Understanding the effects of punishment on recidivism Flashcards
What is recidivism
This is when an offender that has been punished for a crime goes on to commit another crime after being released. Recidivism has been linked to the way in which offenders are punished for their crimes. If the punishment includes rehabilitation, it is likely to decrease the rates of recidivism
What are the 3 main forms of punishment
Prison
Community sentencing
Restorative Justice
Prison
This is where an offender is placed and denied civil liberties such as freedom and privileges for a period of time, determined by the court. The more serious the crime, the longer the custodial sentence. Prison is based on principles of operant conditioning and is a form of positive punishment given to an offender which acts as a deterrent for criminals
Strengths of prison
Effective as it removes a criminal from public life so they do not have the opportunity to commit a crime as they are highly regulated within prison walls
The public is kept safe when the offender is locked away. This can be reassuring for the public and reinforces the moral view that crime will be punished to ensure civil order
Weaknesses of prison
Criminals are exposed to criminal role models while in prison. These role models may commit crimes inside prison and may reward other inmates for breaking prison rules
Prison raises ethical issues as civil liberties are removed from prisoners and some find it immoral to lock someone up for many hour and remove their basic rights and privileges
Community sentencing
This is when you are convicted of a crime and have to do community service instead of going to prison. It is more common with minor and first offences. May involve voluntary unpaid work such as litter picking or painting. Also an offender may be given a curfew and be restricted from certain areas. If an offender does not meet the requirements of the community sentencing, they may have to serve a custodial sentence in prison.
Strengths of community sentencing
Offenders are given a second chance to make up for their crime by giving back to the community. It can also prevent them making criminal connections in prison
It is a form of negative reinforcement as the offender would be much less likely to reoffend as they have avoided prison
Weaknesses of community sentencing
It is seen as a soft punishment. With a recidivism rate over 30%, it is not seen as an effective form of punishment and cannot be used as an alternative to prison.
Over 10% of offenders fail to complete their community sentencing. This may be because they break their curfew, fail to show up for community service or are convicted for further offences.
Restoratative justice
This is a practice that involves an offender meeting up or communicating with the victim or people they have harmed doing the crime. This can help the offender accept responsibility and the victim express their feelings and ask questions. This can cause distress so it often happens at an informal and neutral environment where the people involved feel safe
Strengths of restorative justice
It has a high victim satisfaction rate of around 85% and this shows that victims are able to ask questions and communicate their point of view to the offender which can make them feel empowered
Although it is not a form of punishment, government research has shown us that there is a 14% reduction in recidivism compared to not using restorative justice.
Weaknesses of restorative justice
It can cause distress to both the offender and the victim as it involves personal contact via face to face meeting or by letter.
It can be time consuming and costly
