WJEC Criminology Unit 4 AC 3.1 , WJEC Criminology Unit 4 AC 3.2

Police

Government sponsered agency that operates at a local, regional and national level to ensure social control

Aims and Objectives of police

- maintain law and order in society

- prevent and investigate crime to protect individuals and property

- reassure public and build community trust

- enforce laws through arrests, interventions and public safety inititaves

Role of Police

- respond to crime reports and emergencies

- investigate criminal activity and gather evidence

- enforce law through arrests, cautions and stop and search

- work with other agencies to manage offenders and support victims

Practices of Police

- Stop and Search ( Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984)

- detention and questioning

- use of force

- community policing

- use of technology

Funding of Police

- funded by central government through council tax

Reach of Police

Local : neighbourhood and working with communities

Regional : Specialist units

National Level : Counter-terrorism command, national threats on security

Police - Case Study

2011 London Riots:

- widespread rioting and disorder following police shooting of Mark Duggan

- 3000+ arrests in the UK

- CCTV, community policing and intelligence gathering to restore order

- demonstrates how police enforce social control during public unrest

CPS

government funded agency that prosecutes criminal cases that have been investigated by the police and other agencies

When was the CPS established?

Established under the Prosecution of Offences act 1985

Aims and Objectives of the CPS

- Independance and fairness of prosecuting

- Equality and honesty to get trust and from victims and witnesses

Role of the CPS

-advises police on investigations and what evidence is needed

- assess the evidence and decide if its enough to take to court

- decide on what the charges should be

-prepare and presents the prosecution case in court

Practices of the CPS

- Evidential test - evidence must be admissable and reliable evidence

- Public Interest Test - determines whether it is within the publics interest to prosecute

Threshold test - determines whether there is enough evidence

Funding of CPS

- funding comes from parliment

- CPS also gains funding from recovering criminal assets

- Budget has fallen by 25 percent

CPS - Case Study

Stephen Lawrence Case 2012:

- Stephen Lawrence was murdered in a racially motivated attack in 1993

- CPS revisited the case with new forensic evidence

- CPS took public expectations into consideration

Aims and Objectives of the Judiciary

- Interpretation, set precedent

- Apply laws to case

- Ensure human rights met

- Decide on appropriate sentence

- Explain court procedure to jury

- Summarise key points of case to jury

Role of Judiciary

- Manage trial

- Explain legal issues and procedures to the jury

- Pass sentence if defendant is found guilty

- Court of Appeals creates precedents through the principle of judiciary independence

Practices of the Judiciary

- Decide Sentences

- Scrutiny of Tenure = can't be removed from office unless by petition to the queen

Funding of Judiciary

- Funding is decided by the Salaries Review Body (SSRB) who provide independent advice to the Prime Minster & government officials

- Lord Chief Justice earnt 257,000 while district judges earnt 110,000

Reach of the Judiciary

- National = Supreme Court has nationwide jurastiction

- Local = Judges working in lower courts handle local cases

Judiciary - Case Study

R v Mair (2016):

- Jo Cox, Labour politician was murdered by Thomas Mair, a far right activist

- Judge determined a sentence of a life sentence, taking factors into consideration

Aims and Objectives of the Prison Service

- Protect the public from harm

- Help rehabilitate convicted offenders

- Hold prisoners sercurly and implement court ordered sentences

Role of the Prison Service

- To keep those sentenced to prison in custody, helping them to lead law abiding and useful lives, both while they're in prison and after they're released

- Work with courts, police, local councils and voluntary organisations to do this

Working Practices of the Prison Service

- If a prisoner tries to escape they are forced to wear yellow

- 3 reward levels: basic, standard and enhanced

Funding of Prison Service

- Prisons are funded through taxation

- In 2018 the total budget was 3 billion, 16 percent lower than 2010

- 15 percent reduction in prison officers between 2010 and 2018

Reach of the Prison Service

- Organised nationally

- When an offender is first sentenced they are placed in a local prison then classified and moved to a different prison

Prison Service - Case Study

John Worboys 2009-Present:

- Serial rapist between 2002 and 2008

- Placed in high security prison after risk assessment

Aims and Objectives of the Probation Service

- supervises high-risk offenders released into the community

- provides statuoary support to victims of serious sexual or violent crimes

Role of Probation Service

- protect the public through the rehabilitation of the offender, tackling causes of offending

- supervising the offender to ensure they do not commit more crimes

Working Practices of the Probation Service

- Preparing pre-sentence reports to courts

- Managing approved premises for offenders

- Assessing prisoners to prepare them for release

Funding of the Probation Service

- Provided through general taxation

- HMPPS overall budget was 4.6 billion

Reach of Probation Service

- The probation service is a national service

- Provides some standards across the country but delivers on a local level

- Divided into 7 areas

Case Study - Probation Service

London Bridge Attack (2019) (Usman Khan)

- Khan carried out a terrorist attack near London Bridge, killing 2, injuring several

- Khan's release was made under strict conditions which are typically put into place to prevent re-offending

2 charities

prison reform trust and howard league for penal reform

how are prison reform trust and howard league funded

non-government organisations, reliant on donations and subscriptions.

aims of prison reform trust

reduce unnecessary imprisonment, community solutions to crime. improving treatment and conditions for prisoners. promote equality and human rights in justice system.

prison reform trust campaigns

'out of trouble' and 'out for good- lessons for the future'

Aims of the Howard League for Penal Reform

less crime and safer communities, fewer people in prison, better conditions for those in prison.

howard league campaigns

'books for prisoners', won charity award in 2015. worked w police forces on campaign to reduce criminalisation of children, no. of child arrests falling by 58%.

Environmental Design

Built environment can affect crime in two ways:

- influencing potential offenders, presenting with opportunities to commit crime

- affecting people's ability to exercise control over their surroundings

Indefensible Spaces

Where crime is more likely to occur, such as walkways and stairwells, cared for by no-one, owned by no one

Indefensible Spaces Study

In New York, high-rise blocks, Newman found 55% of all the crimes committed occured in public spaces such as hallways, lifts, stairwells and lobbies because no-one felt they were 'owned'

Defensible Spaces

Areas where there are clear boundaries. Low crime rate.

Why did Newman suggest defensible areas have lower crime rates?

- territoriality

- natural surveillance

- safe image

- safe location

What is meant by the term territoriality?

Sense of ownership e.g cul-de-sacs

What is meant by the term natural surveillance?

Easy viewed lobbies or street-level windows

What is meant by the term safe image?

Impression of a safe neighbourhood where residents look after each other

What is meant by the term safe location?

Neighbourhoods located in the middle of wider crime free areas are insulated from the outside world by a 'moat'

Who developed CPTED?

C Ray Jeffrey

What does CPTED stand for?

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design

Alice Colman's study on CPTED

Analysed 4099 blocks of flats in London boroughs. Poor design of many blocks produced higher rates of crime.

According to Alice Colman what are the 3 features that encourage crime?

- anonymity

- lack of surveillance

- easy escape

Alice Colman's recommendations

- no more blocks of flats to be built

- existing blocks should have a garden or a private space

- overhead walkways should be removed as they obstruct surveillance

Lison Green CPTED

Removal of overhead walkways in West London led to a 50 percent reduction in crime

Gated Lanes

Lockable gates installed to prevent offenders gaining access to alleyways at rear terraced houses

What crimes do gated lines prevent?

Burglaries, fly tipping and anti-social behaviour

Strengths of gated lanes

- 43 studies showed that gated lanes reduced burglary rates

- They provide a physical barrier, increasing required effort for crime

- Responsibility for closing gates = guardship and surveillance

- Increased residents sense of territory

- Gated areas indicates a cared for space

- Gating may reduce rewards of crime e.g difficult to steal large objects

- Only costs 728 per gate, average benefit of twice the cost

Limitations of gated lanes

- Don't work against criminals who live in the gated area

- Where neighbours don't trust each other, they are less likely to install gates together

- Difficulties in installing - public right of way and several owners must agree

- Gated lanes can restrict access for emergency service and refuse collectors

CPTED links to theory

Situational crime prevention - CPTED involved in target hardening by changing its physical environment

Felson's routine activity theory - theory emphasises importance of 'capable guardian' in CPTED, mutual surveillance acts as a guardian

Rational Choice Theory - CPTED offenders acting rationally - fear they will be challenged by residents

Criticisms of CPTED

-CPTED focuses on a defence from outsiders who come into the area to offend, but insiders commit crime too e.g. domestic violence

-CPTED can't prevent offences that don't involve physical intrusion into a neighbourhood, such as cybercrime, fraud, white collar and corporate crime

-Cul-de-sacs might be defensible spaces, but they might not actually be defended. For example, if residents are out at work all day, there is no surveillance. This highlights how social factors can interact with environmental factors.

-Some housing estates have high crime rates due to councils housing allocation policies rather than because of how they are designed. Some councils place problem families with a history of anti-social behaviour on sink estates.

-An areas reputation rather than its design may cause a high crime rate. If police regard a particular estate as crime-ridden, they will patrol it more, leading to more arrests, a higher recorder crime rate and an even worse reputation.

Super Max Prisons

Controversial, extreme forms of maximum-security prisons. Long term, segregated housing for inmates classified as the highest security risk. For example prisoners who are a threat to national and global security.

Example of Super Max Prisons

ADX Florence Colorado

What are the two types of behavioural tactics?

ASBOS and Criminal Behaviour Orders

Token Economies

What are ASBOs?

Civil orders used to restrain a person from committing actions that threatened the legal right of another

Example of an ASBOs

Order to stop behaving noisily outside someone house

How many ASBOS were breached between 2000 and 2013?

58 percent of the 24,000 ASBOS given out were breached

How does labelling theory link to ASBOS?

Labelling a person as deviant can lead to the self-fufilling prophecy and a person internalises the label. ASBOS became a 'badge of honour' reinforcing behaviour.

What were ASBOS replaced by?

CBO's and Civil Injuctions

Civil Injuctions

They were given low level nuisance. Breaching can lead to 2 years in prison for adults. For people under 18 it can lead to 3 months detention.

CBO's (Criminal Behaviour Orders)

Given for behaviours that cause harassment or distress. Breaching a CBO can mean up to 5 years in prison.

Strengths of CBO's

- They can require someone to do something positive. For example CBO's can require them to join drug treatment to address addiction

Negatives of CBO's

- CBOS and ASBOS forbid people from going to certain places, seeing people and engaging in activities

Token Economies

A behavioral technique in which desirable behaviors are reinforced with a token, such as a small chip or fake coin, which can be exchanged for privileges

Strengths of Token Economies

- Studies show that behavioural change lasted throughout the study

- Makes prisoners manageable

Limitations of Token Economies

- Not effective in long term

- Leave prison and the reinforcement stops, therefore desired behaviours disappear

Sanctions in Criminal Justice Institutes

Various punishments like community orders or custodial sentences

Prison Rules Sanctions

- Cautions

- Cellular confinement (can last up to 35 days)

- Loss of Earned Privaliges

Phased Discipline

Phased or staged discipline is a common way of attempting to achieve social control.

A first offence, whether in prison or wider society, is dealt with more leniently often such as a warning, a police caution, a conditional discharge, or a loss of privileges for a few days (for prisoners).

repeat offending particularly if it is more serious, is likely to be met with stronger sanctions such as probation or prison in an attempt to deter future misbehaviour

Gaps in provision of social control

Budget cuts

Unrecorded crime

Unreported crime (domestic abuse and wcc)

Lack of resources

New technologies

Police budget cuts between 2010 and 2018

Budget was cut by 19 percent, which caused a 20,000 fall in police numbers

Prison budget cuts between 2010 and 2018

Budget fell by 16 percent, staff levels fell by 15 percent

Unreported Crime

Only about 40 percent of crimes are reported to police. 1 in 4 rapes are reported to the police.

Existing Law Issues

Sometimes new types of harm but no existing law to forbid it. Law enforcement must adapt to regulate online spaces and deter digital offenders.

what is a panopticon prison design

building has tower at centre, every prisoner cell can be seen. prisoners cannot tell if they are being watched or not.

how does panopticon design contribute to social control

self surveillance, prisoners must continually behave themselves and self discipline