Term 2 Lecture 7- Alternatives to Punishment Flashcards
What are the key readings?
What are the approaches to non-punitive offence resolution?
Responding to offenders and their crimes differently (via resolution, restitution and reparation)
Offenders have an active part in the justice process and offence resolution, and this may also include the victim
Deal with immediate issues and achieve solution here and now (Offence Resolution)
What are the two approaches to punishment?
Prioritising the offender and prioritising the victim and community
How is the offender prioritised?
By minimising the consequence of offence to avoid labelling and through diversionary intervention
What is diversionary intervention?
Diversion from formal criminal justice practices to avoid criminal charges (for young and first time offenders). Done through community service and education
How is the victim prioritised?
Strategies are made to make amends and put right harms and through restorative justice
What is restorative justice?
Identifying and addressing harms as a group to restore bonds
What is the purpose of prisons?
Keeping the public safe
Rehabilitation
Punishment (the delivery of justice)
Deterrence
Why do we punish?
Retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation and incapacitation
What is retribution?
Social revenge
What is deterrence?
Preventing future crime through disincentivizing of offender
What is rehabilitation?
Prevention of future crime via reform
What is incapacitation?
Social protection and prevention of future crime via restriction of the offender
What did the Home Secretary say about imprisonment?
Prison works to ensure that we are protected
Makes those who think about commit crime think twice
What is the aims of imprisonment from international law?
Social reintegration
What do the Nelson Mandela rules say about imprisonment?
Deprivation of liberty to protect society and reduce recidivism
It can be achieved if the period of imprisonmnt ensures reintegration upon release
What are the statistics from Global Prison Trends?
11.5 million people are held in institutions in the world
120 countries report occupancy levels of 100%
15 countries report occupancy levels of over 250%
Women and girls’ prison population has increased by 60% since 2000 from 2022
What did Roberts et al say about imprisonment?
Tough on crime policies has led to over-incarceration across the globe
Who looked at the evidence for if prison works?
Coyle et al, 2016
What did Coyle et al, 2016, find?
There is little evidence that lengthy prison sentences deter crime, reduce recidivism and that high levels of incarceration increase public safety
What did the Penal Reform International find with imprisonment?
That it has led to significant human rights violations, such as poor treatment of detainees, inhumane conditions, & prison overcrowding
Who looked at the treatment of prison?
Mauer 2017
What did Mauer, 2017, say?
Conditions of prisons range from inadequate to torturous
What is community punishments?
An alternative to prison which is used for people whose characteristics don’t warrant a jail sentence
What did Tonry, 2017, say about community punishments?
Community punishments would do much less harm to offenders and their families than prison and jail sentences now do.
Who looked at the aims of alternative to imprisonment?
Council of Europe, 2017
What did the Council of Europe say about the aims of alternatives to imprisonment?
End unnecessary use of incarceration
Avoid negative effects of imprisonment
Encourage & enable change in people’s lives
Foster sense of community responsibility in offenders
Allow greater community involvement in criminal justice
Improve prospects for social inclusion
Reduce reoffending
Reduce costs
Who looked at international support for alternatives to imprisonment?
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2013
What did the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2013, say?
Given detrimental & counterproductive effects of increasing prison populations, important for societies to consider more meaningful, alternative measures as a first resort
At both pre- & post-trial stages of criminal justice process
Alternative measures addressing risks & needs of individuals will generate greatest return to communities in terms of social cohesion, cost savings & long-term public safety
What is diversion?
Strategy that seeks to precent the formal processing of an offender by the criminal justice system
What does diversion result in?
The person being given a warning, paying a fine, compensation to the victim or directed towards a treatment
Who plays a role in diversion?
Police and prosecutors as police discretion must be applied to a lawful, transparent basis
What is pre-trial detention used as in the Tokyo rules 6.1?
As a means of last resort in criminal proceedings with regard to the investigation of the offence and due to the protection of the society and the victim
What are the measures to avoid pre-trial detention?
Bail (financial security)
Daily reporting
Court-appointed supervision
Passport surrender
Electronic monitoring
What is the evidence for pre-court diversion for adults?
Moderate evidence pre-court diversion reduce costs to CJS
Promising evidence on impact of pre-court diversion on victim satisfaction
Strong international evidence that pre-court diversion reduced re-offending
Moderate UK evidence that pre-court diversion reduces re-offendin
What is the Rule 8.2 of the Tokyo rules for wide range of potential sanctions?
Verbal reprimand or warning
Conditional discharge
Fines
Confiscation of good or property
Status penalty: denial of specified rights in community
Restitution to victim or compensation scheme
Suspended or deferred sentence
Referral to attendance centre for non-institutional treatment
Community work order
House arrest
What is used for youth diversion for out of court disposals?
Issuing a ‘No Further Action’
Formal out-of-court disposals (criminal record consequences) such as youth cautions or youth conditional cautions
Community Resolution (seeks to avoid involvement with CJS) such as point of arrest diversion