3.3- examine the limitation of agencies achieving social control Flashcards
Repeat offending - recidivism rates
In 2019, if we take all offenders who had been given a warning, fine, community sentence or suspended sentence, plus all prisoners released from jail in 12-month period= overall recidivism rate of around 28%. On average those who reoffend commit a further four offences each, been gradually rising since 2009. Re-offending rate was 64% for prisoners who had received a short sentence.
Repeat offending - rising prison population
Almost double what it was in 1993, repeat offending is one reason for this increase, like those released from prison on licence will be recalled to serve rest pf sentence of they commit further offence during licence period. However courts are now giving longer sentences (in 2018, indictable offences were on average over 26 months longer then they had been 10 years earlier and average minimum sentence for murder increased from 12.5 years in 2003 to 21.3 years in 2016.
Repeat offending - who re-offends?
The more previous convictions are more likely they are to re-offend (in 2018, almost half 47.5% of offenders who already had more than 10 convictions, offended again). Offenders who served a prison sentence are more likely to re-offend than those who received a warning, fine or community sentence. Males are more likely to re-offend then females, offenders with drug or alcohol addictions, those who are homeless, those with few qualifications or unemployed, are more likely to re-offend. Should bare in mind dark figure of re-offending.
Repeat offending - theories
Right realists argue that ‘prison works’, as offenders are rational actors, fear of being jailed acts as a deterrent to offending. High rate of re-offending shows that this is not so. Marxists argue it is not surprising that unemployed offenders are more likely to re-offend, since they have little chance of meeting their needs if they have to survive solely on benefits.
Civil liberties and legal barriers - human rights abuse
Having fewer restriction on their power to force citizens to behave as the state wishes them to. Critics of the government may find they are not free to express their opinions and are at risk of being locked up, or worse. In 2018, the US department of State’s annual report on human rights cited abuses in Turkey: arbitrary killing and suspicious deaths, forced disappearances, torture.
What are civil liberties?
Freedom of speech, assembly and association with others, movement, from arbitrary arrest, detention without trial, religion and conscience and the right to privacy.
Civil liberties - due process
Civil liberties are aspects of due process model: important protections for the individual against the states abuse of its power.
Access to resources and support - inside prison
Prisons fail to rehabilitate offenders because of short sentences, inadequate resources for education and training, a 15% cut in number of prison officers and release on temporary licence.
Access to resources and support - in the community
Newly released prisoners may face lack of money, job and homelessness.
Access to resources and support - the ‘End Friday releases’ campaign
Over 1/3 of all releases from prisons happy on a Friday, being discharged on a Friday can mean a race against the clock to access services such as accommodation, drug medication and benefits before the weekend shutdown= people having to sleep rough, survive on discharge grant; leaving them vulnerable to re-offending/
Access to resources and support - community sentences
More successful than prison in reducing recidivism, only 34% re-offend within 12 months because of inadequate support for complex needs, inadequate supervision by probation services and failures by the privatised community rehabilitation companies.
Finance - the police
Between 2010 and 2018, overall police budget was cut by 19%, funds from government were cut around 30% but some of the shortfall has been made up by extra funds from local council tax. Led to fall of 20,000 in police numbers and national shortage of detectives. Police drop investigation (sexual offences, violent attacks). Metropolitan police dropped 2.9 times as many cases on the day they were reported in 2018 as they did in 2013. Police may drop serious cases, like rape cases, because they take longer to solve.
The CPS - finance
Between 2010 and 2018, CPS’s budget was cut by a quarter an organisation lost 1/3 of its staff. Head of CPS said police were failing to investigate thousands of cases efficiently (including rape, fraud and modern slavery), both organisations were critically short of skills and resources needed to combat crime. CPS has been accused of downgrading charges so that it can prosecute cases in magistrates courts (quicker and cheaper), offenders get off with lighter sentences.
Prisons - finance
Between 2010 and 2018, prisons budget fell by 16% and staff levels 15%, many of more experienced prison officers left the service. Critics describe prisons as being in crisis (rising levels of assaults, self-harm and suicides), recidivism rates are around 60% within a year of release. Privatisaion may have contributed to the crisis, 2016 worst UK prison riot in 25 years at HMP Birmingham, a prison privately run by G4S.
The probation service - finance
Annual report in 2019, highlighted range of problems, including staff shortages, failures by the private CRC’s and lack of confidence in service by judges, victims, the public and offenders.
