AC3.4 - Evaluate the effectiveness of agencies in achieving social control Flashcards
How effective are the police in achieving social control
+ Effective at working in community to prevent crime and keep public safe
- Institutionally racist (Stephen Lawrence case)
- Closed almost half of offences with no suspect identified (suggests lack of effectiveness of social control)
- Crime is on the rise (20% increase in gun and knife crime) but should be used cautiously due to validity issues
How effective are the CPS in achieving social control
+ Independant agency in charging and prosecuting and is a fair agency that follows due process model
- Funding problems has meant it has not always been able to bring social control
- Lack of effort to take action against known offenders (e.g. Abu Hamza)
How effective are the judiciary in achieving social control
- Increased number of appeals following lenient sentences by judges/courts
- Media portrays judges as being ‘out of touch’ with society so they cannot apply relevant knowledge
- Judges have sometimes made inappropriate comments during trials, which has lead to sentences being seen as unsuitable given the circumstances (e.g. a judge let off a thief and commended his ‘enterprise’)
How effective are the prison service in achieving social control
- Prisons have a poor record for reducing re-offending
- Prison disturbances is rising (e.g. riots becoming more common in UK prisons) questioning social control
- Drug use and their availability is increasing
- Assaults on prison staff by prisoners is rising
How effective are the probation service in achieving social control
+ In certain areas probation has been shown to be of good quality with strong leadership
- Reports suggest probation staff spend too much on paper work and their targets at the expense of the prisoners
- Too many prisoners have been released without knowing where they would sleep that night
- Lack of mentors for offenders means they are not fully supported as well as risk assessments not being carried out fully
How effective are the charities and pressure groups in achieving social control
+ Many campaigns work towards an effective penal system
+ Some have designed and promoted topics on mental health and vulnerable individuals
+ Work with other agencies of society (e.g. Police and the NHS on campaigns)
- Effectiveness can be limited by only being able to put pressure on the gov. and cannot force them to take action
EXAMPLE: Howard League of Penal Reform
+ Ran many successful campaigns (e.g. books for prisoners, a campaign to reduce the criminalisation of children by working with police forces and resulted to the number of children being arrested reducing by 50%)
