3.4 Effectiveness Of Agencies In Achieving Social Control

Question 1

What’s the role of the police?

Answer 1

-1st at scene
-need to safeguard the public and attend to those injured
-secure the scene
-golden hour, act quick to get evidence and statements
-evidence for the CPS
-detective, investigate, prevent
-specialist dept like counter terrorism and British transport police
-order FPN, out of court disposals

Question 2

Stats to suggest the police are effective?

Answer 2

-12mths to sept 23 6.6million incidents of crime recorded by the police
-17-19 inc in creatures of class A drugs by 13%
-overall crime low
-21-11 10% less than the year before
-5107000 crimes
-8655504 - no of victim based crimes in 22/23, 15.2% decrease on 2019/20
-20947 inc in officers 19-23
-24/7
-43 forces, 27 gained officers, Kent 9% increase

Question 3

Stats to show police aren’t effective

Answer 3

-19% decrease in funding
-6.6 million incidents recorded by police in 23, large amount of incidents so aren’t doing enough to prevent
-10-19, officers decreased by 20600

Question 4

What did the 2017 annual report HM inspector of police show?

Answer 4

-2/3 of domestic abuse practitioners felt police’s performance improved in last 3 years
BUT
-not as good performance regarding DA as arrest rate falling and not using bail conditions to protect

Question 5

Issues of police funding falling

Answer 5

-Factor in whether the police can achieve social control or not
-2010 gov made budget cuts, police dropped investigations
-other investigations prioritised

Question 6

6 cases to use to show if the police are effective or not

Answer 6

-Banaz Mahmood: failed to help her after 5 separate reports, honour crime
-Hillsborough: David duckenfield didn’t open gate to relieve crush. Let too many in
-Stephen Lawrence: institutionally racist, policing by consent, need good relationship with all sectors. Relationship of police to BAME. Stop and searches and recruitment are under rep, disprop use tasers
-Wayne Couzens: staged arrest and murdered. Women trust police less, may not listen,, refuse to stop for officers
-Puppy farm: police confiscated shot gun but handed back 7mths before killings even tho he threatened to kill stepdaughter in 2013.
-Child Q: black pupil strip searched at school by two officers, racism, only 15, taken out of exam

Question 7

What is the role of the CPS?

Answer 7

-Independent prosecutor for E and W
-Achieve control by prepping cases and presenting in court
-full code test: evidential and public interest
-crime control model of justice

Question 8

Stats to show CPS are effective?

Answer 8

-1.4% inc in all crimes conviction rate from 81.9% to 83.3%
-1.8% inc in domestic abuse conviction rate from 76% to 77.8%
-62.9% inc in volume of rape prosecutions from 1557 to 2537

Question 9

Stats to show that the CPS aren’t effective?

Answer 9

-Lost 1/3 of the work force
-large budget cuts of 25% to 30%
-unduly lenient sentences scheme, offenders can’t apply to have reviewed
-dont prosecute rape cases bc long time to analyse, social media case, risk they will lose
-less than 1/3 prosecutions brought against young men result in a conviction

Question 10

Why is the fall in CPS budget an issue?

Answer 10

-DPP CPS can’t sustain further cuts. Digital tech imposing heavy workloads on staff as need to analyse mobile phone evidence and comply with disclosure rules

Question 11

Case examples of failings of the CPS

Answer 11

-Kapessa: criticised for the tests, was evidence but decided not in the public interest. Should’ve have the PI factors put to court
-didn’t charge due to culpability, age and maturity when there was evidence to do so
-Damilola: didn’t fact check 14yr old witness Bromley. Lying.
-Joan Francisco: took 5 yrs for her killer to be convicted. Cps missed the evidence that saw him being jailed for 4 years. Taped her phone calls, body heat etc but didn’t charge him, sued in civil court for death
-Liam Allen: cps drop rape cases to improve the success rate

Question 12

What is the role of the judiciary

Answer 12

-Ensure trials are fair and compliant with HR
-experienced and qualified lawyers
-precedent to ensure consistency

Question 13

Stats to show that the judiciary are effective

Answer 13

-2012: 62 had sentence increased after referred to COA by AG as unduly lenient .
-small no of appeals to CCRC, 548 overturned and 219 upheld. 29569 cases received in total.
-aim to complete 85% within 1st 12 mths

Question 14

Case studies to show if judiciary were or weren’t effective?

Answer 14

-R v Ponting: civil servant leaking info, jury refused to convict despite judge saying no defence
-R v Wang: binding precedent from SC that judge can’t direct or I trust a jury to return guilty verdict. Sowrd and knife in bag, judge directed to find guilty
-Lavinia Woodward: bias as she was an oxford medical student, stabbed bf and got away with it

Question 15

Stereotypes for judges and why an issue

Answer 15

-Old upper class males, not in touch
-Biased, old attitudes
-Narrow and unrep of society
-May give verdicts based on their own opinions
-71% male
-50% over 50
-only 5% BAME
-74% priv education
-biased towards those from similar background

Question 16

Unduly lenient sentences scheme

Answer 16

-V’s, Prosecutors and public can apply to AG to have sentenced reviewed
-serious offences like murder robbery and rape
-Few apps made
-2017: 173 cases referred COA, 137 had sentences increased. Suggests that in general not unduly lenient

Question 17

Case example of an unduly harsh sentence

Answer 17

London riots, 6mth prison sentence for stealing £3.50 of water

Question 18

Role of the prison service

Answer 18

-Achieve control by punishing and rehabilitating
-control prisoners whilst in prison
-not v effective

Question 19

Stats to show prisons are effective

Answer 19

-Public protection: 21-22 only 1 escaped from HMPPS, but 11 from contractor escorts and 95 from absconds Shows prison is more secure
-Jan to march 2021, 3% decrease in juveniles reoffending
-in last 3 yrs funding in CJS has increased

Question 20

Stats to show that prisons are not effective

Answer 20

-15% prison officers lost their jobs
-recidivism is 55.5% for sentences less than 12 months
-Winston green riots 2016: 4 wings, 400 prisoners, 12 hrs chaos, 230-400 prisoners were transferred. Climbed on safety netting, could be due to spice etc. G45
-Shrewsbury prison overcrowded by 85% in 2007
-prison population almost doubled
-2018: 58% prisons overcrowded
-recidivism 46% within a year, 59% if less than 12 month sentence

Question 21

Role of probation

Answer 21

-Monitor offenders on license
-Supervise they dont break conditions of their release
-supervise that they attend the necessary treatment

Question 22

What is a CRC and how many failed to meet targets?

Answer 22

-Priv company paid to oversee probation
-19/21 failed to meet target
-NPS met 70% housing needs whereas CRC only met 54%
-only supervised over the phone with CRC’s

Question 23

What suggests that probation is more effective than prison?

Answer 23

-1/2 rate of reoffending compared to prison
-inc in staffing in probation in recent years

Question 24

What backgrounds do probation officers come from?

Answer 24

-Teachers, police and legal experts so have holistic and multi-agency approach

Question 25

case studies showing that NPS aren’t effective

Answer 25

-Joseph McCann: was released from prison then murdered and raped someone
-Usman Khan: Keir starmer who was in charge of CPS: agreed to plea bargaining so could only be charged with one offence, if had convicted of all offences then still would’ve been locked up when the London terrorism attack occurred.
-Leroy Campbell released and raped and murdered a nurse
-Alex Malcolm attacker: mother’s bf beat to death bc he lost his shoe. On probation for abuse of prev gf, mother not aware

Question 26

Stat to suggest NPS not effective?

Answer 26

-M of Justice: 262347 offenders on probation orders, 1% higher than prev year (June 17)

Question 27

Role of charities and pressure groups

Answer 27

-Funded by donors who work to help particular groups
-some with offenders: access to justice foundation so that can get legal help for a fair trial,
-Fairer sentences or conditions in prison or when released: Howard league for penal reform, NACRO, women in prison
-eg nacros ban the box and Friday release
-Pressure groups lobby the gov to make changes
-Penal reform charities make sure people are treated fairly

Question 28

Stats to suggest that charities and pressure groups are effective

Answer 28

-inquest: 40 yrs old, review of deaths in police custody, looked at grenfell and legal aid. Raised £1.05m from donations and legacies

Question 29

Why do charities help rehabilitate more than the gov?

Answer 29

-Understand their issues better and work with offenders, more committed as they believe
-focus on offenders and not the money
-on the offenders side-
-more time

Question 30

How effective is NACRO?

Answer 30

-2017-2018 helped 38000 people and moved 71% to sustainable accommodation

Question 31

How effective is the prison reform trust?

Answer 31

-march 23 total income of £684919 from grants and donations
-eg out of trouble, trying to reduce the number of young people in prison

Question 32

How effective is the Howard league for penal reform?

Answer 32

-Runs campaigns like books for prisoners which won a charity award in 2015

Question 33

How effective is women matta?

Answer 33

-Secured funding from the big lottery fund in 2010

Question 34

What limits what charities can achieve?

Answer 34

-Only exist where enough people are rlly concerned about an issue
-need to have generous donations, people tend to donate to cancer etc not charities for prisoners
-media less likely to show positives of penal reform