AC 2.2 Flashcards
Under section 24 of the criminal justice act 2003, what is the purposes of punishment?
Punishment of offenders
Reduction of crime
Rehabilitation of offenders
Public protection
Reparation by offenders to their victims
What is retribution?
‘Just desserts’ - offenders deserve punishment and society is entitled to take revenge on those who violate its moral codes. Punishment should be proportionate to the offence, ‘an eye for an eye;. Therefore, it doesn’t seek to change behavior
What phrase can we use to describe how retribution works?
‘just desserts’
How is retribution an expressive theory of punishment?
retribution expresses societies moral outrage . This aim does not seek to change future behaviour
What 2 aims can punishments either have?
expressive
instrumental
What do we mean by an expressive aim of punishment?
Expressive expresses outrage
What do we mean by an instrumental aim of punishment?
instrumental seeks to change future behaviour by reducing the likelihood of offending
Is punishment focused on the seriousness of the offence or the offender themselves in regards to retribution?
the seriousness of the offence
What are examples of punishments that show the aim of retribution?
Racially aggravated offence may attract an uplift - increase- in a sentence
The tariff system for murder and mandatory sentences for some serious offences if justified because the punishment will fit the crime. E.g. a vicious murder may attract an extended tariff or even a whole life order
What theories link to retribution?
Right realist theories of crime - rational choice theory
Functionalism - durkheim argued that punishment of offenders reinforces boundary maintenance
What is rehabilitation?
The assumption is that punishment can reform the offender
Is rehabilitation an instrumental or expressive form of punishment?
instrumental
How is rehabilitation a instrumental form of punishment?
rehabilitative sentences aim to prevent future offending by changing behaviour
What are examples of rehabilitation as a form of punishment?
Unpaid work under the Community Payback Scheme
Drug testing and treatment programs
Anger management courses
Mental health treatment programs
What are the potential problems with rehabilitation?
Offenders should want to reform their behaviour
Resources and professional support needed
Not regarded as ‘punishment’ by the public.
What are the potential problems with retribution?
It can be argued that offenders deserve forgiveness/mercy.chance to make amends
If there is fixed tariff of penalties, punishment has to be inflicted even where no good is going to come out of ot, e.g. remorseful offender who will commit no further crimes
How do we decide what is a proportionate penalty. People have disagreements about which crimes are more serious than others.
How does social learning theory link to rehabilitation?
behaviour modification programmes, e.g. anger management courses, could help prevent re-offending
How does social learning theory link to rehabilitation?
=behaviour modification programmes, e.g. anger management courses, could help prevent re-offending
How does Eysenck’s personality theory link to rehabilitation?
favors the use of aversion therapy.
How does skinners approach to behaviorism link to rehabilitation?
operant conditioning – suggests that the use of token economies in prisons might lead to pro-social behaviour.
What 3 induvidualistic theories link to rehabilitation?
skinners approach to behaviorism
Eysenck’s personality theory
social learning theory
What 2 sociological theories link to rehabilitation?
left realism
labelling theory