Custodial Sentencing

• What are the four ways societies deal with offending behaviour?

  Custodial sentencing, behaviour modification, anger management, restorative justice
• What does custodial sentencing involve?

  Convicted offenders serve time in prison
• What is recidivism?

  The tendency to relapse into previous criminal behavior
• What percentage of adults are reconvicted within one year of release?

  46%
• What is the economic cost of re-offending per year?

  At least £9.5 billion
• What are the four main aims of custodial sentencing?

  Rehabilitation, retribution, deterrence, incapacitation
• What does rehabilitation aim to achieve in custodial sentencing?

  • Offender becomes a changed individual
  • Prevents reoffending
  • Requires effective programs in prisons
• What is the purpose of retribution in custodial sentencing?

  • Society enacts revenge for the crime
  • Offender receives suitable punishment
• How does deterrence function in custodial sentencing?

  • Threat of unpleasant experience prevents future behavior
  • Individual deterrence: prevents reoffending
  • General deterrence: deters the population
• What is the aim of incapacitation in custodial sentencing?

  • Prevents further reoffending
  • Protects society from potential victims
• What were the effects on prisoners in Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment?

  Psychological distress and deindividuation
• Why isn't Zimbardo's study useful for discussing prison life?

  It lacks ecological validity
• What are the psychological effects of custodial sentencing?

  • Stress and depression
  • Institutionalisation
  • Prisonisation
  • Overcrowding and lack of privacy
  • Deindividuation
  • Effects on the family
  • Labelling
  • Positive effects from treatment and rehabilitation
• What psychological effect might a prisoner experience after overdosing on legal highs?

  Increased stress and potential for self-harm
• Who created the multistore model of memory?

  Atkinson and Shiffrin
• Name the 4 aims of custodial sentencing.

  Retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation, incapacitation
• What are the aims of custodial sentencing in the lawyer’s statement?

  • Retribution: Punishing the offender for their actions
  • Deterrence: Sending a message to others
  • Incapacitation: Keeping the public safe
  • Rehabilitation: Helping the offender mend their ways
• What does the high suicide rate among offenders suggest about custodial sentencing?

  It may not effectively rehabilitate individuals
• What did the Prison Reform Trust (2014) find about symptoms of psychosis in prison?

  25% of women and 15% of men reported symptoms
• How does the oppressive prison regime affect psychologically vulnerable individuals?

  It may trigger psychological disorders
• What do high rates of recidivism suggest about custodial sentencing?

  It may not be effective for many offenders
• Why might punishment not be effective in custodial sentencing?

  Offenders may see it as punishment for being caught
• What do US statistics show about the death penalty and murder rates?

  Murder rates are not lower in death penalty states
• How might prison increase the likelihood of reoffending?

  Offenders may associate with pro-criminal attitudes
• What did Latessa and Lowenkamp (2006) conclude about low-risk and high-risk offenders?

  Mixing them increases reoffending likelihood
• What benefits can prisoners gain from education and training?

  Increased possibility of employment upon release
• What do treatment programs in prison aim to achieve?

  Reduce likelihood of recidivism through insight
• What issues can arise from the lack of resources in prisons?

  Limited access to rehabilitation programs
• What alternatives to custodial sentencing might be preferred?

  Cautions and community rehabilitation programs
• What problems can non-custodial sentences help avoid?

  Prisonization, suicide, and family effects
• How can retribution be achieved without a prison sentence?

  Through restorative justice programs
• Why might alternatives to custodial sentencing be seen as insufficient?

  Victims may believe punishment is necessary
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of custodial sentencing?

  Strengths:

  • Provides punishment for crimes
  • May offer rehabilitation programs

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • High recidivism rates
  • Psychological effects on inmates
  • Alternatives may be more effective