Dealing with offenders

• what are was with dealing with offending behaviour?


  • Custodial sentencing
  • anger management
  • Behaviour modification
  • restorative justice
• What is custodial sentencing?


  spending time in a closed institution E.G a prison, youth offenders, psychiatric hospital
• What are the aims of custodial offending?


  • Deterrence - unpleasant so it is either a general or individual deterrence stop as there’s offending
  • incapacitation - offenders removed from society for public safety
  • retribution - societal revenge based on the nature of the crime
  • rehabilitation - reforms the individual better integration into society upon release. Develop new skills and reflect upon the crime
• What are the psychological effects of custodial offending?

  • stress and depression - suicide. Increases the risk of psychological disturbance upon release
  • Institutionalisation - can no longer function on the outside as they have become a custom to the norms of the prison life
  • prisonisation - prisoners socialised to an inmate code what is unacceptable on the outside is rewarded in prison E.G fighting associated with status
• Evaluating custodial sentencing (weakness)


  • There is evidence for the psychological impacts. Suicide rates are 15 times higher in prisons than in the general population. Mainly young/single man in the first 24 hours of confinement.
  • prison reform trust study 15% male and 25% female reported psychosis
  • not effective, particularly to those already psychologically vulnerable
• Evaluating custodial sentencing

  • offenders all had different custodial experiences due to individual differences. experiences due to individual differences. Length of sentences/nature of offence are also mitigating factors.
  • People may also have pre-existing psychological disorders prior to the incarceration. people may also have pre-existing psychological disorders prior to the incarceration. Cannot make general conclusions about all prisons/prisoners.
• Evaluating custodial sentencing (strength)

  • an attempt to reduce recidivism through rehabilitation. education and training to find employment and not return to a life of crime. Anger management schemes help and offender gain an insight into their behaviour such prison long time investment. So many prisoners like these resources as they are expensive.
• Dealing with a fenders behaviour modification?

  It is based on the behaviour principles of learning. a behaviour can be learnt, it is possible to be unlearned through punishment and reinforcement.
• What are token economies within prisons - behaviour modification?

  • operant conditioning reinforces desirable behaviour by token which is a secondary reinforce that can be exchanged for non-compliance punishment E.G gym time removed
  • prison staff carry out selective reinforcement after desirable behaviours are broken down into increments
  • research Hobbs and Holt token economies on three youth offender unit and fourth of control there was more positive behaviour in the token economy group than the controls
• Evaluating behaviour modification

  • A strength of using token economies is that they are easy to implement. No need for specialists as with the case of anger management also cost-effective.
  • however Blanchard found any improvements were lost once consistency was lost E.G lack of high staff turnover
• Evaluating behaviour modification

  • Blackburn token economies have a little rehabilitative value. positive changes quickly last upon release only injuring with a particular custodial sentencing as law abiding behaviour is not going to be reinforced on the outside
  • Also criminal behaviour rewards maybe more powerful
• Evaluation for behaviour modification

  Ethical issues with token economies, criticisms of being manipulative and dehumanising. Participation is obligatory and a lack of could result in a loss of privileges such as exercise and visiting hours. Withdrawal from these equal ethicalmy questionable.
• Dealing with offenders anger management

  • Cognitive behaviour treatment -cognitive factors lead to aggressive act. Behaviourism becoming angry reinforced due to feelings of control.
  • Anger management is a type of CBT = recognises triggers and developing strategies
• What are the three steps of anger management?

  1. Cognitive preparation - reflect and recognises patterns of anger. They identify anything irrational E.g contact isn’t always confrontational.
  2. skill acquisition - cognitive techniques - like positive self talk, behavioural -assertiveness, psychological - meditation
  3. Application -successful role-play, followed by positive reinforcement
• Evaluating anger mangment

  • It is a well rounded approach as it works on many levels. The cognitive level of identifying patterns of the anger. Behavioural self management and social demonstrating what they’ve learned through role-play. It is multidisciplinary.
• Evaluating anger management

  It is better than behavioural modification as it looks at causes of offending rather than creating superficial changes. It gives insight and self Discovery on the roots of their aggressive behaviour so it doesn’t happen again less recidivism
• Evaluating anger management

  • Limited long-term effectiveness.
  • Blackburn little evidence for long-term success as artificial role-play is unlike real life triggers E.G very busy club also not applicable to crimes which ain’t caused by aggression
• Dealing with offenders restorative justice

  • Switches the needs of the state to the needs of the victim of the crime
  • Braithwaite - supervised meetings and trained meditator. offenders can see the consequences of their crimes and the distress of the victim
• What are the key features of the restorative justice?


  • Not restricted to court rooms
  • Focuses on positive outcomes for both parties
  • Acceptance of responsibility

  Restorative justice Council set up standards of how restorative justice should be used. advocate used to prevent conflict schools workplace and prison.
• Evaluating restorative justice

  • Restorative programs has a high degree of flexibility, unlike custodial which takes a one size fits all approach.
  • It has a wide application range E.G schools hospitals prisons and more
  • can be tailored to fit each individual situation
• Evaluating restorative justice


  • Relies on genuine offenders remorse offenders may sign up to stay out of prison or to have a reduced sentence and victim may be seeking revenge
  • May not have positive outcomes if participants don’t have the correct intentions
• Evaluating restorative justice


  • Restorative justice programs are expensive
  • Shapland et al £1 on restorative Justice saves the government £8 from custodial due to lower recidivism
  • There are a few specialists/they are expensive
  • victims may drop out