Modern Britain - 1900-present Flashcards
Had the levels of crime increased from 1900
Yes but not as drastically - more people are willing to report crimes eg, for insurance purposes + sexual crimes more reported - police more sympathetic then before
New crimes
Car crime Hate crimes Terrorism Violent/sexual crime Computer crime
How many people were killed on roads in 1934
7343 - motorists did not need a licence
When did the government pass the hate crime law
2007
There has been a growth in..
Religiously motivated crime
What are hate crimes
- vandalism
- harassment/ assault
- targeted as if race+sexual orientation + religion + disability
When were the suicide bombings in London
July 2005 - 56 killed
What is computer crime
Online theft or fraud
Internet made it easier to illegally copy music and films
What was introduced in the 1930s
Driving test + road tax + insurance
Why is smuggling harder to prevent
Better transport
Millions people travelling by air/sea/land
Large task for custom officials and border security
What legal items are smuggled
Alcohol and tobacco - smuggled in huge quantity every day
- bought cheaper in large bulk - achieve economies of scale
- sold to make a profit, cheaper then store-bought products
What illegal items are smuggled
Drugs - generate biggest profit
Become a multi-billion pound industry
How many tonnes of heroin are smuggled each year
18-23 tonnes
How many tonnes of cannabis is smuggled annually
At least 270 tonnes
Other types of smuggling
- human trafficking/ smuggling
- tough immigration controls and conflict has led to an increase in people smuggling
- immigrants are usually exploited by criminal gangs once arrives
Where is heroin produces
Iran
Where is cannabis produced
Jamaica
Who are conscientious objectors (case study)
People who refuse to take part in war or conflict for moral reasons
How did the government gain soldiers at the start of WW1
Relied on volunteers - a massive recruitment drive was launched to encourage men
How many people initially signed up to fight in WW1
Over 1 million men
Why did the government introduce conscription
- by 1916 war was dragging on and increase in death + casualties
- a lack of volunteers
What was conscription
- all single men between 18 + 41 were required to enlist
- a couple of months later this extended to married men
How many soldiers did conscription raise
Over 2.5 million more men
How many COs were there in WW1
16,000
How did the COs justify themselves
- refused to fight on religious grounds
- thou shall not kill - bible
- some felt war was between ruling classes of Europe rather then ordinary people
What was the government response to COs in WW1
- had to appear before a local tribunal to state case
- often made up of retired soldiers - unsympathetic to their case
- some COs were given alternative work supporting from home or non- fighting roles eg. Driving ambulances to the front line (equally as dangerous )
- stripped the right to vote until 1926
How many people refused the decision of the Tribunal
Over 6000
What happened to those who refused the decision of the tribunal
- refused to support the war in any way
- imprisoned - solitary confinement + hard labour
How many COs had died as a result of their treatment
73
After the war, what right were the COs stripped of
Right to vote until 1926
How many people registered as COs in ww2
60,000
How did the government respond to COs in WW2
- treated more sympathetically
- tribunals no longer allowed to have ex soldiers
- a greater effort made to give alternative work eg. Farming/ munitions manufacturing industry
- COs only sent to prison as a last resort
What were the published attitudes to COs in WW2
- slow to change attitudes then government
- continued to attack them through newspapers
- sacked them from their jobs
- openly accused of cowardice
Changes in law enforcement - specialisation
- crime become more varied and complex
- several highly trained specialist unite eg. Drug squads, cyber- crime unit
- specialist fire arm units used when high level of threat
- since 1947 - recruits had to undertaken 14 weeks of training at National Police Training College
How many weeks does police training last
Since 1947 - 14 weeks at National Police Training College
Impact of technology on police
- 1901 = fingerprint evidence was first accepted in British courts + chemical analysis of blood samples + dna analysis
- since 1874 - the police National computer collects databases - fingerprints + missing persons details
- CCTV - prevent crime + identify convicts
- ANPR - automatic number plate recognition - read registrations and identify vehicles of interest
- since 1930s cars/ helicopters improved response speed - by 1970s replaced ‘beat’ - use bikes to improve community relationships
- two way radios
When did fingerprints start being used
1901
When was the Police National Computer system made
1974
Weapons carried by police
Pepper spray
CS gas
Trained - tasers
Crime prevention
- every force appoints crime prevention officers - CPO - advise locals on prevention/security eg, fitting locks + alarms
- emphasises on catching young offenders early and encouraging them away from crime
- neighbourhood watch 1982 - members of community report suspicious behaviour
When did the neighbourhood watch begin + when did it become a national network
Began = 1982
National network = 2007
How were police roles changing
- deal with increasingly non-crime related incidents eg, anti-social behaviour + drunkenness + missing persons + mental health
- keep control at demonstrations + football matches + large gatherings
When was the 999 number set up
1937
How many police officers are there
As of march 2015 - 126818 officers + 43 forces
When did female officers first appear
1920 - increases from 7% in 1977 to 28% in 2015
When was capital punishment abolished
1965
When was separate system abolished
1902
When did solitary confinement end
1922
Changes to prisons between 1900-1947
Had to have a ‘convict crop’ - shaved head
Visitors allowed
Diet improved
Teachers employed in prisoners - help fund work after release
When was the first open prison built
1933
What were open prison
- rules more relaxed
- prisoners allowed to leave grounds for work
- idea was to prepare them for after release - back into a community
Why did prisons change 1900-1947
- fear of crime decreased
- government under no public pressure to make punishments harsh
- idea that criminals inherited criminal habits declined, instead poverty + environment
- reforming
Changes to prisons after 1947
- overcrowded and understaffed
Why have prisoner numbers increased
- average sentence increases - locked away for longer
- increase chance of a prison sentence fir sexual, violent or drug related offences
- the number of people on remand increased
What does on remand mean
Awaiting trial
When did prison overcrowding peak
1980s
Why prisons overcrowded
- reduced budgets + difficulty recruiting staff
- increase in number of serious assaults in prisons
When was the peak amount of deaths in custody
2014
What did Ofsted judge
Ofsted judge half prisons as inadequate or requiring improvement for learning and skills
Disadvantages of prisons
High rates of recidivism - especially with young offenders
Younger prisoners learn from older prisoners
Very expensive - housed and fed + staff + compensate families
Does not deal with social/personal factors that led them to commit crime - return to environment after
Non-custodial alternatives
- Probation 1907
- given longer to pay fines 1914
- Parole 1967
- suspended sentences introduced 1967
- community service orders introduced 1972
- electronic tagging introduced 1990s
When was probation introduced
1907
What was probation
- offender had to report once a week to the police and meet regularly with a probation officer
- if they didn’t reoffend - no further punishment
When was birching abolished
1962
What was birching
A punishment similar to caning
When was parole introduced
1967
What was parole
Prisoners didn’t have to complete sentence if they behaved well
When was suspended offences introduced
1967
What is suspended offences
If offenders didn’t re-offend they didn’t have to go to prison
When was electronic tagging introduced
1990s
What is electronic tagging
Offenders wear a tag which tracks their location
Courts and police can impose restrictions and set a curfew
Case study on juvenile delinquents in Victorian era
- 15 year old boy
- was convicted of a minor crime and sent to Birmingham borough prison
- placed in solitary confinement + expected to turn a crank 10000 times every 10 hours
- he refused and was soaked in cold water
- after two months he hanged himself in his cell
When did the first Borstal open
1902
What was a borstal
A type of prison set up for young offenders
Run like a strict boarding school - house completions + character building sport
What was the usual sentence for borstals
6 months - 2 years
When was the first approved school set up
1932 - for people under the age of 15
Why were approved schools closed
1959 - rioting and children absconding (escaping) -public critics
When were attendance Centers introduced
1948
What were attendance centres
Non - custodial centres running compulsory daily or weekly
For offenders aged 10-21
They covered basic literacy + numeracy skills + life skills eg. Money management and CVs
When were borstals abolished
1982
Why were borstals abolished
60% released would reoffend
When and who introduced youth detection centres
Government - youth detention centres
- used military drill - but didn’t work re-offending rates increased
Treatment of young offenders today
- youth courts - work with schools/ Probation officers to prevent a life of crime
- parents can be fined for not keeping their child under control - can be removed and put into care
- attendance Centers - last chance
- custody last resort
Where can offenders under the age of 18 be held today
In a Secure childrens home
In a Secure training centre
In a YOI
Who is Derek Bentley
In 1953 - he was a 19 year old boy hanged for the murder of a policeman
When was Bentley hanged
January 28th 1953
What did Derek suffer from
Severe learning disabilities and epilepsy - therefore hard to get jobs and keep friends
Story of derek Bentley
- in November 1952 - cause burgling a London warehouse with friend Chris Craig
- Craig carrying a gun and Derek was holding a sheath knife + knuckle duster
- police caught them in the roof
- fairfax arrested Bentley
- fairfax asked Craig for the gun + Bentley screamed ‘let him have it’
- detective sergeant fairfax climbed up and was shot by Craig in the shoulder
- PC. Sidney Miles was immediately shot and killed
When were Derek and Chris caught burgling
November 1952
What were Derek and Chris holding
Derek - sheath knife + knuckle duster
Chris - gun
Who was shot first and by who
Detective Sergeant Fairfax - by Craig in the shoulder
What did Bentley allegedly shout
Let him have it Chris
What were Derek and Chris charges for
Murder
Why did Chris Craig not face death penalty
Under 18 - too young to be hanged
Why was there controversy over Dereks trial
- was it fair due to his low intelligence
Who was found guilty
Derek Bentley
What was Bentleys punishment
Death penalty - despite jury asking for mercy + his lawyers appeals were turned down
Public reaction to Bentleys sentence
- public outcry
- two hundred MPs signed a memorandum asking Home Secretary, Sir David Maxwill Fyfe, to show mercy and cancel the execution
Who was the Home Secretary at Bentley’s time
Sir David Maxwill Fyfe
What did the MPs do in response to Bentleys sentence
200 signed a memorandum asking for his execution to be cancelled
What was Sir David Maxwill Fyfe’s response
- refused the memorandum
What happened after Bentley was hanged
- angry scenes outside prisons
- two people arrested for damage to property
What did Dereks family campaign for after his execution
- posthumous pardon
Was the posthumous pardon granted
Yes - in 1988 the court of appeal ruled the conviction of murder to be set aside + said original ruling was unfair as judge put pressure on jury to convict
How did Derek Bentley case impact views on death penalty
- contributed to argument against penalty
- many believe it was a miscarriage of justice
- made the law look cruel
- made people doing the morality of capital punishment
When were public hangings abolished
1868
Reasons for capital punishment
- Deterrent
- life in prison was expensive
- murders released might kill again
- avenge life of victim
Reasons against death pentalty
- other European countries abolished and decreased their crime rates
- mistakes - wrong person be executed
- sanctity of life
How many executions were there a year after 1840
About 15 - numbers declined
When did the government abolish hanging for all crimes, except a few
1957
What were the exceptions for abolishing hanging set in 1957
- murdering a police officer
- murder by shooting or explosion
- murder while resisting arrest
- murder while carrying out theft
- murder of more then 1 person
What happened as a result of the abolishment in 1957
Executions fell to only 4 a year
How did Second World War impact views on capital punishment
- following horrors of holocaust
- execution = unchristian and barbaric
- associated with hitler Germany
What did the UN issue after WW2
- 1948
- issued its Declaration of Human Rights - everyone has the right to life liberty and security + no one shall be subjected to torture
- Britain signed this
High profile cases of miscarriages of justice
- Derek Bentley - hanged in 1950
- Tom evans - hanged in 1950
When was capital punishment abolished for the second time
- 1965
- for all crimes except treason in times of war
When was capital punishment abolished completely
- 1969
Who was Timothy Evans
- him + his wife were lodgers in the house of John Christie
- Christie was a serial killer who had murdered several women
- Evans wife became pregnant - Christie offered to perform an abortion
- Christie killed the wife and claimed she died in failed abortion
- Evans guilty + irrationally confessed to murder
- Evan was obviously lying+ changed stories several times but was hanged anyway = 1950
- Three years later, Christie was convicted of 8 murders = 1953
When was John Christer convicted of murder
1953 - 8 murders including evans wife
Who was the last women to be hanged
Ruth Ellis
When was the last woman hanged
1956 - Ruth Ellis
Why was Ruth Ellis hanged
- found guilty of shooting her lover, David Blakey in a ‘crime of passion’
- she was in an abusive relationship - controversy
- public sympathy - glamorous + pretty
When and what was criminal justice act
1925 - illegal to be found drunk in charge of a vehicle
When and what was road safety act
1967 - set maximum legal drink drive limit - 80BAC
When and what was computer misuse act
1990 - malicious attacks eg hacking
Ransoming date - up to 5 years in prison
When and what was data protection act
2018- stops business misusing customer data
When and what was race relations act
1968 - lots of immigrants from commonwealth countries - illegal to discriminate eg jobs
When we’re protected characteristics established
2007
Explain why nature of crime had changed in the 20th century
- technology = cars + computers
- conscious objectors
- hate crime - 2007 race relations act + 1968 - immigration from commonwealth
