(2) AC 3.4 - Evaluate the effectiveness of agencies in achieving social control Flashcards
How are police effective?
Protecting the public by enforcing the law. Use of specialist forces : dog handlers and Border Force
How are police ineffective?
Media mainly reports on the negatives.
MacPherson report said the police were institutionally racist - Stephen Lawrence.
Colin Stagg
Hillsborough
The Puppy Farmer - John Lowe - April 2017, Surrey police criticised for returning a shotgun to him before the double murder.
Disorder in Cromer - September 2017, police admitted they got it wrong. During a weekend of disorder, police reported 37 crimes. At the time they failed to provide support to locals because they classed it as ‘low level disturbance’
John Worboys - serial sex attacker remained free because police officers made serious mistakes.
Prince Andrew - mistaken for an intruder at Buckingham Palace and police apparently pointed guns at him.
How are the CPS effective?
Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 made them independent from police, follow due process, objective approach in charging/prosecuting.
How are the CPS ineffective?
lack of funding, criticisms that it is too closely linked to the police, 1998 report - number of judge ordered acquittals far too high.
Damilola Taylor - inappropriate application of tests, used witness.
Abu Hamza - failed to be charged 3 times.
Lord Janner - escaped prosecution for serious sexual abuse of boys 3 times, CPS criticised for mishandling investigations.
Letters to Victims - more than 3/4 not written correctly: spelling mistakes and wrong addresses.
Paul Gambaccini - claim he sexually assaulted 2 boys, given bail for a year, then case dropped in ‘completely fictitious’ affair. Arrested under operation Yewtree.
How are prisons effective?
incarcerate criminals, protect the public, rehabilitate offenders in prisons, work with other agencies to allow prisoners to return to society.
How are prisons ineffective?
Prison Reform Trust - sentences less than 12 months = 63% reoffending rate.
2021/22 - 3387 prison officers left the service.
2021 - 371 deaths - highest recorded.
70% of prisoners suffer with metal health issues.
2021 - 86 suicides and more than 50,000 self harm incidents.
HMP Birmingham Rioting - call out of National Response Group, lasting 15 hours, prisoners wearing riot gear and stealing keys.
Drugs - Centre for Social Justice -Prisons in England and Wales have a serious problem - impacts social control due to a build up of debts and violence.
Spice - prisoners less likely to engage in rehabilitation, contributing to high rehabilitation rates.
More than 2/5 committing offences to get money for drugs.
HMP Holme House - 2017 - very serious drug problem, 1/4 needed help (HM Inspectorate)
HMP Pentonville - inmate stabbed to death (2016) and 2 inmates escaped.
HMP Bedford - riot.
Ministry of Justice - 62% rise from 2010-2016 in prison attacks.
How is probation effective?
Monitors offenders, protects public, rehabilitation opportunities, treatment, National Probation Service more effective than CRCs during privatisation.
How is probation ineffective?
partly privatised in 2014 - work in partnership with other organisations - CRCs (Community Rehabilitation Companies) - 21 different CRCs.
A Joint Report 2017 - Chief inspectors of probation says staff are focussed on paperwork and targets at the expense of prisoners. Work had a negligible impact and too many prisoners with no where to go = no rehabilitation.
Dame Glenys Stacey (Chief Inspector) 2019 - highlighted national staff shortage, poor performance and effort to keep victims safe.
Irredeemably flawed.
Renationalised (NPS) December 2020 - National Audit Office said problems with part-privatisation had cost tax payers nearly £500m.
How are charities and pressure groups effective?
Prison Reform Trust - working with women’s institute, launch ‘care not custody’ campaign, ensure people with metal illness are given treatment and not put in prison system.
2011 - Secretaries of State for Health and Justice - commitment to develop services
Howard League for Penal Reform - ‘books for prisoners’ campaign received award in 2015, campaign to reduce the criminalisation of children by working closely in England and Wales.
2010 - 2015 number of child arrests decreased by 58%
How are charities and pressure groups ineffective?
funding cuts, cannot force government to make changes, voluntary - only work when people want to see change.
How is the judiciary effective?
Highly qualified and experienced
How is the judiciary ineffective?
Unduly Lenient Sentences - falling outside of a range.
Attorney General’s Office - 141 prison terms increased in England and Wales in 2016 under unduly lenient sentences scheme - 17% rise from 2015.
Ian Paterson - performed unnecessary breast surgeries and made healthy people believe they had cancer for financial gain. Sentence increased from 15 to 20 years.
Robert Buckland QC - original sentence too lenient for someone who had ‘gratuitously inflicted’ deformities on people.
Out of date - Judge Francis Appleby didn’t know what a Teletubby was.
2014 - the Guardian - out of touch judges were to be given lessons in popular culture.
Newspaper headlines - ‘Judge lets former drug dealer off unpaid work because of transport issues’ (Discombe. 2017)
‘Judge lets off thief and commends his ‘enterprise’’ (Court News UK, 2017).
