AC 2.3 Flashcards
(17 cards)
What are community sentences?
Community sentences are imposed for offences that are too serious for a discharge or fine but not serious enough to warrant a prison sentence. They include requirements such as supervision by probation officers and between 40 and 300 hours of unpaid work.
How do community sentences meet the aim of retribution?
Community sentences can impose curfews and exclusion orders that restrict an offender’s movement, which serves as a form of retribution by limiting their freedom.
What is the aim of reparation in community sentences?
Reparation can include doing unpaid work to repair damage caused to a victim’s property or to the community, such as removing graffiti.
Do community sentences achieve public protection?
Community sentences do not incapacitate offenders as they do not lock them up, but breaches can lead to imprisonment.
How do community sentences aim to rehabilitate offenders?
They may require offenders to undergo treatment for addiction or undertake training to improve job prospects. A study showed that 34% reoffended within 12 months of starting community sentences compared to 64% for those serving prison sentences of less than 12 months.
What is imprisonment?
Prison sentences are given for the most serious offences or when the court believes public protection requires removing the offender from society.
What is a life sentence?
A life sentence is the most serious punishment a UK court can impose, with a minimum time set by the judge before the offender can be considered for release by the Parole Board.
What are mandatory life sentences?
Mandatory life sentences must be given to offenders guilty of murder, while discretionary life sentences can be given for other serious offences like rape.
What are indeterminate sentences?
Indeterminate sentences set a minimum time to serve, but offenders have no automatic right to release after this term. The Parole Board decides on release suitability.
What are determinate sentences?
Determinate sentences have a fixed length, with offenders typically released halfway through if the sentence is under 12 months, or the first half in prison and the second half in the community on licence for longer sentences.
What are suspended sentences?
In a suspended sentence, the offender is given a prison sentence but does not go directly to prison.
How does imprisonment meet the aim of deterrence?
The risk of prison is argued to deter potential offenders, but high reoffending rates suggest it may not be effective. Nearly half of adult prisoners are reconvicted within a year of release.
What is the aim of reparation in the context of imprisonment?
Reparation aims for offenders to repair damage caused by their offences, with some prisoners required to pay a portion of earnings towards victim support services.
What is rehabilitation in the context of imprisonment?
Rehabilitation involves changing offenders to lead crime-free lives, but prisons have a poor record of reducing re-offending, with 48% re-offending within a year of release.
Why do short sentences contribute to re-offending?
Nearly half of all sentences are for six months or less, which does not provide enough time to address long-term issues like mental health or addiction.
What is retribution in the context of imprisonment?
Retribution is the idea that punishment should fit the crime, but it is difficult to determine what length of sentence is appropriate for different crimes.
How does imprisonment provide public protection?
Imprisonment protects the public by removing offenders from circulation, but it can also lead to prisoners acquiring skills that may result in re-offending after release.
