Criminal: Topic Six Flashcards
What is topic 6?
Effects of imprisonment
What is the key research?
Zimbardo’s Stanford prison experiment
What was Zimbardo’s aim?
To test the dispositional hypothesis about whether it is the individuals or the situation that made prisons brutal
How did Z recruit P’s?
Through a newspaper ad which asked males to take part in a study of ‘prison life’
What was the incentive for Z’s ‘experiment’?
$15 a day
How long was Z’s study supposed to last?
1-2 weeks
How many potential p’s were there and what was this narrowed down to?
75 potential p’s which was narrowed down to 24
How did Z select the 24 P’s?
By choosing the most stable as discovered through use of a questionnaire and interview into family background, mental/physical health history and involvement in crime
What roles were P’s allocated to? (Zimbardo)
Either ‘prisoner’ or ‘guard’
P’s had to sign a contract, what did the contract make clear? (Zimbardo)
That ‘prisoners’ were under surveillance and should expect suspended rights (excluding physical abuse)
What were ‘guards’ told to do? (Zimbardo)
To ‘maintain the reasonable degree of order within the prison necessary for it’s effective functioning’
What did the guards wear and what was the purpose of this?
They wore khaki uniforms with sunglasses and carried a police nightstick (to suggest control, power and machismo)
What did the prisoners wear and what was the purpose of this?
They wore smocks with ID numbers and a cap made from a nylon stocking (for deindividuation, depersonalisation, emasculation and humiliation)
After how many days was the study stopped and why?
It was stopped after 6 days due to the zeal of the guards and the deterioration of the prisoners (as the guards became abusive)
How many prisoners were ‘released’ and why?
5 prisoners were released due to extreme emotional depression, crying, rage and anxiety (aka ‘pathological prisoner syndrome’)
What did the study show about social roles? (Zimbardo)
That social role can influence behaviour
What did the study imply about prisons? (Zimbardo)
That the structure and organisation of the prison environment is what leads to brutal behaviour
What did Gillis and Nafekh look into?
Employment programmes
Which correctional service did G and N look into and what did it involve?
The Canadian correctional service that involved a planned employment scheme (to help reduce reoffenders)
When G and N carried out an analysis, what did they find?
That those on the programme were less likely to return to custody during their period of conditional release
Who did G and N carry out an analysis of?
23,000 (approx.) male and female prisoners matched on variables such as sentence length and risk level (Quasi experiment) to see the effect of the employment programmes
What did Sherman and Strang look into?
Restorative justice
What is the aim of restorative justice?
To help the victim to explain impact of crime on their life
How many review article papers did S and S look into?
36
What did the review articles of RJ suggest?
That it works best in property and violent crimes and can reduce PTSD in victims and reduce reoffending
What is probation supervision?
An alternative to imprisonment, the individual is still under the control of the court but is still allowed to live in the community whilst under the supervision of a probation officer
What is a benefit for the tax payer in terms of probation service vs prisons?
It is much cheaper than holding someone in prison
What is community service?
It involves compulsory unpaid work (e.g. cleaning up graffiti)
What are the benefits of probation supervision and community service over prison sentences?
They both lead to lower reoffending than prison sentences
