Effectiveness Of Agencies In Achieving Social Control

Question 1

The polices effectiveness

Answer 1

+Effective at working in the community to prevent crime and keep public safe
-Police have been labelled as institutionally racist by the media following the Steven Lawrence case

Question 2

The CPS’s effectiveness

Answer 2

+is an independent agency in charging and prosecuting individuals. It is a fair agency that allows a due process model of justice to occur.
-Occasions when the CPS has failed to bring out social control due to funding problems and the amount of bureaucratic ‘red tape’

Question 3

The judiciary effectiveness

Answer 3

-Suggested lack of effectiveness of the judiciary due to the increased number of appeals following lenient sentences by judges/courts
-The media portray judges as being ‘out of touch’ with real society so cannot apply relevant knowledge to a case and subsequent suitable verdict

Question 4

Prison service effectiveness

Answer 4

-Many statistics show that prison service is limited in achieving social control I.e. prisons have a poor record for reducing re offending
-Within prisons, there are questions over social control due to the rising numbers of prison distributes. Riots are becoming more common within the UK prison system

Question 5

Probation service effectiveness

Answer 5

+In certain areas, probation has been shown to be of good quality with strong leadership
-Reports suggest probation staff spend too much time and focus on paperwork and targets at the expense of prisoners

Question 6

Charities/Pressure group effectiveness

Answer 6

+Many campaigns designed and promoting topics on mental health and vulnerable individuals
-Effectiveness can be limited by only being able to put pressure on governments, they cannot force them to take action