c1900-present: Modern Britain Flashcards
(30 cards)
Continuity or change?
Many crimes have only changed in the means of doing the crime. For example theft has always been a crime but the invention of computers offers many new ways of stealing.
Smuggling
Happened for centuries with Illegal and legal items. In modern Britain cigarettes, alcohol, and illegal drugs are smuggled in normally, human trafficking can also be considered smuggling. smuggling cigarettes and alcohol is considered a social crime.
Cybercrime
Most cybercrimes are new versions of old crimes, what is new is the scale since thousands of people can be targeted in one attack.
Terrorism
Not new, but new weapons, transport and communication means more people are at (low) risk. 7 July 2005 4 suicide bombers claiming to be members of Al Qaeda attacked London, 3 bombs went off on underground trains and 1 on a bus, 52 killed 770 injured.
Timeline of new crimes
- 1967-Abortion Act, decriminalised abortion in certain situations
- 1967-Sexual Offences act, decriminalised homosexuality for men over 21
- 1968-Race Relations Act, illegal to discriminate because of race/ethnicity
- 2005-Criminal Justice Act, more severe punishments for hate crimes
- 2006-Racial and religious Hatred Act, made spreading racial or religious hatred a crime
Changes in society
Multicultural, and more equal. new laws made for changing attitudes. Some activities decriminalised, equality and fairness promoted.
Race Crime
1968 race relations act and 2006 racial and religious hatred act both made certain acts a hate crime. However the 2005 criminal justice act allowed for punishments for normal crimes like assault to be higher if the motive was because of their race, religion or sexuality.
Drug Crimes
1971- misuse of drugs act made taking or supplying some substances illegal. Drugs classified by perceived danger, criminalisation of drugs controversial because some think it is a personal choice.
New driving offences
New crimes due to increase of cars for example:
* driving under influence of drugs
* driving without insurance, MOT, or license
* speeding
* ignoring traffic signs
* driving while on the phone.
Changes in policing
Motorised transport allows police to reach crimes faster, but less police on streets. Some are armed and appear like soldiers, controversial. Now includes women and different ethnic groups.
New special police units
- National Crime Agency- detects and prevents serious organised crime
- Economic Crime Unit- investigates large scale fraud, requires specialist training
- Police Central e-crime Unit- tackles serious e-crimes and raises awareness of e-safety
- Special Branch- aims to prevent all forms of terrorism.
Neighbourhood watch
from 1982- Neighbourhood watch groups have volunteers that prevent and detect crime in neighbourhood. tried to increase vigilance and education to prevent crime. varying success
Move to prevention
Much of modern policing is focused on prevention as well as catching the criminals. Police Community Support Officers introduced 2002 working with schools and community groups. Police also work to challenge extremism and radicalism.
Use of new science and technology
since 1900 rapid advances in technology has helped prevent, discover, and prosecute crime. Radios, DNA evidence, CCTV, Computers, Cars, Motorbikes, Helicopters, and Finger printing has all aided the police.
Abolition of the death penalty
Capital punishment last used in 1964 and abolished in 1998 because:
* Ideas about punishment changed to reform and paying back community being the main aims.
* Controversial cases.
Controversial cases causing end of death penalty
- 1950-Timothy Evans hanged for murdering wife and baby, evidence later proved him innocent
- 1953-Derek Bentley hanged for murdering a policeman even though he didn’t fire the gun and had severe learning difficulties.
- 1955-Ruth Elis hanged for murdering boyfriend who violently abused her for years
Prison changes
- use increased after 1900
- Different prisons for different types of criminals
- since 1907 prisoners released on probation supervised by probation officer and put back if reoffended
- 1948 hard labour and corporal punishment abolished in prisons
- separate prisons for young people
- rise in female prisoners though still only 6%
- Women’s and men’s prisons differ
Open prisons
prisoners aren’t locked in cells, for low grade criminals
high security prisons
prisoners are kept in cells away from other inmates for most of the day
Borstals
set up early 1900s used work and education to reduce re-offending rates. Today’s young offenders institutions have high re-offending rates.
New punishments
- developed in last two decades as alternatives to prison
- Community sentences- working on community projects for example
- Antisocial Behaviour Orders
- Electronic tagging
Rehabilitation
Prisons try to reduce re-offending rates through education and giving work that teaches new skills, mixed success rates and public don’t support ‘holiday camp’ prisons
Conscription
Law that states that everyone who is asked to, is fit, and healthy must fight in the armed forces. This happened. only during the first and second world wars. Conscientious objectors had to make themselves known and be tried at tribunals for their objection to be judged as to whether it is genuine.
Attitudes to Conscientious Objectors
Punishment and treatment of CO’s very different between 2 world wars. shows how those in authority changed views, but general public saw CO’s very similarly in both instances. probably because of the great sacrifices their families were making made them wish others to do the same.
