3.3 Flashcards
(16 cards)
what are the 7 limitation of agencies in achieving social control?
- repeat offenders / recidivism
- civil liberties and legal barriers
- access to resources and support
- finance
- local and national policies
- environment
- crimes committed by those with moral imperatives
what is recidivism with stats
a tendency for convicted criminals to reoffend
bromley briefings
42% of all adults reconvicted within 12 months upon release
63% for short term sentences
64% of children sent to prison reoffend within a year of release
prison pop. / universities of crime
current pop. = 87,900
increased by 80% in last 30 years
prisons are universities of crime - encourages further criminal behaviour
surrounded by other offenders gives them the opportunity to learn new criminal skills
what is the impact of recidivism on social control?
- strain on resources - gov spends £18.1 billion on reoffending each year (sentencing and imprisonment) which diverts resources away from crime prevention
- overcrowding in prisons - more difficult to implement rehab programmes. SDS40 combats this but adds new risk to communities
- low public confidence - 45% believe that the CJS is not effective (research from sentencing council 2022)
what are civil liberties and legal barriers
rights and freedoms ensure fair and just society
eg, freedom of speech, freedom of movement
how does civil liberties and legal barriers have an impact on social control? with examples
- deportation - human rights act 1998 places legal limits eg, article 6 can be exploited
eg, Abu Qatada blocked deportation for over a decade through article 6 - police powers - PACE 1984 can slow investigations as it restricts police powers
eg, Christopher Halliwell confession of 2 murders while in police custody was not admissible in court as it breached PACE protocals (not recorded and no legal representation). this delayed prosecution by 5 years - prosecutions - full code test can cause cases to be dropped and let offenders off the hook
eg, Rape prosecutions = fell by 59% between 2016 and 2020. only 1.6% of rape cases resulted in a charge and fewer in successful prosecution (2019/20) - sentencing - sentencing guidelines ensures consistency but prevent tailored punishments for higher risk individuals
eg, Axel Rudakubana murder of 3 girls and attempted murder of 10 more at 17 years old
could not be given a whole life order as he was under 18 so was given 52 years which means he could be released and cause further harm
overview of access to resources and support
crucial for prisoners and released offenders in reintegrating into society and reducing reoffending
when resources are limited agencies are unable to fulfil their roles effectively and contributes to higher crime rates
how does access of resources and support impact social control? with supporting evidence
- finance - offenders released do not have stable income
eg, discharge grant - one off payment to released offenders
only temporary - results in offenders temptation to reoffend
1997 = £46
2021 = £76
2023 = £89.52
increased gradually to match inflation - accomodation - ex offenders often not eligible for housing due to criminal records, lack of references, and financial instability which can easily cause reoffending
eg, housing benefits stop for all sentened for more than 13 weeks, increasing the risk of homelessness which pushes them to reoffending - employment - ex offenders struggle to support themselves without stable employment which is difficult to find with a criminal record
eg, bromley briefings = 17% of prisoners are in employment 6 weeks after leaving prison
26% of prisoners are in employment 6 months after leaving prison - training opportunities - help reintegrate offenders back into society, many leave with limited qualifications and experience so struggle to find a job
eg, 42% of male prisoners are in their cells for more than 22 hours a day
overview of finance
limited finance causes understaffing
police will struggle to investigate crimes properly
NPS can’t monitor offenders very well
this can cause a lack of rehabilitation which increases reoffending rates
what is the impact on social control due to finance
- police - 19% budget cuts (2010-2018) cause loss of staff (21,000 officers lost), slower response times, police prioritisation
funds now beginning to increase:
2022/23 - £14.5 billion
2025/26 - £19.6 billion - CPS - 25% budget cuts (2010) cause loss of experienced staff (lost 23% barristers, 22% solicitors), delayed prosecutions (average waiting time in 2023 is 41 weeks - doubled from 2020), CPS prioritisation, increased errors (due to higher caseloads)
eg, Liam Allen almost wrongly convicted of multiple counts of rape due to budget cuts increasing caseloads (cps missed evidence that would clear him) - courts - 22% budget cuts (2010) cause court closures (130 magistrates), increased backlogs (78% higher in 2024 than 2019), reduced public protection (wait 41 weeks), staff pressure (higher caseloads)
- prisons - 16% budget cuts (2010-2018) cause overcrowding (increased 80% in 30 yrs), loss of staff (15% reduction, less experienced), prison wellbeing (91 suicides, 8% increase from previous yr), loss of control (overcrowding increases violence)
eg, HMP Birmingham - Dec 2016 riot lasted 15 hours, should have been prevented within 30 minutes but less staff were on duty due to budget cuts - NPS - significant funding cuts and restructuring over 20 years cause failed prioritisation (19/21 community rehab companies failed to supervise low risk offenders), ineffective rehabilitation (43% of offenders not in rehab), staff shortage and increased caseloads (1700 officers lost in 2022), low quality risk assessments (incorrectly categorising offenders)
eg, Damian Bendall murdered his pregnant partner, her two children and his partners friend in 2021 while on licence as he was labelled as ‘medium risk’ instead of ‘high risk’ by an inexperienced officer which allowed him to serve his probation in the community - charities - significant funding challenges: fewer donations (67% donated in 2023, 82% in 2013/14), loss of gov grants (£3.8 billion reduction cause shut downs), charity closures (570 small charities shut down and 370 new open - 2018)
eg, victim support had gov funding cut in 2024
overview of local and national policies with examples
local
implemented by regional or local authorities
all flexibility to tackle concerns that may not be
national priorities
limited resources mean certain crimes are priorities over others
eg, london: tackle hate crime, enhance counter-terrorism efforts
national
set by central government for entire country
address broad issues
eg, reduce murder and other homicides, reduce serious violence
what impact on social control does local and national policies have
local
lack of general deterrence and no fear of punishment
national
national prioritisation can cause some crimes to be overlooked, leading to more crime and lower public confidence
overview of environment
when prisoners are released, the environment they return to significantly impacts their ability to reintegrate into society
what are the environmental challenges due to reoffending
- employment, finances and accommodation - unemployment (financial instability) undermines rehabilitation efforts
48% have accommodation upon release
17% are employed 6 weeks upon release
discharge grant = £89.52 - lack of family support - create loneliness and financial difficulties
69% of prisoners receive visits
57% live with family upon release - lack of mental health support - usually worsens in prison
59% of men (82% of women) say they have mental health problems in prison
54% (women) and 29% (men) receive mental health support in prison
47 days to receive treatment (10% waited at least 238 days) - lack of addiction support - 49% (women) and 29% (men) have drug issues
9% (women) and 8% (men) develop drug problem in prison - criminal associations - create or maintain criminal connections while in prison
eg, Curtis Warren - high profile offender maintain criminal connections while in prison makes it harder to rehabilitate
overview of crimes committed by those with moral imperatives
crimes carried out by individuals who believe their actions are justified and are for the greater good
three examples of moral imperatives
- Kay Gilderdale - assisted the suicide of her paralysed 31 years old daughter, acted out of deep compassion for her daughters suffering and believed she was honouring her wishes
- Just Stop Oil - climate activist group uses disruptive protests eg, stage roadblocks, throw paint at gov buildings
knowingly breaking the law but believe it is for a moral cause and they don’t see their actions as criminal - Anti-Vivisection - trespassing, vandalism, harassment for animal rights (against animal testing)
believe their actions are necessary and accept legal consequences as part of their fight for animal rights
what is the impact of social control from moral imperatives
Internal
have their own internalised beliefs
External
Deterrence and fear of punishment is ineffective as they are willing to face arrest to uphold their beliefs
hard to rehabilitate as they are deeply motivated
