AC3.1 - Role of Agencies in Social Control Flashcards
Prison’s role in general social control?
Aims and objectives:
- Keep those sentenced to prison terms in custody
Funding
- Government funded
- Taxpayers pay more to run prisons that other major countries (£87 per day)
- 2015 - budget was £3.4 billion
Working practices:
- Types of criminality
- Reach
- Types of offenders
Prison’s working practices?
Types of criminality:
- Divided into different categories depending on the level of security needed (A-D)
Reach: - most are run by HM prison service:
- 109 of 123 are organised on this basis and run by the national offender management service.
- 14 private prisons which are contracted to the private security company G4S
Types of offenders:
- All prisoners enter prison at a standard level. they need to be well behaved to move up to an enhanced level - gives certain rights/activities
Prisons role in external social control?
Coercion
Will hold you against your will to ensure that behaviour is in a controlled environment
Individual deterrence
Continued threat of a prison sentence for future breaking of the law (suspended sentence)
General deterrence
Fear of consequences of a prison sentence (loss of employment)
Length of sentence
The possibility of a substantial term of imprisonement can act as an individual & general deterrence
Charities role in social control?
Aims and objectives
- Support and defend the interests of their beneficiaries
- They are non-profitmaking organisations and often enjoy some tax advantages from the governments
Funding
- All funded either via donations or governmental grants
- They often rely on volunteers to carry out their work
Working practices
- different charities have different working practices
- Two examples of charities are:
- NACRO
- Prison reform trust
NACRO’s role in social control?
Aims and objective
- Change lives, build stronger communities and reduce crime.
- Supports people with mental illness, in custody, have drug addictions, young people and veterans
Funding
- Received income from government grants and contracts as well as income from donations and charitable activities
Philosophy
- To focus on outcomes, and to be courageous, inspiring, reliable and proud
Working practices
- Offering support online for matters such as ressettlement advice. Develop individually tailored resettlement action plans for people
- Offer apprenticeships, traineeships and work programmes
Prison Reform Trust’s role in social control?
Aims and objectives
- Create a just, humane and effective penal system
- Reduce unecessary imprisonment and promote community solutions to crime.
- Improve treatment and conditions for prisoners and their families and to promote equality and humans rights in the cjs
Funding
- Do not receive funding from the government and are entirely dependent on voluntary donations
Working practices
- carry out research on prison life and run campaigns to improve the penal system
- ‘out of trouble’ - sought to reduce the number of children and young people in prison
Police role in social control?
Aims & Objectives
- Investigate crime, arrest, detain and question
- Monitor all criminal activity
Funding
- Divided into force areas that manage their own budget
- Mainly comes from government grants and council tax
Philosophy
- Reduce crime and preserve life
Working practices
- Types of criminality
- Types of offenders
- Reach
Police working practices?
Types of criminality
- Officers work on patrol and general duties in each force area
Types of offenders
- Many people opt for more specialised areas of work including drug squad, dog handlers, firearms, terrorism
Reach
- Police service have national and local reach divided into 43 territorial police force areas (39 England, 4 Wales) - Heddlu De Cymru
- Specialist branches - BTP
Police role in Social control?
Coercion
- Police could use their power to achieve desired result
Threat of Action
- Threat of arrest an detention control both individual and general deterrence
Fear of consequences
- Consequences may result in loss of a job, relationship or housing problems
Court Action
- If court proceedings follow from police ation serve as general deterrent
Shame and embarrassment
- shame of being arrested and questioned by police
Probation role in social control?
Aims & Objectives
- protect the public by the effective rehabilitation of high risk offenders by tackling cause of offending
Funding
- 35 probation trusts, NPS wass funded by national offendder managment service.
- Community rehabilitation are businesses and self-funding
Philosophy
- Enabling offenders to turn their lives around
Working practices
- Types of criminality
- Types of offender
- Reach
Working practices of probation?
Types of criminality
- deal with all types of criminality
- Have left involvement with minor offences (speeding)
- Pre-sentence reports
- Manage approved premises for offenders with a residence requirement
- Assess offenders in prison to prepare them for release
Types of offender
- Different types of offenders, may specialise with certain types
Reach
- National and local reach with 42 areas and 25 trusts
Probation role in external control?
Coercion
- Breach terms, sent back to prison
Individual deterrence
- Continued threat of custody for future breaking of the law
General deterrence
- Fear that probation order be given together with the restrictions and conditions it imposes
CPS role in social control?
Aims & Objectives
- police only investigated prior to the prosecution of offences act (1985)
- CPS became principle prosecuting authority with police maintaining investigatory role
Funding
- Government funded
- 2016-17 budget was over £500 million
Philosophy
- Pursue successful prosecution of offenders
Working practices
- Types of criminality
- Types of offenders
- Reach
Working practices of CPS?
Types of criminality
- A code of practice is used to help decide if a prosecutio should take place - evidence test and public interest). If not enough evidence, threshold test can be applied
Types of offender
- Different types of offenders, may specialise with different types of cases
Reach
- National and local reach consisting of 13 geographical areas
- CPSDirect available 24/7
CPS role in external control?
Coercion
- commit an offence, CPS will prosecute you
Individual deterrence
- continued threat of being prosecuted
General deterrence
- Fear of implication of prosecution
