Forensic Psychology -> Dealing With Offending Behaviour Flashcards
The Aims of Custodial Sentencing
Deterrence
Incapacitation
Retribution
Rehabilitation
What is deterrence
The unpleasant prison experience is designed to deter an individual from engaging in offending behaviour in the future.
What is incapacitation
The offender is taken out of society to prevent them from reoffending as a means of protecting the public.
What is retribution
Society is enacting revenge for the crime by making the offender suffer, and the level of suffering should be proportionate to the crime.
What is rehabilitation
Upon release, prisoners should be better adjusted and ready to take their place in society.
The Psychological Effects of Custodial Sentencing
Psychological disorders
Institutionalisation
Brutalisation
Labelling
Psychological disorders
Prisons have higher incidences of mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety & suicide
Institutionalisation
Spending time in prison leads to a lack of autonomy, conformity to the role of prisoner and a dependency on prison culture.
Brutalisation
Prison acts as a school for crime and reinforces criminal lifestyle and criminal norms.
Labelling
Prisoners often lose touch with previous social contacts and find it difficult to gain employment because they are labelled as a criminal.
Strength of custodial sentencing
- Justice
- Danger to public
- Education & Treatment
Weaknesses of custodial sentencing
- Higher suicide rates
- Cause and effect
& - Prevention
- Alternative sentences
Token economy
Form of behaviour modification used in prisons. Desirable behaviour is reinforced with a token (Secondary reinforcer), which can be exchanged for some form of reward (Primary reinforcer).
Strength of token economy
- Easy to administer
- Cost-effective
Weakness of token economy
- Unethical
- Psychologically harmful
& - Lack of appropriate training/high staff turnover
Anger management
Cognitive preparation
Skill acquisition
Application practice
Cognitive preparation
The offender learns to identify the triggers for their anger. They reflect on events in the past when they became angry & consider if the way that they interpreted those events was rational.
Skill acquisition
The offender is introduced to a range of techniques and skills to help them handle anger-provoking situations more rationally. Techniques could be cognitive, behavioural, or physiological
Application practice
The offender is given the opportunity to practise the skills they learned in the skill acquisition stage in a carefully monitored environment. Role plays are often used to re-enact scenarios that in the past led to the offender committing an act of violence.
Strength of anger management
- Multidisciplinary approach
- Complex social & psychological behaviour
& - Root of offending behaviour
Weakness of anger management
- Not all crimes are motivated by anger
& - Expensive
Restorative justice
- Survivors take an active role in the punishment
- Offenders take responsibility
- Managed collaboration based on healing & empowerment
- Can sometimes function as an alternative to custodial services
Strength of restorative justice
- For every pound spent £8 is saved
Weakness of restorative justice
- Relies on the offender showing remorse
& - Seen as a ‘soft option’
