Forensics

Question 1

Custodial sentencing

Answer 1

A judicial sentence determined by a court where the offender is punished by serving time in prison or some other closed institution.

Question 2

Recidivism

Answer 2

Refers to reoffending 57% of uk offenders will reoffend within a year of release. Some of the highest rates of recidivism in the world along with the US. Countries like Norway have lower rates as their systems are based on rehabilitation.

Question 3

Aims of custodial sentencing- Deterrence

Answer 3

Prison is designed to put of society from committing crime.
Individual deterrence puts of an indervidual from reoffending due to their experience.
General deference sends a message to society at large.
Based on the behaviourist idea of conditioning through punishment.

Question 4

Aims of custodial sentencing- Incapacitation

Answer 4

Offender removed from society to protect the public. Key depending on the crime such as the difference between a murderer and an elderly tax evasions.

Question 5

Aims of custodial sentencing- Retribution

Answer 5

Society enacting revenge for the crime by making the offender suffer which should be proportionate to the severity of the crime.

Question 6

Aims of custodial sentencing- Rehabilitation

Answer 6

Many see the main objective of prison to reform rather than punish meaning that offenders will leave prison better adjusted and ready to take their place back in society.

Question 7

Psychological effects of custodial sentencing- Stress and depression

Answer 7

Suicide rates are considerably higher in prison than the general population. Stress increases risk of psychological disturbance following release.

Question 8

Psychological effects of custodial sentencing- Institutionalisation

Answer 8

Having adapted to the norms and routines of prison life inmates may become so accustomed to these that they are no longer able to function on the outside.

Question 9

Psychological effects of custodial sentencing-Prisonisation

Answer 9

Prisoners are socialised into adopting an inmate code which may contrast to acceptable behaviour in the outside world.

Question 10

Custodial sentencing limitation- Evidence supports psychological effects

Answer 10

Bartol suggests prison can be devastating for prisoners. Suicide rates around 15x higher than the general population. 25% of women and 15% of men experience symptoms of psychosis in prison. This suggests that it may bring out psychological disorders in those that are vulnerable.

Question 11

Custodial sentencing strength- Opportunities for training and treatment

Answer 11

Rehabilitation based on the idea that offenders may become better people during their time in prison. Many prisoners access education while incarcerated meaning they are more likely to find employment on release as well as anger management and social skills. This suggests prison may be a worthwhile experience. However some prisons do not have these resources.

Question 12

Custodial sentencing limitation- school for crime

Answer 12

One limitation is it may cause offender to become better offenders
-may have legitimate skills taught to them in prison and may give younger offenders time to learn the tricks of the trade from more experienced older offenders and give them criminal contacts
this may undermine attempts to rehabilitate prisoners

Question 13

what is behaviour modification?

Answer 13

Application of the behaviourist approach to treatment, based on the principles of opperant conditioning, if all behaviour is learned it should be possible to unlearn it. Aims to reinforce obedient behaviour in offenders whilst punishing disobedience in the hope that the former continues.

Question 14

what is a Token economy?

Answer 14

Based on operant conditioning, involves reenforcing positive behaviour with a token that can be exchanged for a secondary reinforcer. Given a token each time they perform desirable behaviour, Behaviours that would be awarded with a token will be made clear to prisoners before the programme is implemented. Non-compliance may result in tokens and rewards being removed or withheld.

Question 15

token economy scoring system

Answer 15

staff and prisoners should be aware of a coring system and how much each behaviour is worth so different behaviours are hierarchal.

Question 16

token economy operationalise target behaviours

Answer 16

behaviours are broken down into component parts which are more achievable individually, these would be approved by staff and prisoners beforehand

Question 17

token economy staff training

Answer 17

prison staff need to be given full training in order to implement the token economy system successfully. aim is to standardise the procedures so all prisons staff are rewarding behaviours the same way.

Question 18

Behaviour modification strength- Research support

Answer 18

Hobbs and Holt 1976 used a token economy programme with youth offenders and they observed a significant difference in positive behaviour compared to the non token economy group.

Question 19

Behaviour modification strength- Easy to implement

Answer 19

Largely rests upon the ease that it can be implemented, No need for expertise or specialist professionals. Token economy systems can be implemented by anyone in an institution. However it does depend on a consistent approach from prison staff. It was found the effects diminished as soon as staff applied inconsistent techniques.

Question 20

Behaviour modification limitation- Little rehabilitative value

Answer 20

Any changes that occur while in prison may be lost as soon as they leave. Token economy system works within prisons but is unlikely yo extent beyond the prison system as law abiding behaviour is not always reenforced on the outside.

Question 21

Anger management

Answer 21

Therapeutic programmes that involves identifying signs and triggers of anger and learning to calm down and recognise and manage anger. Can be offered in prison to encourage self awareness and facilitate rehabilitation.

Question 22

Cognitive behaviour treatment

Answer 22

Suggested that cognitive factors trigger the emotional arousal that generally precedes aggressive acts. anger is often quick to surface in some people especially in situations perceived as threatening.
In behaviour programmes the individual is taught to recognise when they are losing control and manage it.

Question 23

Cognitive behaviour treatment- Cognitive preparation

Answer 23

First stage of management, requires the offender reflect on the past experience and consider the typical pattern of their anger. They identify triggers and decide if the feelings are irrational and the therapist will make this clear if it is.

Question 24

Cognitive behaviour treatment- Skill acquisition

Answer 24

Offenders are introduced to a range of techniques and skills to help them deal with anger provoking situations. Treatments can be cognitive, behavioural and physiological. The latter shows the offender that it is possible to be in control of their own behaviour.

Question 25

Cognitive behaviour treatment- Application practice

Answer 25

Offenders even the opportunity to practise their skills within a monitored environment. Role play is likely to be used. Requires commitment from the offender and bravery from the therapist. Successful negotiation would be met with positive reinforcement from the therapist.

Question 26

anger management- positive outcome with young offenders

Answer 26

Keen studied the progress made with young offenders aged between 17 and 21 who took-part in an anger management programme
took place over a three week period with the last session a month later
initial issues with young people not taking it seriously but positive results in the end

Question 27

What is one strength of anger management?

Answer 27

-May be more beneficial than behaviour modification
-tries to tackle on of the causes of offending, the cognitive processes that trigger offending behaviour.
-other forms of modification only target behaviour and not processing
-anger management may have effects past the prison environment
therefore is more lily to lead to behavioural change.

Question 28

What is one limitation of anger management?

Answer 28

Success may depend on individual factors
-Researcher found that participation in treatment had little effect when compared to a control group without treatment
-however the effecrtivness of the programme varied person to person
suggests that the effects of anger management may only benefit offenders who fit a certain profile.

Question 29

A further limitation of anger management?

Answer 29

Expensive option
programmes are expensive as they require highly trained professionals who can deal with violent offenders therefore many prisons do not have the resources to fund this
suggests this will not work in most prisons

Question 30

What is the process of restorative justice?

Answer 30

-changes the emphasis of the effects of the crime from the state to the victim so the offender realises who they have hurt.
-may occur pre trial and could function alongside a prison sentence
-may make monetary payments to the victim or repair property
-also an be an emotional sense to build up the self esteem of the victim

Question 31

What is the Restorative justice council?

Answer 31

An independent body whose role is to establish clear standards for the use of restorative justice and support for survivors and specialist professionals in the field.

Question 32

What are key features of the Restorative justice? 6 points

Answer 32

-trained mediator supervises the meeting
-non courtroom setting where offenders meet with supervisors
-can be face to face or over the phone
-survivor given opportunity to confront the offender and explain how the incident affected them
-important that there is active rather than passive involvement of all parties
-focas is on positive outcomes for all

Question 33

What is one strength of restorative justice?

Answer 33

evidence suggests its has positive outcomes
RJC reported results that 85% of survivors reported satisfaction and 78% would recommend to others 60% reported they could now move on
suggests restorative justice achieves some of its aims helping survivors to cope with the aftermath of the incident

Question 34

What is one strength of restorative justice?

Answer 34

Leeds to reduced rates of recidivism
meta analysis of 10 studies compared offenders who experienced face to face restorative justice schemes with those who had just experienced prison and the RJ was significantly less likely to re offend. this was especially the case for violent crimes rather than crimes against property
suggests that it has positive impact on re offending.

Question 35

What is on limitation of restorative justice?

Answer 35

Offenders may abuse the system
success may hinge on an offenders intentions being honourable- must take part because they genuinely want to make amends
however research suggest that they may use it formal kinds of reasons such as to avoid punishment
this could explain why not all offenders benefit from restorative justice.