prisons Flashcards

1
Q

wandsworth prison - facts

A
  • located in London borough of Wandsworth
  • one of the largest prisons in the UK, houses up to 1,600 prisoners across 5 wings.
  • has a mix of single and shared cells as well as gyms, sports halls, libraries, classrooms, and workshops.
  • prisoners can take lessons in english, maths, ict, barbering etc
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2
Q

issues within wandsworth prison

A
  • overcrowded, dirty, has rats
  • people struggling with mental health, self-harming, so many are in a crisis
  • some people proud of their crimes and would do them again.
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3
Q

halden prison facts

A
  • open 2010, capacity of 252 prisoners
  • prisoners get flat-screen tv. officials say are necessary so that prisoners have less room for drugs and contraband
  • designer furniture, mini-fridges, en suite bathrooms
  • during the day, inmates can shoot hoops, climb an indoor rock wall, play football, etc
  • philsophy behind this is that an occupaid prisoner is a less violent one and less likely to lash out at guards or other prisoner.
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4
Q

positive/challenges of Halden prison

A
  • price per prsoner every year is 17 thousand, 2x more than uk.
  • halden is all about rehabilitattion,
  • can afford to have one prisoer in one cell and an officer for each one.
  • most of the prisoners cant/wont look forward to leaving - most wont ever leave.
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5
Q

tent city - usa

A
  • 12, 000 inmates.
  • toughest prison in the usa - was , no longer exists.
  • make them wear pink - pink everything - useful for catching inmates, other reason is that they hate pink - emasculation
  • sleep in tents - boiling hot - hence the name tent city, houses 22 inmates.
  • cost efficent facility.
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6
Q

what are the two approaches to imprisonment?

A
  • retribution
  • rehabilitation
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7
Q

retribution?

A
  • This approach believes in removing the criminal from
    the streets and into prison, to protect the public
  • This approach
    favours long, harsh
    prison sentences
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8
Q

rehabilitation?

A
  • This approach believes in reforming the criminal individual
    and look at contributory factors
    behind the actions e.g. drug addict,
    mental health problems, poverty
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9
Q

retribution continued

A
  • This approach does not believe in so-called ‘soft-options’ such as cautions, community service and early release
  • This approach believes prisons should act as deterrents so that fewer people are tempted to
    break the law and commit crime
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10
Q

rehabilitation continued

A
  • This approach believes that sometimes imprisonment is necessary but that it should be
    a last resort rather than a quick fix.
  • For first-time offenders restorative justice can
    be useful in facing offenders with the reality of their victim’s suffering
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11
Q

reoffending rates - David Cameron

A
  • “46% of all prisoners will re-offend within a year of release. 60% of short-sentenced prisoners will re-offend within the same period.” - 2026

“This failure really matters. It matters to the public purse: this cycle of reoffending costs up to £13 billion a year.” - 2016

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12
Q

reoffending rates in USA

A
  • on avergae 70% of all released prisoners reoffend
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13
Q

reoffending rates in Norway

A
  • 16% bastoy prison
  • 20% holden prison
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14
Q

functionalism approach

A
  • positive about the prison system - believe they function to protect the wider public from criminals.
  • prisons also help to reinforce the value consensus in society strengthening agreement in citizens over what is right and wrong.
  • prisons are useful in that they act as a deterrent for future/potential criminal.
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15
Q

marxism approach

A
  • Prisons are another mechanism to control the masses: the
    working class criminals
  • In the 1970s working class prisoners were seen as political
    heroes by some Marxists
  • Police and the CJS use the law to operate in interests of the
    Bourgeoisie (Althusser)
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16
Q

interactionists approach

A
  • goffman said that once an individual becomes an inmate they lose all sense of their own identity and become part of the institution.
  • when goffman said this in the 60s inmates would have their head shaved, be given a number and have to wear identical uniform
17
Q

what are the issues in uk prisons?

A
  • 7,500 staff cut
  • Prisons at crisis point despite a promised rehabilitation revolution by Chris Grayling(the then Justice Secretary)
  • Corrupt staff
  • Mobile phone, drug smuggling, cash
  • Violence
  • Lack of control, over crowding
18
Q

other issues within prisons

A
  • Higher rates of self-harm
  • Record number of prisoner suicides
  • Debate over whether staff should be armed with pepper spray
  • More cuts to funding
  • Fewer staff
  • Legal highs
19
Q
A