Sociological Perspectives on Punishment

• What do sociological perspectives differ on regarding punishment?

  Effectiveness and purpose of punishment
• What do Marxist theories highlight about punishment?

  Its role in maintaining social control
• What do interactionists emphasize about punishment?

  Stigmatization and labeling effects
• What do postmodern theorists examine in relation to punishment?

  Shift from physical coercion to disciplinary power
• What concept does David Garland introduce regarding punishment?

  The punitive state
• What is one way to control and reduce crime?

  By punishing offenders
• What is a punishment?

  A penalty for a criminal offence
• What are the main types of punishment in England and Wales?

  Discharges, fines, community service, prison
• What are ancillary orders in sentencing?

  Requirements offenders must fulfill
• How do judges determine punishments?

  According to law and sentencing guidelines
• What should punishments be in relation to offences?

  Proportionate to the seriousness of offences
• Who is legally allowed to punish offenders in the UK?

  Only the state
• What are the two main justifications for punishment?

  Crime reduction and retribution
• How does deterrence function as a justification for punishment?

  Discourages future offending through punishment
• What does incapacitation aim to achieve?

  Removes offenders' capacity to reoffend
• What is the goal of rehabilitation in punishment?

  To change offenders' behavior through education
• What is the purpose of retribution in punishment?

  To repay the victim or community
• How was retribution viewed in traditional societies?

  Victims decided punishments
• How does modern justice system handle retribution?

  Judges determine community payback
• What are the sociological perspectives on punishment?

  • Right realism: incapacitation reduces crime
  • Left realism: rehabilitation through community initiatives
  • Marxism: selective incapacitation prevents revolution
  • Interactionism: ineffective rehabilitation in institutions
  • Postmodernism: shift from retribution to rehabilitation
• What do left realists believe about prison as a method of reducing crime?

  It is ineffective without restorative justice
• What does restorative justice involve?

  Offender making up for the harm done
• What does home office research suggest about meeting offenders?

  Benefits 80% of participating victims
• What is the impact of restorative justice on reoffending rates?

  Reduces frequency of reoffending by 27%
• What does David Gordon argue about punishment in Marxist theory?

  It performs ideological functions
• How does imprisonment benefit the capitalist system according to Marxist theory?

  Neutralizes opposition and hides social issues
• What does the increase in the prison population since 1993 indicate?

  More marginalized individuals are imprisoned
• What do interactionists argue about labeling as deviant?

  It is hard to remove the label
• What is a total institution according to Erving Goffman?

  A place where inmates' lives are controlled
• What is the process of "mortification of the self" in total institutions?

  Degrading treatments to remove identity
• What happens to inmates in total institutions?

  They lose the ability to construct identities
• What does Michel Foucault argue about the evolution of punishment?

  It shifted from physical to rehabilitative focus
• What does Foucault's work suggest about modern punishment?

  It emphasizes incarceration and rehabilitation
• What are the key criticisms of the current penal system?

  • Ineffectiveness of prison alone
  • Selective incapacitation focuses on the working class
  • Stigmatization of labeled individuals
  • Lack of access to restorative justice
• What are the implications of labeling theory in the context of punishment?

  • Labels can lead to stigmatization
  • Difficult to remove deviant labels
  • Individuals may fulfill expectations of their labels
  • Employment opportunities are limited for labeled individuals
• What happens to inmates upon arrival at prison?

  They are strip searched and issued an ID number
• What is the purpose of the treatment of inmates upon arrival?

  To mark separation between former and institutional selves
• How does constant surveillance affect inmates?

  It leads to loss of identity and independence
• What is the effect of asylums on sick people according to the text?

  They make sick people more insane
• What does Foucault argue about modern punishment?

  It has shifted from physical to incarceration and rehabilitation