Topic 6 Flashcards
Explain punishment as a response to criminal behaviour
What are non-custodial punishments?
punishments that don’t include a prison sentence
What are the different types of non-custodial punishments?
- Fines= given for minor offences (i.e. violating traffic laws).
- Community sentences= unpaid work in your community
- Probation= giving an offender freedom during good behaviour under the supervision of a probation officer
What are custodial sentences?
Prison sentences
Only given to serious offences
Examples of custodial sentences?
- Special secure hospitals= provide accommodation, treatment and support for people with severe mental health problems who pose a risk to the public.
- Residential centres= for young offenders
what are the reasons for prison as a form of punishment?
- protect the public
- retribution- criminals get what they deserve
- deterrence- fear of ending up in prison
- reform/rehabilitation- prisoners change their behaviour
Effects of imprisonment?
- overcrowding
- boredom
- fear of violence from other prisoners
- mental health problems- depression anxiety, depression and psychosis
- suicide
Is prison effective ?
Yes:
- prevents serious offenders from committing further crimes
- provides offenders with an opportunity to learn new skills or change behaviour
No:
- reoffending rates in uk are 47%
Limitations of punishment and reform
The experience of imprisonment
What is th key research
Haney et al
Background
- individual explanation: prisons are full of sadistic guards and lawless/impulsive prisoners
- situational: the situation they’re places in causes them to behave a certain way
Aim
To investigate the psychological effects on ‘prisoners’ or ‘prison guards’
What’s the research method
- lab
- independent measures
- IV: role of prisoner or guard
- DV: behaviour of prisoners or guards (measured by audio and video recordings and direct observation)
Sample
- self selected (newspaper article)
- all male
- college students, middle class, strangers to each other
- 75 picked originally. 25 picked for the study
- 10 prisoners, 11 guards
Procedure
- mock prison (set up in a basement of Stanford university): 3 small cells and one unlit solitary confinement room
- rooms for guards in a separate wing
- guards worked 3 man 8 hour shifts
- all prisoner signed a pre experiment contract stating the expectations. Made aware they will have very little to no privacy and suspended their civil rights with the exception of physical abuse.
- guards met at a briefing session and told they should ‘maintain a reasonable degree of order within the prison necessary before its effective functioning.’
- picked up at their home by the police
- stripped down naked and deloused before being sent to their cell
- guards referred to prisoners by their number ]
- guards uniform: military style clothing, whistle, night stick
- prisoner uniform: wore muslin smocks with a number and a light chain on their ankle
- experiment ended after 6 days. Originally set up for 2 weeks
Results on the guards?
- no physical abuse as it was not allowed- was a lot of verbal aggression
- all of the guards turned up on time and even stayed for extra hours
- some guards said they experience distress at the way they treated the prisoners
Results on the prisoners?
- 5 prisoners released early due to extreme emotional distress
- one prisoner developed a psychosomatic rash
- many others showed: crying; rage; and anxiety
- became hyper obedient
Conclusions?
- supports situational explanation- prison environment has a negative effects on prisoners AND guards
- negative effect on interpersonal relationship on prisoners and guards
- guards develop PATHOLOGY OF POWER
- prisoners develop PATHOLOGICAL PRISONER SYNDROME
- ordinary people can play into these extreme roles
Strength of validity 1
Participants reacted to the situation as it was real life: 90% of prisoner conversations were about prison life. Thus, high ecological validity- accurately represents imprisonment
Weakness of validity 1
Low ecological validity: set in a mock prison not a real one due to practical and ethical reasons. Moreover, many unpleasant parts of prison life was absent e.g. racism
Strength of reliability 1
Statistics are usually collected consistently and under strict guidelines such asp crime stats, employment status and community outcomes
Weakness of reliability 1
Haneys conclusions are based off observations of the guards and prisoners
Strength of sampling bias 1
Weakness of sampling bias 1
Weakness of ethnocentrism 2
