Custodial Sentencing A03

Question 1

Psychological effects - limitation - negative effects - curt bartol 1995

Answer 1

• has suggested that, for many offenders, imprisonment can be brutal, demeaning and generally devastating. According to the Ministry of Justice a record 119 people killed themselves in prisons in England and Wales in 2016 - an increase of 29 (32% on the previous year (The Guardian 2017).
• Most at risk are young single men during the first 24 hours of confinement.
• A study conducted by the Prison Reform Trust (2014) found that 25% of women and 15% of men in prison reported symptoms of psychosis (eg. schizophrenia).
• This supports the view that oppressive prison regimes may be detrimental to psychological health which could impact on rehabilitation.

Question 2

Counterpoint

Answer 2

• The figures in the Prison Reform Trust study above do not include the number of inmates who were experiencing psychotic symptoms before they were incarcerated.
• Many of those convicted may have pre-existing psychological and emotional difficulties at the time they were convicted (and this may explain their offending behaviour in the first place).
• The importation model argues that prisoners may import some of their psychological problems so we do not know if this is a problem with the prison regime, or something else - such as the trauma of being locked away regardless of what the prison is like.
• This suggests there may be confounding variables that influence the link between prison and its psychological effects.

Question 3

Training and treatment - strength -

Answer 3

• One objective of imprisonment is rehabilitation - offenders may become better people during their time in prison, and their improved character means they may be able to lead a crime-free life when back in society.
• Many offenders access education and training whilst in prison increasing the possibility they will find employment upon release.
• The Vera Institute of Justice (Shirley 2019) claims that offenders who take part in college education programmes are 43% less likely to reoffend following release, and that prisons who offer these programmes report fewer incidents of violence.
• This suggests prison may be a worthwhile experience assuming offenders are
  able to access these programmes.

Question 4

School for crime - limitation

Answer 4

• Alongside the legitimate skills that offenders may acquire during their time in prison, they may also undergo a more dubious education’ as part of their sentence.
• Incarceration with long-term offenders may give younger inmates in particular the opportunity to learn the tricks of the trade from more experienced prisoners.
• Offenders may also acquire criminal contacts whilst in prison that they may follow up when they are released.
• This form of ‘education’ may undermine attempts to rehabilitate prisoners and
  consequently may make reoffending more likely.