RA to Crime and Punishment Flashcards
Define crime.
An offence that is punishable by law
Define duty.
A moral or legal obligation
Define responsibility.
A duty to care for or having control over someone or something
Define conscience.
The inner feeling of doing right or wrong
Define crime against the person.
Wrongdoing that directly harms a person
Define crime against property.
Damaging items that belong to somebody else
Define crime against the state.
An offence aimed at damaging the government or country
Define religious offence.
An offence against religion (e.g. blasphemy, adultery)
Define punishment.
Something done to a person because they have broken the law
Define protection.
Keeping the public safe from being harmed, threatened or injured by criminals
Define retribution.
An aim of punishment - to get your own back: ‘An eye for an eye’
Define deterrence
An aim of punishment - to put people off committing crimes
Define reform.
An aim of punishment - to change someone’s behaviour for the better
Define vindication.
An aim of punishment that means offenders must be punished to show that the law must be respected and is right
Define reparation.
An aim of punishment designed to help an offender to put something back into society
Define forgiveness.
Showing grace and mercy and pardoning someone for what they have done wrong
Define repentance.
Being truly sorry and trying to change one’s behaviour so as not to do the same again
Define young offender.
A person under 18 who has broken the law
Define prison reform.
A movement that tries to ensure offenders are treated humanely in prison
Define death penalty.
Capital punishment; form of punishment in which a prisoner is put to death for crimes committed
Define community service.
Unpaid work that an offender performs for the benefit of the local community rather than going to prison.
Define electronic tagging.
An offender has to wear an electronic device which tracks their movement to ensure restrictions of movement are observed
Define fine.
Money paid as punishment for a crime or other offence
Define probation.
An alternative top prison where an offender has to meet regularly with a probation officer to ensure they do not reoffend. Movement may be restricted.
Define parole.
When a prisoner is released without completing their sentence, because they have behaved well and accepted their guilt. The prisoner is monitored to try and ensure they do not re-offend.
Define life imprisonment.
A prison sentence that theoretically keeps a person in prison until they die.
Define early release.
When a prisoner is allowed out of prison even though they have not completed their sentence, or fulfilled the criteria for getting parole
Give the main quote to tell Christians to obey the law.
“…give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” – Matthew 22:21
Give the quote used to encourage Christiians to challenge unfair laws and an exammple of where this Liberation Theoogy has been used.
“He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.” – Luke 4:18
Martin Luther King used this to challenge black oppresion.
Give the 3 main aims of punishmens for Christians.
- Reform
- Repentance
- Forgiveness
Give the quote to show that forgiveness is important to Christianity.
Christians must forgive criminals and give them a second chance. As Jesus said: “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” – Matthew 5:39
Why s repentace so important to Christians?
On the cross, Jesus said to the criminal who repented that “today you will join me in paradise”.
What is the law enforced by Islam?
Shari’ah Law.
What are the 3 main causes of crime?
Social, environmental and economical factors.
Give the detailed sub-factors of social reasons for crime.
- Young offenders turn to crime when they believe society has nothing to offer them;
- A materialistic society makes people steal things that they cannot afford;
- A poor upbringing (parents unemployeed; abuse/neglected childhood; poor education etc.) is a major factor;
- Boredom can be a factor, as if there is nothing for young people to do, they may turn to crime purely for excitement;
- People who take drugs or gamble will probably end up in debt, causing them to steal and turn to crime to pay for their addictions.
Give the detailed sub-factors of environmental reasons for crime.
- High unemployment rates leave people with little money and lots of time - they may turn to crime for money and excitement;
- Gang culture and peer pressure, as well as competiton between gangs can lead to high crime rates;
- Inadequate housing and overcrowding seems also to correlate with high crime. It is possible that living in environments which are not looked after does not encourage people to behave responsibly;
Give the detailed sub-factors of psychological reasons for crime.
- Some blame the media for setting a bad example and letting everyone look like criminals;
- The majority of people in prison have some sort of mental illness;
- Some say that human beings are naturally greedy and sellfish so we will disobey the law to achieve what we want.
In the UK, what are the 2 types of law?
- Civil law - where nobody has commited a criminal offence but is a disagreement between people (e.g. Suing). Most of these will not make it to a courtroom.
- Criminal law - where the law is broken and the Crown Prosecution Service decides whether there is enough evidence to prosecute and whether it is in public interest to do so. The trials will sometimes be held in a crown court, where a Jury (12 men/women) and a Judge will decide the fate of the criminal.
What 2 offences can criminal law be split into?
- Indictable offences – are more serious offences, such as murder, GBH or rape, in which an offender will be brought to court. Often these offences will result in a custodial sentence (prison).
- Non-indictable offences – less serious criminal offences, such as going slightly over the speed limit or drinking in a public place. These might result in an ‘on-the-spot’ fine but you are unlikely to appear in court or go to prison.
What forms of punishment does a prison sentence support?
- Protection - the criminal is locked up away from society;
- Vindication - the law is upheld;
- Deterrence - prison isn’t a nice place to be so will put others off.
What aims of punishment does capital punishment support?
- Deterrence - death is the ultimate punishment so will deter others from commiting that crime;
- Protection - dead people can’t hurt anyone;
- Vindication - killing criminals shows that the law is upheld.
