dealing with offending behaviour - custodial sentencing

Question 1

what does custodial sentencing involve?

Answer 1

involves spending time in prison or another instiution

Question 2

what are the 4 main aims of custodial sentencing?

Answer 2

deterrence
incapacitation
retribution
rehabilitation

Question 3

deterrence

Answer 3

the unpleasant experience is designed to put individuals off committing a crime again

Question 4

incapacitation

Answer 4

the offender is taken out of society as a means of protecting the public

Question 5

retribution

Answer 5

society is enccting revenge and the level of suffering should be proportionate to the crime

Question 6

rehabilitation

Answer 6

many see prison not just as a punishment but an opportunity to reform offenders

Question 7

what are the psychological effects of custodial sentencing?

Answer 7

stress and depression
institutionalisation
prisonisation

Question 8

stress and depression

Answer 8

suicide rates are higher in prisons than the general population

Question 9

institutionalisation

Answer 9

having adopted to the norms and values of prison life inmates may no longer be able to function in ‘normal’ society

Question 10

prisonisation

Answer 10

prisoners adopt an inmate code of behaviour that is acceptable in prison but not in outside world

Question 11

what is recidivism?

Answer 11

the rate of re-offending

Question 12

the problem of recidivism

Answer 12

statistics produced by the MJ 2013 suggest that 57% of UK offenders re offend within their first year
in 2007 14 prisons across england and wales recorded a 70% reoffending rate

Question 13

evidence supports psychological effects Bartol 1995

Answer 13

suggested imprisonment can be brutal demeaning and generally devastating in the last 20 years suicide rates are 15x higher than those in normal population

Question 14

prison reform trust

Answer 14

found that 25% of women and 15% of men in prison reported symptoms indicative of psychosis
this suggests custodial sentencing is not effective in rehabilitating the individual particularly those psychologically vulnerable

Question 15

inidividual differences

Answer 15

not all offenders will react in the same way in prison as people and institutions are different
the length of sentence and previous experiences may be mitigaing factors.
therefore its difficult to draw conclusions that apply to every prisoner

Question 16

opportunities for treatment and training

Answer 16

• many prisoners access qualifications to gain employment when they leave
• anger management programmes and social skills
• this suggests that for some prison may be a worthwhile experience

Question 17

universities of crime

Answer 17

interaction with older more experienced prisoners may give younger prisoners the opportunity to commit crimes.
may undermine attempts to rehabilitate offenders making re offending more likely