Modern Britain - 1900-present Flashcards
1
Q
Had the levels of crime increased from 1900
A
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
2
Q
New crimes
A
Car crime Hate crimes Terrorism Violent/sexual crime Computer crime
3
Q
How many people were killed on roads in 1934
A
7343 - motorists did not need a licence
4
Q
When did the government pass the hate crime law
A
2007
5
Q
There has been a growth in..
A
Religiously motivated crime
6
Q
What are hate crimes
A
- vandalism
- harassment/ assault
- targeted as if race+sexual orientation + religion + disability
7
Q
When were the suicide bombings in London
A
July 2005 - 56 killed
8
Q
What is computer crime
A
Online theft or fraud
Internet made it easier to illegally copy music and films
9
Q
What was introduced in the 1930s
A
Driving test + road tax + insurance
10
Q
Why is smuggling harder to prevent
A
Better transport
Millions people travelling by air/sea/land
Large task for custom officials and border security
11
Q
What legal items are smuggled
A
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
12
Q
What illegal items are smuggled
A
Drugs - generate biggest profit
Become a multi-billion pound industry
13
Q
How many tonnes of heroin are smuggled each year
A
18-23 tonnes
14
Q
How many tonnes of cannabis is smuggled annually
A
At least 270 tonnes
15
Q
Other types of smuggling
A
- 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
16
Q
Where is heroin produces
A
Iran
17
Q
Where is cannabis produced
A
Jamaica
18
Q
Who are conscientious objectors (case study)
A
People who refuse to take part in war or conflict for moral reasons
19
Q
How did the government gain soldiers at the start of WW1
A
Relied on volunteers - a massive recruitment drive was launched to encourage men
20
Q
How many people initially signed up to fight in WW1
A
Over 1 million men
21
Q
Why did the government introduce conscription
A
- by 1916 war was dragging on and increase in death + casualties
- a lack of volunteers
22
Q
What was conscription
A
- all single men between 18 + 41 were required to enlist
- a couple of months later this extended to married men
23
Q
How many soldiers did conscription raise
A
Over 2.5 million more men
24
Q
How many COs were there in WW1
A
16,000
25
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
26
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
27
How many people refused the decision of the Tribunal
Over 6000
28
What happened to those who refused the decision of the tribunal
- refused to support the war in any way
| - imprisoned - solitary confinement + hard labour
29
How many COs had died as a result of their treatment
73
30
After the war, what right were the COs stripped of
Right to vote until 1926
31
How many people registered as COs in ww2
60,000
32
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
33
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
34
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
35
How many weeks does police training last
Since 1947 - 14 weeks at National Police Training College
36
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
37
When did fingerprints start being used
1901
38
When was the Police National Computer system made
1974
39
Weapons carried by police
Pepper spray
CS gas
Trained - tasers
40
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
41
When did the neighbourhood watch begin + when did it become a national network
Began = 1982
| National network = 2007
42
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
43
When was the 999 number set up
1937
44
How many police officers are there
As of march 2015 - 126818 officers + 43 forces
45
When did female officers first appear
1920 - increases from 7% in 1977 to 28% in 2015
46
When was capital punishment abolished
1965
47
When was separate system abolished
1902
48
When did solitary confinement end
1922
49
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
50
When was the first open prison built
1933
51
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
52
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
53
Changes to prisons after 1947
- overcrowded and understaffed
54
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
55
What does on remand mean
Awaiting trial
56
When did prison overcrowding peak
1980s
57
Why prisons overcrowded
- reduced budgets + difficulty recruiting staff
| - increase in number of serious assaults in prisons
58
When was the peak amount of deaths in custody
2014
59
What did Ofsted judge
Ofsted judge half prisons as inadequate or requiring improvement for learning and skills
60
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
61
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
62
When was probation introduced
1907
63
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
64
When was birching abolished
1962
65
What was birching
A punishment similar to caning
66
When was parole introduced
1967
67
What was parole
Prisoners didn’t have to complete sentence if they behaved well
68
When was suspended offences introduced
1967
69
What is suspended offences
If offenders didn’t re-offend they didn’t have to go to prison
70
When was electronic tagging introduced
1990s
71
What is electronic tagging
Offenders wear a tag which tracks their location
| Courts and police can impose restrictions and set a curfew
72
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
73
When did the first Borstal open
1902
74
What was a borstal
A type of prison set up for young offenders
| Run like a strict boarding school - house completions + character building sport
75
What was the usual sentence for borstals
6 months - 2 years
76
When was the first approved school set up
1932 - for people under the age of 15
77
Why were approved schools closed
1959 - rioting and children absconding (escaping) -public critics
78
When were attendance Centers introduced
1948
79
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
80
When were borstals abolished
1982
81
Why were borstals abolished
60% released would reoffend
82
When and who introduced youth detection centres
Government - youth detention centres
| - used military drill - but didn’t work re-offending rates increased
83
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
84
Where can offenders under the age of 18 be held today
In a Secure childrens home
In a Secure training centre
In a YOI
85
Who is Derek Bentley
In 1953 - he was a 19 year old boy hanged for the murder of a policeman
86
When was Bentley hanged
January 28th 1953
87
What did Derek suffer from
Severe learning disabilities and epilepsy - therefore hard to get jobs and keep friends
88
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
89
When were Derek and Chris caught burgling
November 1952
90
What were Derek and Chris holding
Derek - sheath knife + knuckle duster
| Chris - gun
91
Who was shot first and by who
Detective Sergeant Fairfax - by Craig in the shoulder
92
What did Bentley allegedly shout
Let him have it Chris
93
What were Derek and Chris charges for
Murder
94
Why did Chris Craig not face death penalty
Under 18 - too young to be hanged
95
Why was there controversy over Dereks trial
- was it fair due to his low intelligence
96
Who was found guilty
Derek Bentley
97
What was Bentleys punishment
Death penalty - despite jury asking for mercy + his lawyers appeals were turned down
98
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
99
Who was the Home Secretary at Bentley’s time
Sir David Maxwill Fyfe
100
What did the MPs do in response to Bentleys sentence
200 signed a memorandum asking for his execution to be cancelled
101
What was Sir David Maxwill Fyfe’s response
- refused the memorandum
102
What happened after Bentley was hanged
- angry scenes outside prisons
| - two people arrested for damage to property
103
What did Dereks family campaign for after his execution
- posthumous pardon
104
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
105
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
106
When were public hangings abolished
1868
107
Reasons for capital punishment
- Deterrent
- life in prison was expensive
- murders released might kill again
- avenge life of victim
108
Reasons against death pentalty
- other European countries abolished and decreased their crime rates
- mistakes - wrong person be executed
- sanctity of life
109
How many executions were there a year after 1840
About 15 - numbers declined
110
When did the government abolish hanging for all crimes, except a few
1957
111
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
112
What happened as a result of the abolishment in 1957
Executions fell to only 4 a year
113
How did Second World War impact views on capital punishment
- following horrors of holocaust
- execution = unchristian and barbaric
- associated with hitler Germany
114
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
115
High profile cases of miscarriages of justice
- Derek Bentley - hanged in 1950
| - Tom evans - hanged in 1950
116
When was capital punishment abolished for the second time
- 1965
| - for all crimes except treason in times of war
117
When was capital punishment abolished completely
- 1969
118
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
119
When was John Christer convicted of murder
1953 - 8 murders including evans wife
120
Who was the last women to be hanged
Ruth Ellis
121
When was the last woman hanged
1956 - Ruth Ellis
122
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
123
When and what was criminal justice act
1925 - illegal to be found drunk in charge of a vehicle
124
When and what was road safety act
1967 - set maximum legal drink drive limit - 80BAC
125
When and what was computer misuse act
1990 - malicious attacks eg hacking
| Ransoming date - up to 5 years in prison
126
When and what was data protection act
2018- stops business misusing customer data
127
When and what was race relations act
1968 - lots of immigrants from commonwealth countries - illegal to discriminate eg jobs
128
When we’re protected characteristics established
2007
129
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
