AC 3.1 Flashcards
Explain the role of agencies in social control (29 cards)
social control
-trying to get people to conform to the law
- police – aims and objectives
-reduce crime and maintain law and order
-protect life and property
-preserve peace
-prevent, detect and investigate crimes
-PACE (1984): powers of police = arrest, detention, search, interview
-39 regional forces in England, 4 in Wales, 1 in Scotland and 1 in NI
- police – philosophy
-founder of Met police = Sir Robert Peel (1829)
-prevent crime
-ability to preform duties depends upon the cooperation and trust of the public
-physical force = last resort
-expected to be impartial
-police are the public and public are the police, paid to uphold law
-follow code of ethics
- police – funding
-2/3 comes from a central government grant
-rest comes from council tax
-small amount comes from chargeable services
-in 2020/2021 total police budget was £15.2 billion
-fell by 19% between 2010-2018
-lead to fall of 20,000 officers
- police – policing principles
-accountability
-fairness
-honesty
-integrity
-leadership
-objectivity
-openness
-respect
-selflessness
- police – duties
-begin career with general ‘beat’ duties, responding to emergency and non-emergency calls for assistance
-police community support officers (PCSO’s) have limited powers
-work on frontline, issue fixed penalty notices for anti-social behaviour, provide reassuring presence, do leg work for police
- police – specialist policing
-Authorised Firearms Officers (AFO’s)
-Criminal Investigations Department (CID)
-dog handlers
-Marine Police Unit (MPU)
- CPS – aims and objectives
-until 1985, police investigated and prosecuted criminal cases
-CPS set up in 1986 in response to Prosecution of Offences Act (1985), remove possibility of bias
-employ in-house barristers who present the case to court
-decide which cases should be prosecuted
-prepare and present cases determine appropriate charges in serious and complex cases
-determine appropriate charges
-advise police in investigation
-provide information, assistance and support to victims and prosecution witnesses
- CPS – philosophy
-independence and fairness
-honesty and openness
-treating everyone with respect
-behaving professionally and striving for excellence
-equality and inclusion
- CPS – funding
-government funded – half a billion pounds per year
-recovers prosecution costs from defendant
-recovers criminal assets through confiscation and enforcement
-significant budget cuts – 25% of funding and 1/3 of staff
- CPS – working practices
-head of CPS = Stephen Parkinson since 2023
-14 regional area teams each headed by a Chief Crown Prosecutor
-CPS direct available 24/7/365, provides police with charging evidence
- judiciary – superior judges
- supreme court
↑ - court of appeal
↑ - high court
- judiciary – inferior judges
-crown court
-magisrates court
-Lord Chief Justice is the head of the judiciary
-over 3,000 judges in the UK
- judiciary – aims and objectives
-interpret the law
-apply the law
-manage the trial
-explain procedure and legal issues to the jury
-sum up evidence for the jury
-pass sentence
superior judges will also:
-rule on appeal cases
-set precedent
-interpret unclear law
- judiciary – philosophy
-must be loyal to the King
-Monarch = figurehead of the legal system and in whose name justice is carried out and law orders maintained
-Guide to judicial conduct (2016):
1. judicial independence (free from Government interference)
2. impartiality
3. integrity (honest and strong moral principles)
4. propriety (upholding standards of behaviour and morals)
5. ensuring equal treatment
6. competence (knowledge)
- judiciary – funding
-government sponsored but independent from it
-salaries decided based on recommendations from Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB), advises Prime Minister and the Lord Chancellor what to pay
-2020, Lord Chief Justice received £262k, district judges received £112k, senior lawyers earn in excess of £1 million
- judiciary – working practices
-cherished principle = independent
-judges swear two ‘judicial oaths’:
1. oath of allegiance – to the King, his heirs and successors
2. judicial oath – treat people equally, with impartiality and according to the law
-have security of tenure (guaranteed permanent employment); cannot be removed except by a petition to the King
-salary = guaranteed and can’t be altered by government
- prisons – aims and objectives
-three main aims:
1. protect the public from harm
2. help people who have been convicted of offences to rehabilitate so they can contribute positively to society
3. hold prisoners securely and implement sentences and orders of the courts
-must provide some form of deprivation of liberty
- prisons – philosophy
-“preventing victims by changing the lives of offenders”
- prisons – funding
-government funded, with finances raised through taxation
-2018, total budget was £3 billion, 16% lower than 2010
-lead to 15% fall in staff
-2020, 1/3 of staff has less than 3 years experience
-2019, average cost of keeping a prisoner in for a year was £41,136
- prisons – working practices
-2019, 121 prisons, holding around 80,000 prisoners at any one time
-106 = public, 15 = private
-example, HMP Birmingham was privately run by G4S until 2016 riots, became a public prison
-prison sentences are for high risk offenders, could range from murder to theft
- charities and pressure groups – Nacro – aims and objectives
-help people build the independence and resilience they need to look forward to their futures
-offer practical help, personalised support and advice, campaign
- charities and pressure groups – Nacro – philosophy
-aims to change views towards ex-offenders and stereotypical attitudes towards them
-offers education and outreach projects to help young people who are at risk of criminality
-provides houses for tenants, 2018, provided 2.5 thousand people with permanent accomodation
- charities and pressure groups – Nacro – funding
-reliant on public donations, government support and contacts
-has an income of £50 million a year
