Crime and Punishment (Modern Period)

Question 1

T/F: Crime has decreased since 1900

Answer 1

False: it has increased

Question 2

What social changes have affected crime?

Answer 2

1. The gap between the richest and the poorest continues to grow
2. People feel poorer even though absolute poverty has declined
3. Standards of living have increased

Question 3

What are hate crimes?

Answer 3

Crimes committed due to a person’s race, sexual orientation, gender, religion etc. based on prejudice

Question 4

How has technology enabled criminals?

Answer 4

They can commit crimes through the internet .e.g. hacking, car crime has increased and drug offences have become a new issue thanks to science

Question 5

What is a new major threat and why are people so scraed?

Answer 5

Terrorism - people are so scared because of the media representation it gets

Question 6

What types of crime have increased in the modern period?

Answer 6

Violent and sexual crimes

Question 7

What does modern smuggling focus on?

Answer 7

Drugs, alcohol, tobacco and human trafficking

Question 8

What equipment do policemen carry?

Answer 8

1. Pepper spray/CS spray
2. Tasers
3. Batons
4. Firearms are reserved for serious situations and highly trained officers

Question 9

How has technology helped police officers?

Answer 9

1. ANPR
2. CCTV
3. Police National Computer (PNC)
4. Cars and motorbikes
5. Radios and communication
6. Identification .i.e. DNA or fingerprinting

Question 10

How have police officers roles expanded?

Answer 10

They are now branching out from crime including missing persons, mental health incidents and providing their presence at large gatherings or events

Question 11

When were women first allowed in the police force?

Answer 11

1920 - they now make up 28%

Question 12

What is an open prison?

Answer 12

This is a type of prison where prisoners are allowed to leave for the day to work in order to prepare them for employment

Question 13

What are some problems in current prisons?

Answer 13

1. Overcrowding
2. Violence and crime inside
3. Deaths and suicide

Question 14

What year was solitary confinement ended?

Answer 14

1922

Question 15

Name some non-custodial sentences

Answer 15

Parole, probation (Les Mis), suspended sentence, electronic tagging and community service

Question 16

How were young offenders (YOs) treated in the victorian period?

Answer 16

They were treated just as harshly as adults, sometimes worse

Question 17

What tactics did people use to prevent youth crime?

Answer 17

1. Military detention centres
2. Reforming youth offenders
3. Borstals
4. Approved schools

Question 18

What methods are used today?

Answer 18

1. Tagging or non-custodial sentences
2. Custody is used as a last resort
3. Counselling

Question 19

What year was the death penalty abolished?

Answer 19

1969

Question 20

Give arguments for capital punishment

Answer 20

It is a good deterrent, it is much less expensive than prisons, it could avenge the murder of someone else and means the re-offending rate decreases

Question 21

Give arguments against capital punishment

Answer 21

Crime had not increased when other countries got rid of the death penalty, if you kill an innocent person you cannot take it back, most murders happen without planning or thinking meaning they cannot be deterred and it goes against religious teachings .e.g. ‘sanctity of life’

Question 22

T/F: The death penalty was abolished all at once

Answer 22

False: the number of crimes that were worthy of the death penalty gradually reduced

Question 23

What happened to Ruth Ellis?

Answer 23

She was the last woman to be executed for the shooting of her husband who was regularly abusive which meant there was a lot of sympathy for her especially as she was leaving a child behind

Question 24

What happened to Timothy Evans?

Answer 24

Timothy Evans was hung for the murder of his wife who was actually killed by the serial killer John Christie; Evans confessed out of guilt as his wife had been pregnant but did not actually commit the crime (Christie had murdered 8 other people)

Question 25

What happened to Derek Bentley?

Answer 25

Derek Bentley had severe learning difficulties and so struggled to keep a job, therefore falling in with the wrong crowd; he was caught in the middle of a robbery along with a 16 year old who was carrying a gun (he had a knife and a knuckle duster but did not use them), he shouted ‘let him have it’ and his companion shot the police officer; he was hung for his crime but later pardoned as he was found innocent and the trial had been unfair

Question 26

Why were COs treated so badly?

Answer 26

They were seen as cowards and weaker or inferior