effect of imprisonment

How are punishments given to criminals?

Fines and community service / imprisonment / death penalty

How is reform different to punishment?

Involves changing and improving behaviour of offenders

Examples of reform?

Anger management programmes, CBT, employment programmes

WHat is the purpose of imprisonment?

• Retribution

• Incapacitation

• Deterrence

• Restoration

• Rehabilitation

What is retribution?

Making the offender pay for their offence

What is incapacitation?

Preventing the offender from reoffending

What is deterrence?

Making potential offenders think twice about committing an offence because of the consequences

What is restoration?

Attempted reconciliation between offenders and victims to repair damage done to the victim

What is rehabilitation?

The offender realising the error of their ways

What is the UK evidence of recidivism and why?

A shorter sentence of less than 6 months leads to higher reoffending rates, perhaps because it’s not enough of a deterrent and doesn’t give offenders enough time for rehabilitation, however it still disrupts their life. Leads to a cycle of crime

What are the US evidence of recidivism?

Within 3 years of release, 2/3 of released prisoners were rearrested and in 5 years, ¾ were rearrested

What are the negative effects of prison?

Prison inmates show higher levels of anxiety and depression than the general public

What did Dooley discover?

Suicide rates of prisoners are four times that of the general public

Why is reform used as a response to criminal behaviour?

Used as a way to enable an offender to reintegrate themselves back into society by improving their skills and opportunities

What are prisoners seen as being?

Less intelligent

Why is gaining a job important for someone released from prison?

• Provides them with a structure

• Provides financial security

• Keeps them away from anything encouraging reoffending

What did Gillis and Nafekh find?

Those on employment programmes prior to their release were less likely to return to custody compared to the unemployed group (70% vs 55%)

What is redemption roasters?

A scheme set up in prisons which trains prisoners in barista skills and allow the prisoners to roast all their coffee, which is then shipped to be sold in their London cafe. Recruited motivated, high potential prisoners. Makes the prisoners ideal employees for business outside prisons

What is a third strategy to reduce reoffending?

Anger management

What did Novaco suggest?

People who are aroused find that anger helps them feel in control of a situation, so they should be taught to deal with their anger and deal with conflict situations e.g. arguments without aggression

What did Ainsworth suggest?

That anger management programmes should be run as group sessions

What should the three stages of anger management programmes be?

• Cognitive preparation

• Skill acquisition

• Application practice

What is cognitive preparation?

Individual is asked to think about their own patterns of anger and think about the effects of their anger

What is skill acquisition?

Individual is encouraged to learn more effective ways to deal with their anger and the situations which cause it to erupt.

What skills should be acquired in anger management programmes?

• Cognitive e.g. rehearsing thoughts about controlling anger

• Behavioural e.g. using techniques such as relaxation

What is application practice?

The individual is encouraged to practice their skills through role-play

WHat is the main anger management programme in the UK?

CALM

What did Ireland do?

Assessed the effectiveness of CALM using young male offenders. Using a group that received anger management and a control group

WHat did Ireland measure?

• Cognitive behavioural interview - measured how often temper was lost

• Wing behavioural checklist - measured how often prisoners displayed angry behaviours

• Anger management assessment questionnaire - self report on angry behaviour

What did Ireland find?

There was a significant reduction in behaviour for the treatment group. 92% of the experimental group showed improvement in at least one measure