Custodial sentencing and recidivism

Question 1

Custodial sentence

Answer 1

where a convicted
offender spends some amount of time in
prison or another closed institution

Question 2

Four aims of prison

Answer 2

• deterrence
• incapacitation
• retribution
• rehabilitation

Question 3

Deterrence

Answer 3

the unpleasant experience of prison is designed to put people off committing crimes

Question 4

Incapacitation

Answer 4

the offender is placed in
prison so that the public is no longer at risk.
- the need for incapacitation will depend on the crime.

Question 5

Retribution

Answer 5

the offender is imprisoned to punish them and the level of suffering should
be proportionate to their crime
- Based on the
biblical notion of an ‘eye for an eye’

Question 6

Rehabilitation

Answer 6

the aim is to reform and
offenders should leave prison ready to
contribute to society in a positive way
- education, training and therapy are
important.

Question 7

Psychological effects of prison

Answer 7

• stress and depression (self-mutilation and self-harm are higher than in general population)
• institutionalisation (inmates adapt to prison life and struggle when back in outside world)
• prisonisation (some prisoners adopt inmate code, considered unacceptable in outside world but encouraged and rewarded in prison e.g. not snitching to guards)

Question 8

Recidivism

Answer 8

• reoffending
• 57% UK offenders reoffend within a year in 2013
  in 2007 rates were above 70%

Question 9

UK vs Norway

Answer 9

• Norwegian recidivism rates are the lowest in
  Europe and less than half those in the UK
• Norwegian prisons are very different and have more of an emphasis on rehabilitation and skills development
• people label Norwegian prisons as a soft option

Question 10

Education, training and treatment

Answer 10

• help inmates to increase their chances of employment and decrease likelihood of reoffending
• some prisons don’t have resources to do this
• criminal record harms job applications
• some prisoners can complete courses to secure early parole

Question 11

Prison as a political pawn

Answer 11

• politicians know prisons aren’t as effective as a deterrent
• want to appear tough on crime to be elected

Question 12

Learning from other inmates

Answer 12

• inmates can learn new criminal skills from other inmates (especially younger learning from older)
• e.g. things like how to avoid capture
• undermines efforts from rehabilitation

Question 13

Alternatives to prison

Answer 13

• community orders e.g. community service, fines, tags, restorative justice are all non-custodial
• evidence these are more cost-effective and are better at rehabilitating
• avoid negative psychological effects