Crime-reduction prevention and policy-making Flashcards

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1
Q

1980s conservative crime policy
James Q Wilson (Right Realism)

A

Margaret Thatcher’s conservative government in power during 1980s and its approach to reducing crime was influenced by “the new right”, in particular “right realist” criminology.
James W Wilson was popular due to it being ‘no-nonsense’:
- existing theories on criminals are too soft on them.
- too many excuses made for criminal behaviour, preventing individuals from taking responsibility.
- Wilson thinks it important to understand the main causes of crime before tackling crime itself.

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2
Q

Causes of crime

A

BIOLOGY - men more aggressive and exposed to violence - biology must not be considered an excuse for crime, it is their duty to control temper etc.
POOR SOCIAL CONTROL - Travis Hirschi - people who lack strong bonds to society have less moral conscience, people seek “immediate gratification” often making people selfish explaing them committing crime.
OVERLY GENEROUS GOVERNMENT WELFARE - Charles Murray - we are too tolerant of people who break social norms and values - lazy people who cant be bothered to get a job who breed the “underclass” are the cause of crime.

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3
Q

How do we tackle crime
Rational choise etc.

A

right realists consider crime a “rational choice” - the criminal think about pros and cons of the crime before committing it.
“situational crime prevention” strategies, include:
- target hardening - making it harder to commit crime
- cctv cameras etc.
EVAL - crime is not always a “rational choice” - some crimes are committed without much forethought especially due to raw emotions or alcohol and drugs are involved.

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4
Q

Marcus Felson (1998)

A

explored way right realists views are put into practice with success.
> he uses New York transport as an example where people used the sinks to wash and bath
> to tackle this authorities follow right realist advice in adopting “target hardening” ideas - large basins were replaced with much smaller basins preventing people bathing in them.
EVAL - right realists ignore the root causes of crime - they only look at responding to criminal behaviour not exactly preventing it in the first place.

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5
Q

“target-hardening”

A

For example:
> anti-climb paint
> burglar alarms installed to houses
> installing gates on drive ways
> electronic access to doors etc.

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6
Q

Surveillance in society
Michael Foucalt (1977)

A

Michael Foucault - Panopticon principle:
> points out that in the past peoples behaviour was controlled by brutal, physical oppression.
> today less emphasis is put on reacting to crime, and instead more emphasis is place on preventing it - surveillance is a way of achieving this aim.
PANIOPTICON PRINCIPLE:
> draws upon a prison design used in USA - prisoner cells face inwards to look at central guard tower , they can always see tower but not if people are there watching - this acts a “self-surveillance” don’t know so they act cautious incase someone is watching.
EVAL - surveillance doesnt prevent crime - it might only displace the crime to another location where surveillance is not present.

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7
Q

Synoptic surveillance

A
  • rise of social media - allows people to spy on each other on apps - this is “synoptical surveillance”.
  • another example is allowing individuals to police each others behaviour includes in car ‘dash cams’ - act as a form of ‘deterrance’ to people committing crime against them.
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8
Q

Feeley and Simon (1994)

A

argued a new “technology of power” has emerged - whereby the state can monitor whole groups of people in an attempt to cut offending rates.
> airport security scanners, for example gather data on passengers about age, sex, ethnicity etc. to find ‘high-risk’ groups to stop and search them for safety.
> this form of “social sorting” allows state to place whole groups under ‘categorical suspicion’
> this is a preventative crime reduction strategy, but one that be open to abuse

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9
Q

Strengthening informal social control

A

right realists in the 1980s also put forward advice to the conservative-led government to strengthen informal social controls too.
> this involves encouraging communities to play their part in preventing crime - police cannot fight crime alone.
This is influenced by the “broken windows theory”:
> James Q Wilson with George Kelling, use this concept to highlight the need to tackle even the slightest signs of anti-social behaviour immediately - if it left for somebody else to deal with, little gets done - resulting in further anti-social acts and “spiralling into decay”
> this invites more deviance resulting in places getting a negative reputation.
EVAL - is there hard evidence to show that “broken windows” theory is effective
EVAL - “broken windows” theory is ineffective in preventing certain crimes - it doesn’t tackle serious crimes like murder, rape and terrorism - therefore it is limited.

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10
Q

EVALUATING RIGHT REALISM

A

EVAL - have right realists helped create a “big brother” society - people are continually watched by cctv therefore little privacy challenging human rights
EVAL - right realist views discredited by modern evidence - rather than looking at biology critics claim they should look at issues like inequality + poverty
EVAL - effectiveness of prison is over-exaggerated - more than 50% of offenders end up back in prison within two years of being released.

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11
Q

New Left Realism

A

highlights the way that it provides to provide workable, practical solutions to experiences of crime people in working class experience.

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