sociological theories informing policy development Flashcards
what is penal populism?
refers to the government proposing laws to punish offenders that will be popular with the general public
how did tony blair impact penal populism?
prime minister tony blair wanted ‘to be tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime’.
how has political parties impacted penal populism?
political parties have introduced punitive laws to be tough on crime and this has resulted in punishments like life sentences and minimum fixed term custodial sentences. for example, ‘three strikes and you’re out’ idea in english and welsh law, where a third class-a drug trafficking offence receives 7 years & third domestic burglary carries 3 years
what is zero tolerance?
this stems from right realism and is an approach where no crime is accepted.
where has it been successful?
pioneered by new york police and has been very successful. new york police department used computers to analyse crime hot spots
where has it been used in the uk?
king’s cross london, hartlepool, middlesbrough
what does it link to?
broken windows theory. link between disorder and crime, saying that visible signs of decay such as litter, grafitti and broken windows are signs of public disinterest.
does it work?
major crime fell by 39% and murder by 49% in new york since 1993. detective superintendent mallon cut crime by 20% in 18 months in the uk.
what is restorative justice?
process involving the person who has sufferedharm and the person who has caused harm.
what do trained facilitators do?
work with victims and offenders to talk about what happened, who was affected and how and what can be done to repair the harm
does it work?
does work as it allows victims a voice in the system and can make offenders accountable for their actions by allowing them to take responsibility
what did the ministry of justice report find?
majority of victims chose to be face to face with their offender by a trained facilitator, 85% of victims were satisfied, reduced reoffending
