AC 3.4: Evaluate the effectiveness of agencies in achieving social control

police

Strength: Effective at working in the community to prevent crime and keep the public safe this achieves social control  

Limitation: Police have been labelled as institutionally racist in the MacPherson report 1999 due to cases such as the Stephen Lawrence case which resulted to less trust and social control.  

CPS 

• Strength: independent agency that charges and prosecutes individuals to ensure justice by using the full code test to decide whether to prosecute or not achieving social control when offenders are convicted 

• Limitation: the CPs work with police on investigations which can lead to bias  

Judiciary  

• Strength: Independent agency and impartial when decision making  

• Limitations: It has been criticised for being unrepresentative of society therefore unable to understand society and its issues because they more likely to be pale, male and stale. For example judge pickels.

Prision service 

• Strength: Public is protected from dangerous offenders and prevents them from committing further crimes. 

• Limitation: Official statistics show that prisons are ineffective for social control e.g because of high levels of recidivism 

Probation service  

Strength: Helps with rehabilitation by allowing offenders to reintergrate back into society with surveillance which protects the public and allows rehabilitation

Limitation: Lack of adequate support for ex-convicts and impacts available resources. For example, the Community rehabilitation companies (CNC) have been affected by a lack of resources and have gone into liquidation. 

Charities and pressure groups  

• Strength: They support offenders with housing, welfare benefits and other which helps prevent re-offending which brings about social control.  For example the princes trust that helps young people integrate back into the community 

• Limitation: They have limited power in achieving social control as they can campaign but cannot implement laws.  

• Limitation: Many rely on financial resources e.g. donations which means the money received to help them achieve social change is not certain and can impact their effectiveness to achieving social control.