and offenders on how to re-integrate after prison ; They also campaign for changes to laws e.g. reforming the Rehabilitation of offenders act 1974

Question 22

How are Charities/pressure groups funded and list working practices

Answer 22

£50 million a year from donations, government grants and contracts for providing services for ex-offenders

NACRO works with a range of offenders but particularly disadvantaged young people and adults, and does so in 50 different parts of England and Wales