C&D- PUNISHMENT

Question 1

What are historical forms of punishment before the 18th century?

Answer 1

Punishments included banishment, transportation, corporal punishment, and execution. Prisons were used temporarily to hold offenders awaiting punishment.

Question 2

How did the Enlightenment influence punishment?

Answer 2

It introduced imprisonment as a form of punishment aimed at reforming offenders, aligning with Enlightenment values of rationality and reform.

Question 3

What are the four goals of imprisonment?

Answer 3

Protect the public: Removing dangerous individuals from society.

Punish offenders: Deterring criminal behavior
and upholding justice.

Reform offenders: Offering rehabilitation through education and skills training.

Deter crime: Creating a deterrent effect for society and criminals.

Question 4

What is populist punitiveness?

Answer 4

Politicians appeal to public desires for stricter punishments to gain electoral support, leading to policies like longer sentences and increased incarceration.

Question 5

What is mass incarceration?

Answer 5

Mass incarceration refers to the systematic imprisonment of entire groups, particularly marginalized populations, such as young Black men in the US and UK. Garland identifies factors like the politicization of crime, the ideological need to manage unemployment, and the war on drugs.

Question 6

What is transcarceration?

Answer 6

Transcarceration describes individuals being cycled through different institutions of control, such as care homes, youth detention centers, and adult prisons, often due to multi-agency surveillance.

Question 7

Criticisms of Imprisonment
What are the main criticisms of imprisonment?

Answer 7

High recidivism rates: Many prisoners reoffend after release, showing that prisons often fail to deter crime.
Interactionist perspective: Being labeled as a criminal limits future opportunities, leading to further deviance.
Overcrowding: Overcrowded prisons result in poor conditions, reduced rehabilitation resources, and increased mental health issues.
Marxist critique: Prisons maintain capitalist interests by managing surplus labor and suppressing dissent.

Question 8

Alternatives to Prison
What are some alternatives to prison, and how effective are they?

Answer 8

Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs): Target anti-social behavior but can stigmatize young offenders.

Parenting contracts/orders: Aim to improve parenting, though often criticized as punitive.

Probation: Allows offenders to remain in the community under supervision, which is cost-effective.

Curfews and dispersal orders: Restrict movement but risk labeling and marginalization.

Fines: Effective for minor offenses, but excessive use can weaken their impact.
Theories of Punishment

Question 9

What do functionalists like Durkheim say about punishment?

Answer 9

Durkheim argues that punishment reinforces social norms and values, maintaining collective solidarity.

Retributive justice: In traditional societies, punishment is severe and emotional.

Restitutive justice: In modern societies, punishment focuses on restoring societal balance.

Question 10

What is the Marxist view on punishment?

Answer 10

Marxists see punishment as a tool of the ruling class to maintain control, reflecting the economic base of society. For example, fines and imprisonment are forms of labor control.

Question 11

What does Foucault argue about punishment?

Answer 11

Foucault describes a shift from sovereign power (visible, brutal punishment) to disciplinary power (rehabilitation and surveillance). The Panopticon illustrates this, as prisoners self-regulate due to constant monitoring.

Question 12

What are surveillant assemblages?

Answer 12

Haggerty and Ericson describe the integration of surveillance technologies, such as combining CCTV with AI, to create more powerful methods of monitoring.

Question 13

What is synoptic surveillance?

Answer 13

Mathiesen argues that in a media-driven society, ordinary people can monitor the powerful, such as filming police misconduct to hold them accountable.

Question 14

What are criticisms of surveillance in crime control?

Answer 14

Surveillance often targets marginalized groups, leading to labeling.
Norris and Armstrong found that CCTV operators disproportionately target young Black men, reinforcing stereotypes.

Question 15

Victims of Crime
What is the role of victims in crime control?

Answer 15

Victim surveys like the CSEW (Crime Survey for England and Wales) provide insights into unreported crimes, helping shape crime policies.

Victimization impacts mental health, financial stability, and trust in the justice system.

Question 16

What are the criticisms of victim surveys?

Answer 16

They may not capture all crimes, especially those involving vulnerable groups like children or undocumented individuals.
Surveys can downplay the structural causes of victimization, focusing instead on individual cases.

Question 17

What is positivist victimology?

Answer 17

Positivist victimology seeks to identify patterns of victimization and factors that contribute to victim vulnerability. Critics argue it “victim-blames” by focusing on victims’ behavior rather than systemic issues.

Question 18

What is critical victimology?

Answer 18

Critical victimology examines how power dynamics, such as class, gender, and ethnicity, shape victimization and the state’s response. It emphasizes structural factors rather than individual circumstances.