Tougher prison sentences (penal populism) Flashcards
What type of theories inform this policy?
Sociological
Which specific theory informs this policy and why?
Right realism
if punishment was harsher it would act as a deterrent
criminals would make the rational decision not to commit crime
What is one of the main way to control crime?
Imprisonment
What are the types of prison sentences?
Concurrent
Consecutive
Suspended
Determinate
Indeterminate
What did politicians realise about tough sentences?
It was very popular with voters
This type of policy is penal populism
What did the politician pledge to do?
Build more prisons and give longer sentences
How do sentences get tougher?
In terms of tariff and regime
What do the tougher sentences do?
Make people less likely to decide to commit crime initially or again
What is the strength of this policy?
It removes criminals from society ( provides public protection)
What are the weaknesses of this policy?
Prisoners don’t seem deterred from reoffending, 75% re-offend within 9 years
The prison population from 1993-2015 has an extra 41,000 prisoners ( people have no been deterred from initial committing)
The prison system costs the economy at least £9.5 billion a year
