AC 3.4 Flashcards
Evaluate the effectiveness of agencies in achieving social control
Police – do achieve social control
-police powers have increased
-example, have the power to detain suspected terrorists for 14 days
-helps to keep public safe from potential harm whilst conducting an investigation (+)
-there has been improvements in police recording practices
-example, CSEW (2017), reported a fall in crime of 7% (+)
-police have specialist expertise
-example, operations like anti-terrorism, firearms and marine unit
-specialised teams enhance law enforcement’s ability to maintain social control, respond to complex situations (+)
Police – don’t achieve social control
-accused of institutional racism and bias
-example, MacPherson report, made many recommendations relating to the police reform and labelled the met police as ‘institutionally racist’
-allowed police to take accountability for their actions (-)
-could be considered ineffective, some serious crimes have taken a long time to be brought to justice
-example, Stephen Lawrence’s murder took nearly 2 decades for justice to be served
-police may not always be efficient (-)
-failing to deal with the rising of domestic abuse cases
-example, HM inspector of police (2017), police aren’t using bail conditions to protect victim and staff shortages are causing delay in responding to incidents (-)
Probation – don’t achieve social control
-privatisation of service has resulted in government agencies working in partnership with 21 community rehabilitation companies (CRCs), aim was for service to monitor high risk offenders and for CRCs to work with low/medium risk offenders
-example, 19 out of 21 CRCs met their targets, costed government £300 million in additional expenses, 2020 government terminated private contracts
-CRCs aren’t in operation, but low standards and failure to keep communities safe is still there (-)
Prisons – don’t achieve social control
-increase of prison disturbances
-example, Dec 2016, riots occurred in HMP Birmingham, prisoners posted pictures wearing riot gear, stole keys, ‘released’ over 500 prisoners
-social control in prisons = weak and ineffective, shows how understaffed prisons are and how easy it is for prisoners to overpower them
-prisons therefore fail to enforce social control (-)
-there is a wide availability of drugs in prisons
-example, HMP Wandsworth, a documentary stated that prisoners could get their hands on any type of drug, with some brewing alcohol in their cells
-instead of rehabilitating prisoners, they reinforce the cycle of addiction
-prisons don’t deter criminal behaviour or enforce discipline, doesn’t achieve social control (-)
-violence in prison impacts the effectiveness of social control
-example, ministry of justice (2020), 9800 assaults on staff, 5 homicides, 76 suicides
-social control = weakened as violence disrupts order and endangers staff
-violence within prisons undermines social control (-)
-recidivism rates are around 50% within 12 months of release
-prison isn’t meeting aims as reoffending rates haven’t gone down, prison population as slowed down however this is because they are releasing prisoners early due to overcrowding
-prison is only effective at achieving social control while they are incarcerated (-)
Prisons – do achieve social control
-the basic requirement of prison is to hold prisoners in custody
-example, around 80,000 prisoners serving a sentence in England and Wales
-this ensures that individuals are removed from society, crucial for protecting the public
-therefore, prison is effective at protecting the public and retribution, do achieve social control (+)
judiciary – don’t achieve social control
-accused of lack of effectiveness as the number of appeals has increased as there has been unduly lenient sentences
-example, Attorney General’s Office said that 141 prison terms were increased in 2016 under unduly lenient sentence scheme, 17% rise
-shows that judges are issuing sentences that are too lenient, happening more often
-social control isn’t achieved (-)
-suffer from gender bias, fair and consistent social control isn’t achieved
-example, 1989, Judge James Pickles; sentences a man to probation for sexually assaulting a 6yo girl, jailed a women for contempt to court for refusing to give evidence against her abusive ex boyfriend
-highlights biases in the system, if sentencing is inconsistent or appears unjust, can discourage victims from seeking legal help
-weakens public trust, doesn’t consistently protect victims fails to uphold social control
-judiciary = made up of highly qualified and experienced lawyers, have been criticised for being out of touch with society and unrepresentative
-example, 75% of judges = privately educated, 60% are over 50 yo, 5% are from ethnic minorities
-doesn’t reflect diversity may struggle to make fair and representative decisions, leads to biased rulings
-can lead to lack of respect for the legal system, damages ability to maintain and enforce social control (-)
CPS – don’t achieve social control
-criticised for being governmental, ineffective and too close to the police
-example, Iain Glidewell, report (1998), CPS lacked effectiveness, making reference to the number of judge-ordered acquittals of defendants being high
-undermines public trust in the system
-if justice isn’t seen as fair, social control = weakened (-)
-controversial instances of CPS failing to produce successful prosecutions
-example, case of Damilola Taylor, tests weren’t applied appropriately resulting in failed prosecution
-if they fail to secure justice in high-profile cases, damages confidence in the system
-effective prosecutions = necessary to maintain order an control (-)
CPS – do achieve social control
-CPS brings an independent element to the charging and prosecution of offences, separate from police but works with them to bring about social control
-example, full code test, ensures cases meet the threshold for prosecution
-ensures a consistent and fair approach and allows a due process model of justice to be implemented
-ensures social control (+)
-is the main independent prosecutor for England and Wales, aims to achieve social control by preparing cases and presenting them in court, secure conviction
-example, 3 month period, it prosecutes around 80,000 cases in Crown Court and 450,000 in Magistrates
-allows justice to be applied consistently and without bias, helps deter crime and reinforces legal consequences
-ensures public confidence and maintains social control
Charities and pressure groups – do achieve social control
-can be effective as they can help raise awareness and put pressure on the government to change, make or amend laws
-example, NACRO helps to provide accommodation, food and access to education for offenders
-actively help to achieve social control as they actively prevent people from committing crime by providing support and help (+)
-sometimes better placed to reduce offending and reoffending than government agencies, due to strong motivation and specialist knowledge
-example, NACRO campaigned for ‘End Friday Releases’, 1/3 of all releases are on a Friday, means people have no time to access vital services
-use research and advocacy to push for reforms
-effort contribute to a fairer justice system by ensuring that social control measures are just and effective (+)
Charities and pressure groups – don’t achieve social control
-they are voluntary and only exist when people are concerned about a particular group or issue
-example, some are concerned about victims of child sexual abuse, will set up charities to support them (One in Four), less concerned about the abusers so are less likely to set up a charity aimed to rehabilitate them
-mean opportunities to prevent reoffending are missed
-if some groups over prioritise others, social control may not be applied equally, leads to public criticism (-)
