short answer questions Flashcards
(11 cards)
explain concept social construction of crime
a crime is the breaking of a criminal law; however, crime is a contested concept as many criminologists have argued and accepted that crime is a social construction. this means that our perception of crime and criminality is shaped by our experiences, the media and popular culture, society decides what is crime and what should be agreed as being illegal. crime is defined differently in different societies and changes over time. for example, laws around gay marriage have changed over the years, with many countries gradually moving from banning same sex marriage to recognising it legally, starting in the Netherlands in 2001 and expanding globally. the social construction of crime shows how crime is not fixed but shaped by social values, laws, and those in power. Tim Newburn (2017) says that crime is something that is the product of culturally bounded social interaction
explain two methods for measuring crime in england/Wales
police recorded crime
in England and Wales there are two main official methods for measuring crime, one is the police recorded crime (PRC) this includes crime reported to and recorded by the police however there is limited range of criminal activity as the offences are grouped in nine categories such as violence, homicide and robbery. however, police recorded crime does not always give the full picture of crime trends as unreported crimes are not included as well as some minor crimes such as road traffic offences
explain two methods for measuring crime in England/Wales
crime survey
the other method for measuring crime is the crime survey for England and Wales (CSEW) also know as the victimisation survey, this was first introduced in 1982 as a way to deal with the ‘dark figure’ of crime. it is a household survey which asks people questions about their experiences of crime, including unreported incidents. the purpose of the survey is to give a fuller picture of actual crime levels, however there are limitations as it is predominantly based on interviews with adults and does not include business, the homeless of students living in halls of residence or anyone under the age of 16. the survey also does not include victimless crimes such as drugs or traffic offences
briefly explain what is meant by plural policing
plural policing is a term that describes that the police cannot work on their own as the role agency to deal with the wide range of issues that they are expected to deal with in the present day. it draws on the idea of a mixed economy and so it also sometimes referred to as mixed economy policing. plural policing relates to the wide range of other agencies, both public, private and charity work towards the generic aim of law enforcement. this is an international phenomenon. they work alongside or instead of the police to help maintain safety and order examples of this is security, MI5, MI6, GCHQ, citizen policing such as police volunteers and private security industry
explain packers two models of criminal justice discussed by Newburn
one of the most influential analysis of criminal justice, by Herbert Packer 1968 distinguishes between two ideal-typical models: due process and crime control. the essential elements of these two ideal types are as follows
explain packers two models of criminal justice discussed by Newburn
Due process
the obstacle course
presumption of innocence
rights to a fair trial
equality before the law
defendants right
explain packers two models of criminal justice discussed by Newburn
crime control
the conveyor belt
guilt implied
legal control minimal
system designed to aid police
crime fighting is key
briefly explain the key features of an adversarial justice system
an adversarial justice system is a legal system where two opposing sides - the prosecution and the defence - present their cases to an impartial judge or jury. key features include: each side gathers and presents evidence, the judge acts a neutral referee, and the outcome is decided based on the arguments and evidence presented in court
briefly explain the key features of an adversarial justice system
the basic features are:
- accused presumed innocent
- prosecution have to prove case beyond reasonable doubt
- accused has right to silence and does not have to be questioned
- jury.magistrates decide innocence or guilt
- impartial judge/magistrates acting as referee
- competition between legal teams defence and prosecution
explain the four main types of adult prisons in England and Wales
the four main types of adult prisons in England and Wales are:
category A high security prisons for the most dangerous offenders who pose a risk to the public or national security
category B prisons for this who do not require maximum security but still pose a significant escape risk
category C lower security prisons for prisoners who are unlikely to escape but cannot be trusted in open conditions
category D open prisons for low-risk prisoners, often nearing the end of their sentence, with more freedom and access to work or training outside
there are 4 main types of adult prison
reception prisons (also called local prisons) mainly take prisoners sent from courts in the local area when they have been placed on remand awaiting trial or have been convicted and are awaiting sentence
training prisons can be category B or C and are designed to accommodate offenders at their corresponding category
resettlement prisons can be category C or category D (open) prisons. these prisons prepare prisoners for release. in an open prison some prisoners can leave to go to work or training or visit their family
high security prisons, which can serve all three functions, can hold category A prisoners or those serving longer sentence
