Ac3.2 Environment design for Social Control Flashcards
WE'RE FUCKED
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
Definition and examples
Design decisions made in an environment that are chosen to make crime less possible through the aid of the broken window theory and rational choice theory. Some concepts of environmental design are natural surviallance, a safe image/location, terroriality, physical maintance, and cost benefit analysis.
Strengths of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
There are two
One strength of CPTED is it is a deterrent for criminality. The design elements such as natural surviallance makes crime less achievable and attractive to a possible offender. This is a strength as it decreases the amount of crime in a particular neighbourhood.
Another strength of CPTED is the cost. The design choices are subtle and mostly rely on nature and the layouts of neighbourhoods. This is a strength as it allows for security without spending too much money or drawing too much unneccessary attention.
Weaknesses of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
there are two
One weakness of CPTED is there is a possibility for an increase in criminality. Only certain areas use the concepts of CPTED. This is a weaknesses because it leads to an increase in crime in other areas where there is a lack of CPTED.
Another weakness of CPTED is it does not solve or deal with the causes behind crime. It can be argued that it instead encourages it to move elsewhere. This is a weakness because it does not reduce crime or impliment social control.
Gated Lanes
Gated lanes are installed at the enterance of rear alleyways with mulitiple houses. This allows only residents to have access and deters buglars from committing unlawful access. This links to the theory of rational choice as it makes criminality harder to access and therefore less likely to be chosen.
Panopticon Prison
An all seeing prison which was the traditional design of prisons. In this prison there is visibility to all prisoners from the guard tower but cannot be seen through by prisoners in their cells. This creates the perception of where a prisoner may not actually be being watched, but there is a chance that they could be. This perception of observation results in criminals becoming less lively and therefore deters criminality within their cells.
Strengths of a Panopticon Prison
There are two
One strength of a panopticon prison is the constant supervision. Through the use of a guard tower it prevents the need of having a guard keep surviallance on a group of inmates and risking harm being inflicted on personnel. Instead the perception of observation makes criminals more likely to abide by the rules of the prison. This is a strength as it will instill the anxiety of being watched even after a prisoner has been released and therefore reduces the recidivism rate.
Another strength of a panopticon prison is the reduction of violence within prison. Due to the constant supervision overall crime and violence against fellow inmates and staff is greatly reduced. This is a strength because it reduces violent tendencies within offenders which will aid them when they are released.
Weakness of a Panopticon Prison
There are two
One weakness of a panopticon prison is it is argued to be an constant supervision. This can be argued to be inhumane and bad for a inmates mental health. This is a weakness because it may cause negative consequences for an inmate when returning back to society such as recommitting in a short period of time which reduces social control.
Another weakness of a panopticon prison is it does not actively attempt to reform inmates. This type of prison is mostly used to keep prisoners away from society and rarely uses facilities such as education classrooms and prison yards to rehabilitate offenders. This is a weakness because it does not effectively initiate social control.
Supermax prison
The most secure type of prison which aims to provide long-term, segregated housing for the highest security risk prisoners who threaten national and international security.
Strengths of a supermax prison
There are two
One strength of supermax prisons is its ability to adopt rehabilitative practises. This improves their effectiveness whilst still being safe. This is a strength because it allows for social control to effectively be instilled over inmates.
Another strength of supermax prisons is the limited freedom. The high security and 23 hour lock down provided by this prison removes the possibility that the offender will likely to be released or escape. This is a strength because it provides society with a sense of safety whilst also acting as a deterrence for those considering a life of crime.
Weaknesses of a supermax prison
There are two
One weakness of supermax prisons is its lack of rehabilitation. This prison was designed to only lock away offenders from society without trying to get behind the cause of crime. This is a weakness because does not inflict social control effectively.
Another weakness of supermax prisons is there is an increase in violence and criminality amongst the inmates kept there. According to the Human Rights Watch, supermax prisons are ‘thinly staffed, overcrowded, and their improverished facilities breed tension and violence’. This is a weakness because it shows how ineffective their state is and therefore it does not effectively instill social control
