AC3.1 - Explain the roles of agencies in social control

Question 1

What is social control?

Answer 1

The prevention of deviant or criminal behaviour

Question 2

What are the police’s philosophy and values?

Answer 2

• The basic mission of police to prevent crime and disorder
• Honesty and integrity - they shouldn’t compromise or abuse their position
• Police need public cooperation and approval to perform their duties
• Physical force is a last resort
• Equality and diversity - duty is to impartially serve the law. They don’t discriminate unlawfully or unfairly
• Police are the public, citizens paid to ensure we all abide the law as we should do

Using force may lead to rebelling rather than social control and obeying the law

Question 3

What are the aims and objectives of the police?

Answer 3

According to the Association of Chief Police officers, the aims are:
1. Keep the peace and maintaining order
2. Protect life and property
3. Prevent, detect and investigate crimes
4. Interview and bring the offender justice

These achieve social control as they can stop, question, search, arrest and detain members of the public if they are suspicious and have reason to do so outline in PACE 1984

Question 4

What is the police’s funding like?

Answer 4

In 2018/19 the police budget was £12.3 billion which comes from:
1. 2/3 from central government
2. Most of the rest from local council tax
3. Small remaining amount from charging for services such as policing football matches

Funding has fallen in recent years. Between 2010 and 18 it fell by 19%. Led to fall of 20,000 in police numbers

Question 5

What are the working practices of the police?

Answer 5

• Teams of officers responsible for general beat duties and response to emergency and non-emergency calls from the public
• Begin in policing moving on to specialist roles
• Deal with all types of criminality
• Criminal investigative departments (CIDs) deal with serious and complex crimes
• Specialist operations in police - anti terrorism, firearms, drugs, dog handlers
• Arrest, detain, stop, patrol areas, have power to kill the bill - stop protests if they become violent - PACE
  Section 60 of PACE: Police have the right to stop and search without reasonable grounds in event of serious crimes

Question 6

How do police working practices link to types of criminality?

Answer 6

They work with a large range of criminals e.g., violent, dangerous, petty and white collar

Question 7

How do police working practices link to types of offenders?

Answer 7

Adult, child, first and repeat offender

Question 8

How do police working practices link to reach?

Answer 8

43 territorial forces - 39 in England, 4 in Wales

Question 9

How do county lines demonstrate police working practices?

Answer 9

There are 2000 county lines across the UK. Each county line can make up to £5000 a day. Work across lines to deal with the bigger problem. Estimated that 10,000 children are involved in county lines drug dealing

Question 10

What is the CPS?

Answer 10

Established in 1986 to combat the issues of bias from investigations to the court case. Their role is to prosecute criminals, check evidence brought to them, present the case, base decision based on Full Code Test

Question 11

What are the philosophy and values of the CPS?

Answer 11

• Equality and conclusion
• Honesty and openness
• Independence and fairness to deliver justice
• Treating everyone with respect
• Behaving professionally and striving for excellence

Question 12

What are the aims and objectives of the CPS?

Answer 12

Prosecute all serious and complex cases to avoid police bias from investigation to court trial.
- Advise the police in their investigations about evidence needed to be built for an appropriate case
- Independently assess the evidence submitted from the police and review over continuously
- Decides whether or not to prosecute the case presented and what charges are suitable

Question 13

What is the CPS’s funding like?

Answer 13

Most of the CPS’s income comes from the government with a budget of half a billion pounds per year. It also recovers some if its costs when courts award costs against defendants e.g., fines. It also recovers assets confiscated from criminals.

The CPS has suffered significant funding cuts in 2018. Alison Saunders reported the the CPS budget has fallen by 25% and has lost 1/3 of staff. This led to concerns that it is unable to perform its role effectively

Question 14

What are the working practices of the CPS?

Answer 14

14 regional teams. Each team is headed by a chief crown prosecutor and works with police 24/7 365 days a year. They prosecute, present and prepare cases in court, assess evidence, decide charges and decide based on the Full Code Test

This performs social control because they can prosecute a wide range of criminals locally and nationally. Focus on complex and serious cases such as murder. They prosecute offenders and if they are convicted, they mat be prevented from reoffending through punishment

Question 15

How do CPS working practices link to types of criminality?

Answer 15

• Answer police inquiries, on all types of crime from burglary to murder
• Prosecute indictable offences, either-way cases heard in crown court

Question 16

How do CPS working practices link to types of offender?

Answer 16

• Repeat offenders first time offenders, young and vulnerable
• They work with all types of offenders

Question 17

How do CPS working practices link to reach?

Answer 17

National. They deal with cases across the country. There is 14 regional offices across England and Wales that prosecute by area. They share a standardised practice of applying the Full Code Test

Question 18

What is the Full Code Test split into?

Answer 18

Evidential, public interest and threshold test

Question 19

What is the evidential test?

Answer 19

Is the evidence admissible, credible and reliable?
Was it legally collected?
Is the evidence relevant?

Achieves social control fairly

Question 20

What is the public interest test?

Answer 20

Is it in the public’s best interest to prosecutor the offender?
E.g., more serious crimes, age or number of victims

Achieves social control fairly

Question 21

What is the threshold test?

Answer 21

Alternative - can still prosecute offender if you believe more evidence can be achieved

Achieves social control even if not enough evidence at the time

Question 22

What is the judiciary?

Answer 22

Includes all judges in the country. 3000 court judges divided into superior judges and inferior judges

Question 23

What are the philosophy and values of the judiciary?

Answer 23

Guide to Judicial Conduct to set out key principles to follow when conducting their role which supports social control these are: independence, impartiality, integrity, propriety and ensure equal treatment and competence. Swear an oath of allegiance and judicial oath to promose and uphold the law fairly

Question 24

What are the aims and objectives of the judiciary?

Answer 24

To interpret and apply the law

The Crown Court: Manage the trial, ensuring fairness to all, explaining the legal issues to the jury, summing up the evidence and passing the sentence if the defendant is found guilty

The Appeal Court: Supreme court - judges make rulings on the appeals that come before them from lower courts. This may mean creating new laws e.g., precedents

Question 25

What is the funding like for the judiciary?

Answer 25

Salaries are decided following recommendation of the senior salaries review body (SSRB)

They provide an appropriate decision based on the amount of money judges should receive based on their role.

In 2018, the highest, most senior court judge earned £257,000 whilst district judges earned £110,000. However the mot successful lawyers can earn up to £1million leading people to be lawyers not judges

Question 26

What are the working practices of the judiciary?

Answer 26

Judges cannot be removed from office, unless demanded by the Queen, guaranteeing their security of the job and pay. There are 12 Supreme court judges who set laws and point of law. There are 90 Crown court venues around the country handling local cases

Question 27

How do judiciary working practices link to types of criminality?

Answer 27

• Judges deal with indictable offences
• Magistrates deal with summary offences
• Judges can give sentences: discharge, fine, community sentence, custodial sentence
• Magistrate sentencesL 6 months 1 offence, a fine and a community sentence

Question 28

How do judiciary working practices link to types of offender?

Answer 28

• Adult, child, drug and gang offender
• A judge may give a more lenient sentence to someone who is young or this is their first offence

Question 29

How do judiciary working practices link to reach?

Answer 29

• 90 crown courts - local cases
• 12 Supreme court judges who set laws and points of law

Question 30

What are the philosophy and values of HM Prisons?

Answer 30

Protecting victims by changing the lives of the offender. Valuing victims first and supporting the offender second.
There is more awareness around mental health and more focus on suicide. Suicide rates were high so prisons now try to do more in terms of changing the offender, rehabilitating them and looking after them

Question 31

What are the aims of HM Prisons?

Answer 31

1. Protect the public from harm
2. Help people who have been convicted of offences to rehabilitate so they can contribute positively to society
3. Hold prisoners securely and implement the sentences and orders of the court

Question 32

What is the funding like of HM Prisions?

Answer 32

Paid for by the government out of general taxation. In 2021-22 the government spent £5.4 billion on its prison system. Taxpayer’s money are funding to run prisons more so than any other country in Western Europe.
It costs £48,409 for one prisoner for a year. There were 80,798 prisoners costing a total of £3 billion +

Question 33

What are the working practices of HM Prisons?

Answer 33

Total of 122 prisons, around 108 being public/government funded prisons and 14 being private prisons. The private prisons are run by three different companies: Sodexo, G4S and Serco

Question 34

How do HM Prison’s working practices link to types of criminality?

Answer 34

Serious and violent offences are usually given prison sentences. Offence such as theft are less likely to result in a prison sentence

Question 35

How do HM Prison’s working practices link to types of offender?

Answer 35

Male prison - 4 categories A-D (high security - open)
Women and young adults - closed or open
Youth offenders - young offenders institution (18-21) Youth custody - under 18

Question 36

How do HM Prison’s working practices link to reach?

Answer 36

Multiple prisons in each county meaning both national and local reach

Question 37

What are closed prisons?

Answer 37

High security prison in which prisoners are considered as a threat to escape. Cat A, B and C

Question 38

What is a category A prison?

Answer 38

Those who escape would be highly dangerous to the public e.g., those convicted of murder, attempted murder, rape, terrorism or explosive offences

Examples: Belmarsh Prison London and Manchester Prison

Question 39

What is a category B prison?

Answer 39

Either local or training prisons. Local house prisoners taken directly from court in the local area (sentenced or on remand). Training prisons hold long term and high-security prisoners. - aggravated assault/GBH

Examples: HMP Bristol, Exeter

Question 40

What is a category C prison?

Answer 40

Training and resettlement prisons (most prisoners located here). Provide prisoners with the opportunity to develop their own skills so they can find work and resettle back into the community on release. (Violence, arson, drug dealing)

Examples: Birmingham and Lancaster

Question 41

What is a category D prison?

Answer 41

These prisons have minimal security and allow eligible prisoners to spend most of their day away from the prison on licence to carry out work, education or for other resettlement purposes. Only house prisoners that have been risk-assessed and deemed suitable for open conditions (non-violent or drug related sometimes fraud)

Examples: Prison Ford, Spring Hill

Question 42

What are some general prison activities and routines in HM Prisons?

Answer 42

Aims to rehabilitate offenders, prisons have been criticised for their lack of opportunities for education, training and work experience
Over 40% of inmates are locked in their cells during the day
There are some incentives for prisons to behave and use the time they are given for training and other opportunities such as letter and visits. There are categories to this

Question 43

What are the categories of privileges in prisons?

Answer 43

Basic, standard and enhanced

Question 44

What is the basic category of privileges in prison?

Answer 44

Can only have certain things that the law says you must have, like letters and visits, nothing extra

Question 45

What is the standard category of privileges in prison?

Answer 45

You may be allowed more visits and letters. You may be allowed to have a TV in your cell and to spend more of your money

Question 46

What is the enhanced category of privileges in prison?

Answer 46

May be allowed to wear own clothes, have more visits, a TV in your cell, or to spend more of your money

Question 47

What are some statistics about HM Prisons?

Answer 47

• 2016: Inmate at HMP Pentonville in North London stabbed to death. Weeks later, the same person saw two inmates escape. After that, officers lost control at HMP Bedford when hundreds of prisoners rioted

Stats from the Ministry of Justice show an enormous rise in prison attacks over the last 6 years. In the year ending June 2016, there were 23,775 assaults in prisons a 62% rise form 2010. Attacks on prison staff have doubled from 3000 to 6000 between 2010 and 2016

Question 48

What is the National Probation Service?

Answer 48

A statutory criminal justice service that supervises high-risk offenders released into the community. Work with around 30,000 offenders a year, supporting their rehabilitation whilst protecting the public

Question 49

What are the philosophy and values of the National Probation Service?

Answer 49

1. The belief that offenders can change for the better and become responsible members of society
2. Belief in worth and dignity of the individual
3. A commitment to social justice, social inclusion, equality and diversity

Question 50

What are the aims and objectives of the National Probation Service?

Answer 50

Main aims are to protect the public by rehabilitating offenders, by tackling the causes of their offending and enabling them to turn their lives around. The objective to do this is by working with 21 partnership community rehabilitation companies and other agencies. Work with courts, police and voluntary sectors

Question 51

What is the funding like in the National Probation Service?

Answer 51

35 RPS trusts are funded by the National Offender Management Service funded through taxation and then government funded
Any community rehabilitation centres will be funded by companies or themselves on whatever means e.g., charities or businesses

Question 52

What are the working practices of the National Probation Service?

Answer 52

At any one time, around 250,000 offenders are on probation. The NPS has to prepare pre-sentence written reports for the court on case to help in the selection of the most appropriate sentences from their data and analysis of previous affects. It also manages approved premises for offenders with a residence requirement. They also must assess the offender to ensure the release is appropriate
They supervise offenders newly released from prison or serving their sentence in the community. This may mean they check that the offenders are tat the said address at a certain time if given a curfew. This also may mean that they check the offenders have arrived for community service and complete work. They are there fro emotional support and to check that they are receiving any necessary support for treatment - drugs

They must watch the criminals to ensure they do not act criminally - controlling by the force and threat. If they break rules of probation will go back to court or possibly prison

Question 53

How does the NPS’s working practices link to types of criminality?

Answer 53

Variety of offences - triable either way, indictable and some summary e.g., shoplifting could result in a community order

Question 54

How do NPS’s working practices link to types of offenders?

Answer 54

offenders on community sentences and on license

Question 55

How do the NPS’s working practices link to reach?

Answer 55

Will work with offenders in the local area but the probation service is a national provision

Question 56

What are charities and pressure groups?

Answer 56

Not government funded, bring an independent challenging function to the CJS in socially controlling criminality. Exist to support and defend the interests of their beneficiaries/ Non-profit making organisations and often have tax advantages. Help social control: rehab for drug users, making conditions better for people to reduce reoffending, people less angry

Question 56

What is the funding like for the Prison Reform Trust?

Answer 56

The PRT does not receive any funding from the government and its entirely dependent on voluntary donations to carry out its work. May not receive enough funding to stop crime

Question 56

What is the Prison Reform Trust?

Answer 56

Works to create a just, humane and effective penal system. It aims to improve prison regimes and conditions, defend and promote prisoners’ human rights, address needs of prisoners’ families and promote alternatives to custody. Aims:

1. Reducing unnecessary imprisonment and promoting community solutions to crime
2. Improving treatment and conditions, for prisoners and their families
3. Promote equality in the CJS and human rights

Carries out research on many aspects of prison life to ensure all of the CJS is fair and supportive

Question 56

What is the philosophy and values of the Howard League for Penal Reform?

Answer 56

That offenders must make amends for what they’ve done and change their lives. Believe that community sentences make a person take responsibility and live a law abiding life in the community. Everyone is better than their worst moment. Everyone should be treated equally regardless of background

Question 57

What are the aims and objectives of the Howard League for Penal Reform?

Answer 57

To resolve ongoing incarceration and recall of people serving the abolished imprisonment for public protection sentence. Less crime safer communities and fewer people in prison reforming prisoners and prisons

Question 58

What is the funding like for the Howard League for Penal Reform?

Answer 58

Voluntary and membership donations - subscriptions

Question 59

What are the working practices for the Howard League for Penal Reform?

Answer 59

Lawyers identify problems in injustice faced by children and young adults in prison. Campaigning, research, policy work and work with parliament, media and other agencies in CJS and members of public to attain these aims. Successful campaigns: Books for prisoners won an award in 2015 for improvement of education