AC 3.4- Effectiveness of agencies in achieving social control Flashcards
Give 4 limitations of of the Police in achieving social control.
-Social control responsibilities: This is a strength because their work results in a huge volume of cases being brought to trial every year, this results in more offences being investigated successfully and more successful prosecutions.
-Current trends: more crimes but fewer solved- This is a limitation because crime appears to be increasing, for example knife and gun crime has rose from 24,000 to 35,800. This results in a lot of dropped cases that the police fail to investigate meaning some offenders go free. Cuts in police budgets have led to many police officers deciding to drop investigations because some more serious investigations have to be prioritised.
-Accuracy of statistical evidence: This is a limitation because statistics suggest that the police are becoming less effective in achieving social control because crime is increasing. However, one reason for this may just be that the police have become better at recording crime. There is counter evidence from the CSEW that the overall number of crimes may not actually be increasing, however, this may just be because police statistics tend to pick up more serious crimes.
-Other criticisms of police performance: Another limitation is that police performance has been criticised in relation to multiple issues including racism and bias. Recruitment of officers from minority ethnic backgrounds has increased however they are still under-represented. Also, stop and searches and tasers are still mainly used against black and other minority backgrounds. The police have also been criticised for overreacting to media-driven moral panics.
Give 4 limitations of the Judiciary in achieving social control.
-Media images of the jury: A limitation of the judiciary is that judges are often presented as old, white, upper class makes who are out of touch with modern society. They are also described as being too soft and handing down lenient sentences for more serious offences.
-Are judges biased in their judgement: A limitation of judges is that they are mainly male, over 50 and from higher classes. Black, asian and minority ethnic groups are very unrepresented. Only 7% of judges are from minority backgrounds. There is also evidence of gender bias present in certain cases.
-Are judges out of touch?: A limitation of judges is that the media often portrays them as out of touch with mainstream, modern society and especially with the public’s view on sentencing. Judges being out of touch could result in their sentencing being unreliable.
-Are judges too lenient: Another limitation of judges is that some sections of the media regard them as too lenient in sentencing offenders. Equally, there are examples of judges and magistrates imposing what some regard as unduly harsh sentences, an example of this is the 2011 riots where custodial sentences were being given for minor theft offences.
Give 4 limitations of the CPS in achieving social control.
-Evidence of success/lack of effectiveness: A strength of the CPS is that they have had some success in achieving its aims for example: typically in 3 months it prosecutes around 80,000 cases in Crown Court and 450,000 in Magistrates Court and around 80% of the defendants that it prosecutes are convicted. However, the CPS to some extent fails to achieve social control by successfully prosecuting offenders.
-Media reports: A limitation of the CPS is that their performance has not always been favourable, there has been criticisms of its handling of rape cases as they dropped a number of ‘weak’ cases. Critics argue that the CPS should be less focused on trial outcomes and more focused on bringing cases to justice.
-Budget cuts: A limitation of the CPS is that they have suffered budget cuts of 25% and has lost a third of its staff. A number of rape and other prosecutions have collapsed as a result of the CPS’s and police’s failure to disocver and disclose evidence such as text messages on victims phones.
-Failure to build the case: Another limitation of the CPS is that in some high-profile cases, the CPS has failed to build an adequate case and this has led to the prosecution collapsing. They have also been criticised for being too close to the police.
Give 4 limitations of Prisons in achieving social control.
-Social control within prisons: the evidence: A limitation of prisons is that critics argue that the prison system is in crisis and they are unable to maintain social control over their inmates. The number of staff cuts in prisons has fell by 15% because of budget cuts, this has made it harder to maintain control over inmates.
Overcrowding is also a huge problem as it leads to discontent and rule-breaking, once again making it harder to keep control. There staff shortages and budget cuts make it hard to deal with rehabilitation needs so the prisoners don’t receive the help they need to stop them reoffending in the future. The security in prisons is also a limitation as there have been numerous security breaches with drugs, sim cards and other forbidden items.
-After release: evidence on reoffending- A limitation of the prison service is that even though one of their primary aims is to rehabilitate, many ex-offenders reoffend and quickly find themselves back in the criminal justice system. For example, 36% of all ex offenders re-offend.
-Conclusion, the evidence on prisons: Overall, the evidence shows that the prisons are ineffective both in achieving social control over offenders while they are in prison, and that they are ineffective in rehabilitating them so that they lead a crime free life after they have left prison.
Give 4 limitations of the Probation Service in achieving social control.
-Privatisation: The probation service has mixed results in achieving social control. The conservative government launched the community rehabilitation companies (CRC) aimed at reducing reoffending. A key part of the policy was the probation service. 21 private companies were set up to deal with low risk offenders.
-Evidence: The CRC failed to live up to the government’s expectations, out of the 21 companies, 19 failed to meet their targets for rehabilitating offenders. This failed to achieve social control because they provided inadequate protection for victims and their children when their domestic abusers were returned to the community.
-Bias: The conservative government had a biased opinion that was in favour of private companies being the most effective way to achieve social control. They believe that private companies can provide a more efficient and cost effective service. However, the private partition was ‘irredeemably flawed’.
-Evaluation: The evidence from official reports strongly indicates a failure by the CRC’s to achieve social control of offenders. This failure also undermines the objective of keeping the community safe, for example where domestic abusers are returned to the community without adequate supervision.
-The National Probation Service: The NPS has been more successful that the CRC in achieving social control. It has about half the rate of reoffending compared with prison. However, NPS has its limitations in achieving social control, for example, there is a lack of professional leadership.
Give 4 limitations of Charities and Pressure Groups in achieving social control.
-Strong commitment: Charities are sometimes better placed to reduce offending and reoffending than government. This is because they have a strong commitment to one particular group or issue and specialist knowledge of people’s needs. They are also strongly motivated to help and may therefore go the extra mile in a way that government or privatised agencies may not. (Strength)
-NACRO: NACRO acts as a pressure group and also a charity that provides services for ex-offenders and those in danger of offending. It provides accommodation for those released from prison and supports them to find long-term accommodation. Homelessness is a major driver of reoffending and tackling it helps to achieve social control. (Strength)
-Women in Prison: Women in prison recognises that over half of women prisoners are victims of domestic or sexual violence. They face problems of homelessness, poverty, mental illness and substance misuse. WIP is committed to tackling the root cause of women’s offending. (Strength)
-Gaps in provision: One limitation of charities and pressure groups in achieving social control is that they are voluntary organisations. This means they only exist where people are concerned about a particular group or issue. For example, people may be concerned enough about victims of child abuse to set up charities, but less concerned about the abusers and so are less likely to set up organization aimed at rehabilitating them. This means that opportunities to rehabilitate are missed.
