International Prisons Essay

Question 1

Intro key points

Answer 1

Statement
Problems
Aims
Reoffending 
Analysis
International comparison

Question 2

Intro- statement

Answer 2

Compared to other countries the UK prison system does not have the right balance of rehabilitation and punishment.

Question 3

Intro- problems

Answer 3

Our prisons are overcrowded, underfunded and full of violence and drugs, fueling negative habits in inmates that stay with them upon release.

Question 4

Intro- aims

Answer 4

There are 6 main aims of sentencing; retribution (punishment), rehabilitation, reparation, incapacitation, deterrence and denunciation (public embarrassment).

Question 5

Intro- reoffending + analysis

Answer 5

It is clear that the aim of rehabilitation is not being met, UK reoffending rates within a year of release are 48% for adults, so almost half of all adults in UK prisons have not successfully been rehabilitated, meaning prison has made no positive impact on their lives.

Question 6

Intro- international comparison

Answer 6

The UK does of course have a better balance of punishment vs rehabilitation than the USA but compared to countries like the Netherlands and Sweden the state of our prisons is embarrassing.

Question 7

Para 1- first point

Criminal justice drug and alcohol intervention team

Answer 7

The Criminal Justice Drug and Alcohol Intervention team provide a range of services, including testing and treatment orders and working with prisoners after their release. Their aim is to break the repetitive cycle of alcohol use and related offending by engaging offenders when they are in custody and once they are released, if necessary following them back in and out of prison.

Question 8

Para 1- second point

Drug and alcohol treatment affect on reoffending

Answer 8

A recent study by Public Health England found that there was a reduction of 44% in the number of reoffenders in the two years following drug and alcohol treatment.

Question 9

Para 1- third point

Freedom Bakery

Answer 9

Many UK prisoners are allowed out on work placements an excellent example being Freedom bakery, a Glasgow based business that started in HMP Low Moss. It employs inmates on day release and provides jobs for those who have just left prison, helping to rehabilitate them. One of it’s trainees from HMP Barlinnie said ‘Freedom Bakery gives you hope’.

Question 10

Para 1- fourth point + analysis

Overcrowding in UK

Answer 10

The prison system as a whole has been overcrowded in every year since 1994 with almost 70% of prisons in England and Wales being overcrowded. Overcrowding directly causes the problems of a lack or resources, staff and space but indirectly contributes to violence, self harm and drug taking.

Question 11

Para 1- fifth point

Answer 11

A massive contributor to reoffending rates are short sentences, for those serving short sentences of less than 12 months 65% will reoffend within a year, 17% higher than the average.

Question 12

Para 1- sub conclusion

Answer 12

Clearly showing that UK prisons are too focused on punishment and ensuring offenders spend time in prison rather than rehabilitation and discouraging them from committing further offences, so the UK does not have the right balance of rehabilitation and punishment.

Question 13

Para 2- first point

USA race inequality in prison

Answer 13

In 2017, 33% of the prison population was black even though black people only make up 12% of the US population and the imprisonment rate for black Americans is almost 6 times higher than the rate for white Americans.

Question 14

Para 2- second point

Work in USA prisons

Answer 14

Prisoners earn as little as $.23 an hour and often work for a big companies such as Victoria’s Secret and McDonald’s

Question 16

Para 2- fourth point

Answer 16

Consecutive prison sentences

Question 17

Para 2- fifth point

USA reoffending

Answer 17

A US DoJ report showed that 83% of US prisoners were arrested within the nine years following their release and almost 45% of prisoners are arrested within one year of release.

Question 18

Para 3- first point

Swedish re-offending rate

Answer 18

Sweden have the lowest reoffending rate in the whole of Europe at 16%

Question 19

Para 3- second point

Answer 19

80% of prisoners are sentenced to less than a year

Question 20

Para 3- third point

Answer 20

“Being sentenced to prison and deprived of one’s freedom is punishment enough we don’t want to add more punishment by any human treatment in the prison”

Question 21

Para 4- first point

Answer 21

Less than 10% of repeat offenders return to prison

Question 22

Para 4- second point

Answer 22

The average length of imprisonment in the Netherlands is 3 1/2 months

Question 23

Para 4- third point

Answer 23

There has been a 66% drop in jail terms for young offenders

Question 24

Para 2- third point

Answer 24

25% of the world’s prisoners even though they only have 5% of the world’s total population