AC 4.1 (assess the use of criminological theories in informing policy development) Flashcards
Eugenics.
The idea that criminal traits are inherited.
In the early 20th century they believed that the ‘genetically unfit’ should not reproduce and this would destroy the ‘criminal gene’.
Policies favoured Compulsory Sterilisation.
Compulsory Sterilisation.
People are forced to be sterilised to prevent reproduction.
Examples for eugenics.
US Supreme Court.
Nazi’s racial purity.
US Supreme Court.
1927 Buck v Bell made it so it was legal to compulsory sterilise the ‘unfit’ for protection and health of the state. Forced abortions and marriage restrictions.
The Nazis and racial purity.
Wanted to ‘purify’ the Master Aryan Race by eliminating those who didn’t fit.
Targeted the physically and mentally disabled and sterilised 400,000 people against their will.
The Holocaust.
The Holocaust.
Mass genocide of ‘inferior’ races during WW2.
6 million Jews killed and 1.5 million gypsies.
Neurochemicals.
Brain chemistry is influenced by diet.
Research for neurochemical.
Gesch - studied 231 inmates at a maximum security prison in the UK. Half were given daily vitamin capsules and half were given a placebo. Antisocial behaviour was recorded.
Those who took the real pill broke prison rules 35% less than those who took the placebo and serious offences (fighting, etc) dropped 37%.
The average number of incidents per 1000 days dropped from 16 to 10.4 for those who took the pill.
All prisons try to adopt the Balance and Good Health model, providing inmates with a good diet to reduce bad behaviour.
Virkkunen et al (1987) found violent offenders had a lower than average serotonin turnover.
This could be treated with salmon and tuna.
Balance and Good Health model.
Provide inmates with a good diet to reduce bad behaviour.
Capital punishment.
657 people executed in 2019 according to Amnesty International.
Britain temporarily removed the death penalty in 1965 and the murder rate did not increase so it was abolished in 1969.
Psychoanalysis.
Freud.
Patients talk about their thoughts with the aim to access unconscious thoughts which are linked to criminal activity.
For example, childhood trauma.
Psychoanalysis ‘evaluation’.
Least favoured approach when working with offenders.
Time consuming.
Blackburn (1993) said that there were few positives about using psychoanalysis.
Andrews et al (1990) said therapies should be avoiding within general sample of offenders.
Possible ethical issues.
Operant learning and behaviour modification.
Aims to extinguish bad behaviour and promote good behaviour.
Token economy system used in prisons - Incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme.
Prison Reform Trust said that the scheme promotes conforming behaviour through rational choice. Enabling people to earn benefits in exchange for responsible behaviour.
Operant learning and behaviour modification ‘evaluation’.
Fo and O’Donnel (1975) created a ‘buddy system’ where adults were assigned to young offenders to promote good behaviours, this was positive for serious offences but not as effective for less serious crimes.
Hobbs and Holt (1976) said that behaviour modification only has short-term effectiveness.
There is cases in the USA where food is withheld in prisons and used as a reward.
Penal populism.
Government tries to pass laws to punish people because it will be popular in the general public.
As a result, consensus politics - all political parties think that offenders should be punished and to be tough on crime.
David Wilson on penal populism.
Said that it stared because of the James Bulger case.
How does media affect crime?
It changes how people perceive crime, what they think is common and uncommon.
Tony Blair pledge.
Be tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime.
Politics after Tony Blair.
Other parties followed his pledge.
Automatic life sentences for a second serious offence.
3rd class A drug trafficking offence = at least 7 years.
Does penal populism work?
Rise in number of people in prison (45000 - 1993, 80000 - 2021). This is bigger than any other country in Western Europe.
2020 - 76 suicides, 65000 incidents of self-harm due to overcrowding and people couldn’t receive help.
2/3 of prisons in UK are overcrowded.`
Prison - HM Prison Service.
We run 109/123 prisons in England and Wales.
Prison statistics.
Prison population has increased by 70% in the last 30 years.
Short prison sentences are less effective than community sentences at reducing reoffending.
8931 people serving a sentence of less than 12 months were recalled to prison in the year.
Death rate in prisons has increased 50% in the last decade (282 deaths September 2020).
Zero tolerance.
Pioneered by New York Police.
All crimes are acted on.
Favoured by right realists (con).
Successful in NY - since 1993 major crime crime fallen by 39% and murder fell by 49%.
DSI Ray Mallon.
Cleveland police.
Promised to reduce crime by 20% in 18 months or he would resign.
Crime fell by 35% and he was given the nickname ‘Robocop’.
