Unit 4 3.3- Limitations of Achieving Social Control Flashcards
Repeat Offending/Recidivism
Revidsm rates show that social control measures are not always effective.Offenders released from prisons have a revidism rate of 36%, which rises to 64% if the sentance was less than 12 months.
In juvenile cases, 37% reoffend within a year, and those released from cusstody. 63% reoffend.
Rising prison population. Longer sentances, in 2018 sentances average of 26 months longer than 2008 +min sentance for murder increased from 12.5 years to 21.3 years.
Offenders who served prison are more likely to reoffend than those who recieved a warning, fine or community sentance
Those with drug addictions are more likely to re-offend.
Civil Liberties
Some authoritarian states, social control agencies like the police have few restrictions in place on their power, allowing them to force citizens to behave according to the states’ wishes. Those that go against these values may face imprisonment or death for openly voicing adverse opinions.
Human rights are basic freedoms that are guaranteed to everyone by law, including the freedom of movement, conscience and religion, speech and detention without trial.
Resoruces and support
Prison Resources:
Resources and support are essential for the rehabilitation of offenders and the prevention of reoffending in the future.
Short sentences don’t allow the offender enough time to complete programmes fully, as well as preventing them from understanding and coping with the underlying causes of offending behaviour, such as addiction. Places on these programmes are also given as priority to those serving longer sentences.
The services in training and education are inadequate and are not effective in teaching offenders the skills that are required of them outside of prison.
The budget cuts have meant that there are fewer police officers available to deliver these programmes, which denies offenders access to recreational and educational facilities, such as the prison library.
END FRIDAY RELEASE
Over 1/3 of prisoners are released on a friday, meaning that there is a race against time for them to access benefit, accommodation and medication services before they close for the weekend, which often causes prisoners to sleep rough and survive on their small discharge grant. This makes them more vulnerable to reoffending.
Community Releases:
Only 34% of those who have completed community sentences reoffend within a year, a majority still reoffend due to inadequate support they have received for complex needs like addiction and mental health issues
Finance
The Police:
-2010-2018: there was a 19% budget cut and funds from the central government being cut by 30%. This resulted in a 20,000 fall in police numbers, causing police to drop many investigations into crimes. They may also be tempted to drop more serious cases, due to the time they take to collect and analyse evidence
The CPS:
budget cut of 1/4 and staff cuts of 1/3. These have caused failings in presenting cases with adequate evidence and reasonable chance of conviction to court and failings in investigating crime. They have also been accused of downgrading charges so that more cases can be heard in the magistrates.
Prisons:
Budget cut by 16% causing staff numbers to fall by 15%. There have been increased riots, suicides and attacks on staff and inmates due to budget cuts on educational and training programmes focused on the rehabilitation of offenders
Probation:
In 2019, there was an over-reliance on agency staff and national staff shortages for the service, due to budget cuts and the increased pressure from prisons and the parole board to take on more offenders upon release. This has led them to have shortcomings in keeping victims of crime safe and below standard performances of the CRCs.
Local and national policies
Local:
- polices that are set locally in response to the needs of local communities, such as in communities where knife crime is high, police may respond with increased stops and searches.
- weapons amnesties: occasionally, local police forces will hold amnesties where they will not arrest those who surrender illegal weapons to the police
National:
- the central government introduces laws and rules that affect the work of agencies like the police and cps.
- In 2019, the home secretary announced that he would be making it easier for police to search anyone for an offensive weapon without having reasonable suspicion that they are carrying one.
Moral imperatives
The overriding senses of what is right which compels a person to act to uphold this sense of what is right, even if it breaks the law.
- kay gilderdale: assisted in the suicide of her terminally ill daughter while breaking the law.
- alan blythe: charged with cultivating cannabis with intent to supply, but he did so in order to relieve the pain of his terminally ill wife.
