Prisons, Probation and Secure Units

Question 1

What is the purpose of prisons?

Answer 1

• Retribution
• Protection
• Deterrence
• Rehabilitation
• Primary aim is to protect public and keep prisoners in a secure and humane way
• Recent focus on rehabilitation to prevent reoffending
• Deterrence usually doesn’t work (death penalty doesn’t deter so how could prison)

Question 2

History of prisons

Answer 2

• In past prisons were a place to keep prisoners while they waited to receive the death penalty (even petty crimes were often sentenced to death)
• First time rehabilitation; in 18th century prisoners were sent to Australia and given a 2nd chance (hoped they wouldn’t reoffend and would become good members of the public)
• Prisons were kept in bad conditions; idea was to scare prisoners so they wouldn’t reoffend out of fear to going back
• Often given pointless labour e.g. turning a handle 10,000 times a day

Question 3

Prison Act 1865

Answer 3

• Stopped privatisation of prisons

- All prisons went back to private sector

Question 4

Light vs. Heavy prisons

Answer 4

Light

• More informal e.g. call guards by first names
• Guards more likely to sympathise with prisons e.g believing offending is due to socialisation

Heavy

• Higher security
• Believe criminality is there own doing so more likely to dislike and look own on prisoners
• Both prisoners and guards usually prefer heavy systems as run more efficiently and is more control

Question 5

Different types of prisoners

Answer 5

Remand = not yet a criminal, awaiting trial, have more rights than other prisoners e.g. allowed more visits, can wear own clothes
Indeterminate = indefinite length of stay, parole board decides when and if they can be released, considered to be a danger and risk to public
Determinate = set amount of stay, after release they are kept on parole, if they break parole they are sent back to prison
Life = long stay (min of 25yrs), chance of release, kept on parole if released, if they break parole they are sent back to prison
Whole life = no chance of release, will spend life in prison until death

Question 6

Prison population stats

Answer 6

Sentenced = 74,500 (87%)
Remand = 10,000 (12%)
Non-criminal = 1,500 (2%)
- People sectioned due to mental health; danger to self and others so kept in prison

Total =83,000
Men = 80,000
Women =3,000

Question 7

What are the different types of prisons?

Answer 7

• Local prisons
• Training prisons
• Young offender institutes (aged 15-21)
• Private companies
• High security (category A and B prisoners)

Question 8

Describe probation

Answer 8

• By 2022 all probation services will be under the private sector
• Helps prevent recidivism
• Keeps close watch on ex-prisoners
• Aim is to watch upon release, make sure they don’t reoffend and help settle back into normal life
• If prisoners break terms than they go back to prison

Question 9

Describe secure units

Answer 9

• For the criminally insane
• If a person is found not guilty by reason of insanity than they are sent to a secure unit
• Cannot just claim they are mentally ill, usually very difficult to prove; several psychiatrists must assess and agree the individual was incompetent at the time they committed the crime
• Being mentally ill isn’t enough; must prove they were mentally incompetent at the time they committed the crime and didn’t know that their actions were wrong
• Units work with 7,000-8,000 at a time