Unit 4 AC3.3 Flashcards

Examine the limitations of agencies in social control

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

What is the overall recidivism rate in 2021?

A

24.3%
53.9% with a custodial sentence thats less than 12 months

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Why is recidivism rate so high?

A
  • Lack of rehabilitation opportunities due to budget
  • Ratio between staff and prisoners has widened causing more violence
  • Social provision is limited so the offender has little options but to reoffend
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are the consequences of recidivism?

A
  • Overcrowding in prisons
    Prison population has doubled since 1993 which creates a viscous cycle of reoffending as it limits rehabilitation opportunities
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Who reoffends?

A
  • Those with the most previous convictions (2018- 47.5% of those with 10+ convictions reoffended)
  • Prison sentences have higher reoffending rate
  • Rate higher for males than females
  • Rate higher for drug addicts/homeless
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What theories link to recidivism rates?

A
  • Right realism. Rational choice theory. Believes prison works as offenders weigh up costs and benefits but recidivism rates show this isnt true.
  • Marxism. Working class commit crime since they have little chance of meeting needs. Recidivism rates suggest this is true.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What are civil liberties?

A

Basic rights and freedom guaranteed to every individual by law

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What are examples of civil liberties?

A
  • Freedom of speech
  • Freedom of movement
  • The right to privacy
  • Freedom from arbitrary arrest
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is the link between civil liberties and due process model?

A

Civil liberties act as an obstacle course and a barrier to the state, exercising social control. E.g. right to privacy limits search for evidence

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What are human right abusers

A

In some authoritarian states, social control agencies have few restrictions on their power so the public are punished for going against the government.
For example, North Korea and Syria

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

How is lack of resources a barrier for social control within prisons?

A
  • Fail to rehabilitate due to inadequate resources for education and training.
  • 15% staff cut so confined to cells and cant be released on temporary licence to attend training.
  • Leads to re offending as they cant get a job so limits social control
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

How does lack of resources limit social control in the community?

A
  • Little support when released. Receive £47 and 1/4 of released prisoners have a job. 1/9 of prisoners have no accommodation
  • 1/3 released on a Friday stopping them from accessing resources e.g. accommodation and medication.
  • Leaves them vulnerable so they reoffend, limiting social control.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

How does finance limit social control?

A

Agencies do not receive adequate funding to successfully do their jobs leading to less social control. This is an increasing problems as budgets continue to be cut.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

How does finance limit social control for police?

A
  • 2010-18 there has been a 19% budget cut leading to a 20,000 decrease in staff.
  • Forced to prioritise and drop crimes
  • 2018 2.9X more cases dropped than 2013.
    Reduces social control
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

How does finance limit social control in the CPS?

A
  • Budget cut by 25% so 1/3rd of staff lost
  • Prevents social control due to failure to investigate cases efficiently, charges are downgraded so sent to Magistrates court (faster and cheaper).
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

How does finance limit social control in prisons?

A
  • 2010-18 16% budget cut so 15% of staff lost.
  • Leads to lack of rehabilitation due to widening ratio leading to reoffending (limited social control)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

How does finance limit social control in the national probation service?

A
  • Budget cuts
  • 2019- Staff shortages and lack of confidence in the service by others
  • 2020- Chief inspector warned ‘must be properly funded, vacancies for probation officers must be filled’.
    Limits social control
14
Q

How does environment limit social control?

A

Environment ex-offenders return to can have a significant impact on recidivism
- Family
- Purpose

15
Q

How does family affect social control?

A
  • Prison reform trust found less reoffending with family visits but 68% do not receive visits.
  • Less reoffending if they live with immediate family but only 61% do.
    Lack of family support limits social control
16
Q

How does purpose affect social control?

A

Purposeful activity reduces recidivism but less than 44% received a positive rating from inspectors in 2015-16 for purposeful activity.
- 12% of employers employed an ex offender but unemployment increases re offending.

17
Q

How does local policies limit social control?

A
  • Have their own set priorities based on local crime e.g. Knife crime in London so introduced a weapon amnesties in 2017 including knife bins.
  • Set priorities based on moral panic from local news but focusing on one crime forces the police to ignore others, leading to reduced social control
18
Q

How does national policies limit social control?

A
  • Set by central government and applied by everyone
  • New policies can make social control easier e.g. ability to stop and search anyone for an offensive weapon without reasonable suspicion
  • However, social control limited until police are given more powers
19
Q

What are moral imperatives?

A

Overriding sense of what is right so break the law to uphold it

20
Q

Why do moral imperatives limit social control?

A

If a person is acting on moral imperatives, there is little agencies can do to control their behaviour
- Offenders break the law as their conscience told them to

21
Q

What are two examples of moral imperatives on an individual level?

A
  • Kay Gilderdale. Assisted suicide for her terminally ill daughter. Believed it was morally correct for her daughter
  • Alan Blythe. Cultivated cannabis to reduce wife’s pain. Believed it was morally right
22
Q

What are three examples of moral imperatives on a societal level?

A

Based on Durkheim’s theory that social crime progresses society
- Nelson Mandela. Committed crime to stop apartheid
- Suffragettes. Broke the law for women’s rights
- Stansted 15. 15 individuals chained themselves to the plane so it couldn’t take off to deport victims of human trafficking.

23
Q

What limits social control for police?

A
  • Civil liberties
  • Finance
  • Local priorities
  • Moral imperatives
24
Q

What limits social control for the CPS?

A
  • Finance
  • National policies
25
Q

What limits social control for the judiciary?

A
  • Civil liberties (due process rules in court)
26
Q

What limits social control for the prison service?

A
  • Recidivism
  • Civil liberties
  • Access to resources
  • Finance
27
Q

What limits social control for the national probation service?

A
  • Civil liberties (right to privacy)
  • Finance
  • Access to resources (Friday release)
  • Environment