FP - Custodial sentencing

Question 1

what are the aims of custodial sentences

Answer 1

• deterrence
• incapacitation
• retribution
• rehabilitation

Question 2

what is deterrence

Answer 2

• the unpleasant prison experience is designed to put off the individual from engaging in offending
• can be general or individual
• based on the behaviourist idea of conditioning through vicarious punishment

Question 3

what is general deterrence

Answer 3

aims to send a broad message to society that crime will not be tolerated

Question 4

what is individual deterrence

Answer 4

should prevent the individual from repeating the same offences in light of their experience

Question 5

what is incapacitation

Answer 5

• the offender is taken out of the society to prevent them reoffending
• depends on the severity of the offence and the nature of the offender

Question 6

what is retribution

Answer 6

• society enacting revenge for the offence and the level of suffering is proportionate to the seriousness of the offence
• eye for an eye notion

Question 7

what is rehabilitation

Answer 7

• upon release, offenders should leave prison better adjusted and ready to take their place back in society
• prisons should provide opportunities to develop skills or access to treatment programmes

Question 8

what are the psychological effects of sentencing

Answer 8

• stress and depression
• institutionalisation
• prisonization

Question 9

what is stress and depression

Answer 9

suicide rates are considerable higher in prison than in the general population and incidents of self-harm

Question 10

what is institutionalisation

Answer 10

people become accustomed to prison life and can no longer function alone

Question 11

what is prisonization

Answer 11

prisoners are socialised into adopting an inmate code that is unacceptable in the outside world

Question 12

what are rates of recidivism in the UK

Answer 12

45% within a year of release
- but in Norway rates are as low as 20% as they have less emphasis on incarceration and more on rehabilitation and skills development

Question 13

X Has negative psychological effects on prisoners

Answer 13

• 119 people killed themselves in prison in 2016 which is almost 9 times higher than the general population
• Most at risk are single men in the first 24h of confinement
• A study conducted by the Prison Reform Trust found that 25% of women and 15% of men report symptoms of psychosis
• BUT the figures from the trust do not include the number of inmates who were experiencing psychotic symptoms before they were incarcerated
• They may have had pre-existing psychological and emotional difficulties so cannot say it was a problem with the prison regime
• Confounding variables

Question 14

+ Training and treatment opportunities provided

Answer 14

• One objective is rehabilitation for prisoners to become better people in their time in prison
• Many prisoners access education and training the increase the possibility they will find employment upon release
• Offenders who take part in college education programmes are 43% less likely to reoffend

Question 15

X Custodial sentencing allows offenders to learn to become better offenders when they are released

Answer 15

• Offenders may a quire legitimate skills from others and undergo education from others
• Incarceration with long-term offenders may give younger inmates the opportunity to learn the tricks of the trade and obtain criminal contacts