socio theories informing policy development Flashcards
(19 cards)
what are the four sociological theories informing policy development?
penal populism, prison, zero tolerance policing, restorative justice
why have many governments adopted penal populism?
to gain public support
how have governments used penal populism?
introduce punitive (punishable) law to be tough on crime
what effect has penal populism policies had?
more life imprisonments. e.g. 130 per 100,000 prison population
what is the main aim of prison?
to control crime and ensure society has its retribution on offenders
in what ways can prison sentences be distributed?
concurrent, consecutively, suspended, determinate, indeterminate
what is the prison population increase in England and Wales?
1991 - 2021 increased by 74%
how many adults are reconnected within a year of release?
48%
- 63% of this served sentences less than 12 months
what is zero tolerance policing?
approach where no crime is accepted and all crimes should be acted upon
what theory is linked to zero tolerance?
right realism
where in the UK has zero tolerance been implemented?
kings cross, hartlepool, Middlesbrough
what effect has zero tolerance had on crime in the USA?
major crime fell by 39% & 49% for murder offences
does zero tolerance work?
works best for a short-term period in highly populated areas
what is a negative consequence to zero policing?
it isn’t as clear that its effective as numbers would suggest
e.g. drug users fell = crime fell
what is restorative justice?
voluntary process - professionals work with victim and offender to go over what happened
when does restorative justice take place?
can occur at any stage of the criminal justice process
what does restorative justice allow for the victim?
gives them a voice and an opportunity for closure
what does restorative justice do for the offender?
makes them more accountable and less likely to reoffend
what did the Ministry of Justice conclude about restorative justice?
85% of victims were satisfied with the process & it reduced frequency of offending
