6. Punishment and reform as responses to criminal behaviour

Question 1

Other punishments:
1. Community service

Answer 1

A community sentence combines punishment with activities carried out in the community. It can include one or more of 13 requirements on an offender. This could be carrying out up to 300 hours of unpaid work, which might include things like removing graffiti or clearing overgrown areas. It could also mean the offender is required to have alcohol or drug treatment – this aims to tackle the reasons why they have committed crimes. Offenders might also be required to keep to a curfew, which aims to keep them out of trouble. Overall, the requirements aim to punish offenders, to change offenders’ behaviour so they don’t commit crime in the future, and to make amends to the victim of the crime or the local community. In 2016 8% of offenders received this.

Question 2

2. Restorative Justice

Answer 2

Restorative justice brings together victims and offenders in a meeting organised by a RJ facilitator. It gives victims the chance to tell offenders the real impact of their crime, get answers to their questions and get an apology. Restorative justice holds offenders to account for what they have done. It helps them understand the real impact, take responsibility, and make amends.

Question 3

Jacobson & Gibbs (2009) - Results

Answer 3

This table compares re-offending rates for 1,151 young offenders (under 18) from Northern Ireland (85% male)

Custodial sentences - 70.7%
Community sentences - 52.1%
Restorative justice - 37.7%

Question 4

Does prison work?

Answer 4

• There have been many negative highlighted regarding the effectiveness of prisons. Firstly, Dooley (1990) highlighted that prisons have a detrimental effect on the inmates - noting that many have suicidal thoughts and that suicide rate of prisoners is four times higher than that of the general population.
  Young offenders and those on remand are at particular risk.
• Leaving prison may mean returning to a situation where the reasons that led to crime in the first place may still be likely to influence them.
• Indeed, Pakes (2009) suggests that prison may have made things worse for them “ A third of prisoners lose their house whilst in prison, two thirds lose their jobs, and about 40 per cent lose contact with their family.”

Question 5

Mental health issues

Answer 5

• Prisoners may also have mental health problems and have developed drug problems whilst in prison. Pakes describes prisons as the “home of the unskilled and excluded”, citing figures from the governments Social Exclusion Unit (2002) that suggest prisoners are:
• 13 times more likely to have been in care as a child.
• 10 times more likely to have truanted from school regularly.
• In many cases, poorly educated, lacking basic numeracy and literacy skills, with many not achieving the levels in literacy, numeracy and writing as that of an expected 11 year old
• Psychotic disorders – Heather (1977) found among a population of Scottish inmates, increased signs of psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions.
• Anxiety disorders – disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have also been suggested among prison populations. For example, Kruppa (1991) argues that offenders imprisoned for serious crimes may experience flashbacks and anxiety as a result.

Question 6

Other punishments

Answer 6

Community service
Restorative justice

Question 7

Features of community service

Answer 7

A community sentence combines punishment with activities carried out in the community. It can include one or more of 13 requirements on an offender. This could be carrying out up to 300 hours of unpaid work, which might include things like removing graffiti or clearing overgrown areas.
It could also mean the offender is required to have alcohol or drug treatment – this aims to tackle the reasons why they have committed crimes. Offenders might also be required to keep to a curfew, which aims to keep them out of trouble.
Overall, the requirements aim to punish offenders, to change offenders’ behaviour so they don’t commit crime in the future, and to make amends to the victim of the crime or the local community.
In 2016 8% of offenders received this

Question 8

Evaluation

Answer 8

• Sample – young people, they may be more susceptible to interventions and changes than older people
• Ethnocentric – Northern Ireland – lots were in for crimes against the state
• Quasi – can’t control the IV – why they there in the first place?
• Useful – indicates that custodial sentences don’t work as well as community service – links to the economy