DEALING: Aims and psychological effects of custodial sentencing Flashcards
what is custodial sentencing?
a conflicted OFFENDER spending time in PRISON or another INSTITUTE e.g. psych hosp
what are the 4 aims of custodial sentencing?
*Deterrence
*Incapacitation
*Retribution
*Rehabilitation
what is DETERRENCE?
designed to PUT OFF offenders engaging in criminality.
*GENERAL deterrence: sends a message to SOCIETY that crime WONT be tolerated.
*INDIVIDUAL deterrence: prevent individual from RE-OFFENDING
what is INCAPICATATION?
when offenders are taken OUT of society tp PREVENT re-offending. Need for incap depends on the SEVERITY of the offence.
what is RETRIBUTION?
Societies enactment for REVENGE for the crime by making the offender SUFFER proportionate to the SERIOUSNESS of their crime.
what is REHABILITATION?
Aiming to REFORM prisoneres so they can leave prison BETTER adjusted to have a POSITIVE impact on society. Prison provides skills for this e.g. addiction programmes.
what are the 3 psychological EFFECTS of custodial sentencing?
- stress/depression
- Institutionalism.
- Prisonation
what is the stress/depression effect of custodial sentencing?
suicide and self-harm rates are HIGHER in prison populations than the general public population.
what is the INSTITUTIONALISATION effect of custodial sentencing?
when prisoners ADAPT to the norm/routine of PRISON life so much that they CANT function OUTSIDE of prison again.
what is the PRISONISATION effect of custodial sentencing?
when prisoners are socialised into adopting an “INMATE CODE” which are BEHAVIOURS considered UNACCEPTABLE on the OUTSIDE but would have been REWARDED in prison.
what has been said about RECIDIVIDISM?
57 of inmates REOFFEND within a YEAR of release.
UK and US have the HIGHEST recidivism rates of 70% and NORWAY has the LOWEST because they focus on REHAB rather than punishment but people are CRITICAL of this and call it the SOFT OPTION as it does not sufficiently PUNISH offenders.
