Topic 9 - solutions to crime/social policies

Question 1

Situational crime prevention

Answer 1

right realist solution
specific changes to a location to make petty crime harder to commit/easier to capture

target hardening - increasing security

CLARKE - steering column locks, newer cars better security

FELSON - Port Authority Bus Terminal NYC redesigned (better lighting, more CCTV, smaller sinks)

Farrington and Painter (street lighting lowered crime by 43%). Diffusion of benefit - people encouraged out onto streets as they feel safer

Question 2

environmental crime prevention

Answer 2

right realist solution

Wilson and Kelling
- repairing visual evidence of crime
- increase presence of police (visual patrols)
- zero tolerance
- buildings should not exceed three floors, residents encouraged to take responsibility for communal space

Question 3

retributive justice

Answer 3

• new right solution
• punishment should match crime
• criminals excluded from society i.e. locked up/electronically tagged
• punishment acts as retribution, deterrent and protector

Clarke: rational choice theory, COST must outweigh benefit

USA policy ‘three strikes and you’re out’ (after 3 separate convictions you receive a life sentence)

US prison population quadrupled since 1990s
capital punishment?

Question 4

(new right) social changes as a solution to crime

Answer 4

social changes to resolve problem of underclass

single parent families should be stigmatised, reduction in benefits for single mothers

reduced welfare payments

Question 5

left wing social policy solutions

Answer 5

longer term

Lea and Young - reduce income and wealth inequalities, addressing poverty/unemployment/poor housing/poor education/low pay/racism

urban crime is response to feelings of marginalisation, exclusion, relative deprivation

• educational programmes (Surestart, Perry Preschool Project)
• more generous welfare payments

Question 6

community policing as a solution to crime

Answer 6

left wing

Kinsey et al. neighbourhoods have officers that regularly patrol the same area, forging strong relationships with local people to improve trust and confidence in police

move away from military policing, towards minimal policing and forming strong bonds with community

Question 7

restorative justice

Answer 7

left wing

offenders take responsibility for actions and repair harm done; apologising to victims and giving something back to community

Braithwaite: reintegratice shaming (encouraging offender to be sorry, ashamed, remorseful, allowing them to be reintegrated into society (disconnect between offender and offense). Labelling act, not actor.

UK Government 2001 - 2008 found reoffending rates decreased and they saved £9 for every £1 they spent on RJ

Question 8

rehabilitation

Answer 8

left wing

criminals should be well-cared for to re-socialise them ready for release

education, qualifications, work skills, counselling, therapy, addiction therapy, life experiences

Young: INclude criminals to ‘fix’ what went wrong due to their feelings of EXclusion

41% of prisoners 2012 experienced domestic violence as children

prisoners should be seen as victims themselves

prison avoided when possible: 90,000 children in UK with a parent currently serving time.