Custodial Sentencing^

Question 1

Deterrance

Answer 1

Bad designs to prevent reoffending
General: tell society that C won’t be tolerated
Individual: to stop reoffending
Based on beh approach (conditioning by neg punishment)

Question 2

Aim

Answer 2

CS involves sending an offender to an institution (prison, mental hospital) that is closed from the public

Question 2

Incapacitation

Answer 2

Offender taken away from society to prevent reoffending and protect the public
The need for it depends on the severity of C and personality traits of the offender

Question 2

Retribution

Answer 2

Society takes revenge for their C with relevant suffering (prison)

Question 2

Rehabilitation

Answer 2

Prison is for reformation > punishment to leave as better people
Done by the prison providing job and skill training, treatment program

Question 2

Psychological Effects

Answer 2

Stress & Depression
- Suicide/ self-harm rate is higher in prison
- The stress increases the risk of getting a psychological disorder (PTSD)
Institutionalisation
- Offenders can’t function in public after getting used to prison
Prisonisation
- The ‘innate code’ offenders develop when socialised in prison
- This can be rewarded beh, but punished in public

Question 2

The Problem with Investigating Reoffending

Answer 2

Rates show the effectiveness of prison as a deterrent
Hard to get statistics on the rate
Yukhnenko et al
- Reported from the Ministry of Justice and found it’s 45% in the UK
Rates depend on factors (age, country)
UK, Australia, Denmark: 60%
Norway: 20%
- Could be due the importance N’s prison system puts on rehabilitation

Question 2

Psychological Effects

Answer 2

The way of dealing with the offenders can have neg psy effects
The Ministry of Justice
- 119 prisoners commit suicide in England and Wales 2016
Proves prison can be bad to mental and physical health which can affect rehabilitation

Question 3

VS Psychological Effect

Answer 3

studies don’t include data for suicide prisoners who committed already with conditions
The Prison Reform Trust
- 25% of women and 15% of men in prison reported symptoms of psychosis but failed to report
- The importation model argues that their psy problems can be because of the individual, not the prison system
Other variables can influence the link between prison and psy effects

Question 4

School for Crime

Answer 4

CS can do the opposite of rehabilitation as it can breed better criminals
Offenders can learn from each other about techniques for crimes
Can help/encourage them to reoffend
They can also create criminal contacts
Seem more attractive option than rehabilitation so increased risk of reoffending

Question 5

Training & Treatment

Answer 5

Provides T&T for prisoners
Helps meet the aims of rehabilitation
Shirley
- Prisoners who take part in college education are 43% less likely to reoffend
- And the prison who offer those have less violent inmates
Shows that rehabilitation works and contributes to the betterment of society

Question 6

Purpose of Prison

Answer 6

Onepoll
47% of respondents thought the main reason of prison is punishment
Many thought it was not harsh enough to deter
But 40% thought the prison’s purpose should be to reform so the offenders can be put back into society
- But overcrowding and lack of funding were seen as barriers