Unit 2 - Individualistic policies 4.1 Flashcards
(18 cards)
What is the aim of token economies?
To modify and shape behaviour by extinguishing undesirable, anti-social behaviour and promoting desirable, pro-social behaviour
How do token economies work?
Tokens are given to prisoners for performing socially desirable behaviours which can then be exchanged for meaningful rewards
What behaviours may be rewarded in prisons?
Obeying rules
Being respectful
Tidying their cell
Completing chores
What rewards could tokens be exchanged for?
Sweets
Cigarettes
Phone calls home
Time outside
Shorter sentences
What principles are token economies based off?
Operant conditioning: Learning through consequence
Positive reinforcement: Receiving a reward when a certain behaviour is performed which increases the likelihood that it will be repeated
Evaluation of token economies
Weakness - Hard to continue outside of prison, good behaviour tends to disappear as prisoners are not instantly rewarded, limits the effectiveness if they only work in controlled settings
Weakness - Argued that the rewards given are simply a human right, prison staff abuse their position of power, unethical policy
Weakness - Only works for better behaved offenders, discriminates against the poorly behaved offenders as they are unable to access tokens, may not work for severe criminals who need intervention most
What is pyschoanalysis?
Based on Freud’s theory that a weak superego is the cause of criminality so involves bringing unconscious conflicts and repressed emotions into the conscious mind in order to resolve them
Free association
Analyst gives a patient a word and they respond with the first word that comes to mind
Dream analysis
Client writes down their dream and the therapist will try and find the symbolic meaning behind it to understand repressed feelings
Hypnosis
Patient is hypnotised to encourage them to tell stories they would not tell when conscious
Evaluation of pyschoanalysis
Weakness - Costly, time consuming and lengthy, offenders may lack motivation and dedication if there is no immediate change, limits its scope as it is not accessible to all offenders
Weakness - Traumatic for patient, have to uncover painful memories which leads to discomfort, reduces the effectiveness as it leads to high attrition rates and the criminal is left untreated
Weakness - Research contradicting effectiveness, only 44% of patients showed improvement, decreases the credibility
What is anger management?
A form of cognitive behaviour therapy that believes anger causes crime
What does anger management aim to do?
Change the way criminals think about situations that trigger their anger
How many stages are there to anger management?
Three - Cognitive preparation, skill acquisition and application practice
Cognitive preparation
Allows offenders to reflect on past experiences and patterns of their anger and can identify triggers
Skill acquisition
Offenders are introduced to techniques and skills to help them deal with anger-provoking situations rationally e.g. positive self talk and relaxation
Application practice
Offenders can practice their skills in a controlled environment which could include role play of angry situations with other offenders - successful negotiation would be met with positive reinforcement
Evaluation of anger management
Weakness - Very lengthy and requires a lot of effort, offenders will not be willing to sustain effort over a long duration, only works for committed offenders in institutions that can afford it
Weakness - Assumes all offenders have anger issues, some crimes not caused by anger e.g. blocked opportunities and weak superego, limits the range of offenders it is useful for
Weakness - Low mundane realism, role-play with a therapist in a controlled environment cannot replicate real-life anger-inducing situations, may not be useful and applicable to day to day situations
