c1900 - present

changing definitions of crime

homophobic crime

* criminal justice act gave courts new powers to issue more severe sentences for hate crimes

race crime

* 1968 race relations act - made it illegal to refuse jobs, housing, public services to anyone on the basis of their race, ethnic background or country of origin

domestic violence

* domestic violence act 1976 - gave victims the right to ask for an injunction against violent partner
* 1991, law changed to recognise rape within a marriage

abortion

* 1967 abortion act legalised abortion if - child was going to have serious disabilities, mother was at risk of serious physical or mental harm

attitudes towards social crimes

driving offences

* generally condemned

drug taking

* many drugs became illegal in 1971 when misuse of drugs act was passed
* some believe it’s a personal choice as long as it doesn't harm others

developments in policing

1901, fingerprint branch - system of fingerprints from everyone arrested

1909, police bicycles are introduced, allowing officers to peruse criminals more quickly

1930s, police cars are common, two way radios are installed for better communications

1960s, met police first uses computers to process payroll and epnsions

1980, police national computer is launches capable of holding records of 25 mil

TECHNOLOGY

* breathalysers and speed cameras
* cctv
* mass video surveillance
* biometric screening

increased specialisation of roles

* fraud squad
* to tackle crime in business and stock market - required police with expert knowledge of finance and business
* specialists drug trade units
* 1971, misuse of drug acts passed
* drug units - disrupt criminal activity and organisations
* monitoring known drug users
* preventing the further spread of drug use
* dog handling units
* special branch
* for terrorism

crime prevention

* neighbourhood watch
* local committee of people who raise awareness about crime and encourage neighbours to keep an eye out on each others’ property
* aims to
* help police prevent crime by encouraging local vigilance
* reducing fear of crime
* reporting crime trends

specialised treatment of young offenders

* borstals
* prison for boys only - purpose was ensure that young convicts were kept entirely separate from older criminals
* emphasised education rather than punishment
* young justice reforms in 1940s
* criminals justice act 1948
* graduated system of prison, depending on seriousness of crime
* detention centres introduced as a deterrent
* attendance centres for youth who had committed minor crimes

reformation and rehabilitation

* ASBO
* court restrictions on what a person can do
* community service
* restorative justice
* electronic tagging
* drug and alcohol treatment programmes

conscientious objectors in ww1

* some men refused to fight - religious / political beliefs
* absolutists - believed that even indirect support for the war was wrong
* tribunals
* had to appear before a special court to judge if their claims were genuine
* not always fair as they were held locally and judging panel was selected by local authority
* treatment of COs
* absolutists were imprisoned - solitary confinement
* some were sent to front line of fighting
* some were imprisoned
* why were they treated so harshly
* government present fighting as a man’s duty to his county - refusing to fight was presented as unmanly and traitorous
* most people had close friends who died in war
* felt that COs were unfairly shirking their responsibility

changes in treatment of COs during ww2

* COs were offered alternative occupations - farm work
* changes in social attitudes
* ww2, people were asked to unite against Hitler as a tyrant, harsh punishments for COs would be hypocritical

Bentley case and public opinion

case for prosecution

* craig fired the gun, bentley shouted ‘let him have it’ - makes him jointly responsible
* has a history of criminality

case for defence

* let him have it could mean let the police have the gim
* bentley didn’t have a gun, he handed himself over
* learning disability and mental age of 10

sentenced to hanging - many disagreed

bentley family used the media to promote their cause and campaigned for 40 years -eventually pardoned in 1993