A03

• strength- opportunities

  • surrounded by opportunities for learning and training
  • e.g Violent offender can partake in anger management schemes, whilst others may opt for token economy systems (behaviour modification)
  • Therefore, this suggests that prison is a useful method of dealing with offending behaviour and reduces risk to public when reintroduced to society
• limitation- individual differences

  • the extent of the effects will depend on the dispositional traits of the convict, the length of their prison sentence, any previous experiences in prisons ect
  • this means that custodial sentencing can be more or less effective for certain individuals, and so should not be viewed as a universally effective method of dealing with all types of offending behaviour.
• limitation- universities of crime

  • prison can act as a tool for educating and sharing skills for younger inmates
  • eg more experiences offenders teach them 'tricks of the trade'
  • prevents rehabilitation or the younger prisoners, increasing reoffending and potentially more dangerous crimes