[Custodial Sentencing] Dealing With Offending Behaviour

Question 1

What is custodial sentencing?

Answer 1

When an offender spends time in a prison (or another institution) as a punishment for their crime.

Question 2

What are the aims of custodial sentencing?

Answer 2

-Deterrence.
-Incapacitation.
-Rehabilitation.
-Retribution.

Question 3

What is deterrence?

Answer 3

The idea that prisons should be an unpleasant experience, so anyone who serves a sentence wouldn’t want to return.

Question 4

What is incapacitation?

Answer 4

Taking criminals out of society, as they are a danger to the public’s safety.

Question 5

What is rehabilitation?

Answer 5

The idea that prisons can reform criminals, so they don’t re-offend (through training, education & therapy).

Question 6

What is retribution?

Answer 6

Making the offender suffer in some way, so they are seen to be ‘paying’ for their crime.

Question 7

What are the psychological effects of custodial sentencing?

Answer 7

-Stress & depression.
-Institutionalisation.
-Prisonisation.

Question 8

How is stress & depression a psychological effect of custodial sentencing?

Answer 8

Prison suicide rates are 15% higher than the general population. Most at risk are single men (under 24 years old) in the first 24 hours of custody.

Question 9

What did Abramson (1989) say about stress & depression as a psychological effect of custodial sentencing?

Answer 9

In 2008, there were 10,000 known self-harm incidents.

Question 10

How is institutionalisation a psychological effect of custodial sentencing?

Answer 10

Having adapted to prison life, some find it hard to cope with ‘real life’.

Question 11

How is prisonisation a psychological effect of custodial sentencing?

Answer 11

Some behaviours that are unacceptable in the outside world are encouraged and rewarded inside prison.

Question 12

What is recidivism?

Answer 12

Re-offending.

Question 13

Why does recidivism occur?

Answer 13

-Prison doesn’t address the psychological problems that causes prisoners to offend in the first place (e.g. poor moral development).
-The imprisonment stigma makes it hard to reintegrate into society (e.g. getting a job).

Question 14

Why may former prisoners want to return to prison?

Answer 14

They have companionship, food & shelter.

Question 15

How did Dawkins (1997) study recidivism?

Answer 15

He said that substance abuse is a risk factor for recidivism.
Adolescent drug users are more likely to engage in violence than non-users.

Question 16

Evaluation points for custodial sentencing:

Answer 16

-Many factors will affect an inmate’s experience of prison (such as the size, the type, the way it is run, the kind of inmates, and the individual’s own personality).
-Davies & Raymond (2000) concluded that prisons do little to rehabilitate or deter offenders, and that despite this, government ministers often exaggerate the benefits of custodial sentencing to appear ‘tough on crime’. This weakens the use of prisons and similar institutions as an effective way of dealing with offending behaviour.

Question 17

Prison Reform Trust (2007)

Answer 17

Prison Reform Trust (2007)
• Many prisoners haven’t reached the levels of literacy & numeracy expected of an 11 year old.
• 50% don’t have the skills required by 96% of jobs.
• 50% have been excluded from school.