3.2 Criminology Unit 4 (WJEC)

• defensible area 


  areas that look cared for, have clear boundaries and ownership is obvious
• indefensible areas


  where crime is more likely to occur, an area that doesn't belong to anyone
• 4 key features that protect environments

  1. natural surveillance
  2. protected location
  3. territoriality
  4. safe image
• why are gated lanes effective - Sidebottem et al reviewed 43 studies and found:

  • provides a physical barrier
  • owners take responsibility over the area
  • offenders know it's not a public space
  • indicate the area is cared for
• gated lanes 


  lockable gates at the entrances of alleys to prevent offenders gaining access

  prevents burglaries, fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour
• limitations of gated lanes

  • restricts emergency service
  • expensive
  • doesn't protect against criminals who live in the area
  • cul de sacs can't be protected
• coleman's study 


  studied 4,099 blocks of flats in west london and found the removal of overhead walkways on Lisson Green led to a 50% decrease of crime
• some forces have employed an architectural liaison officer to 'build in' crime prevention features
• prison design


  traditional design = the panopticon

  allows observer to view all prisoners without the prisoner knowing whether they are being watched or not

  prisoners can be seen but cannot communicate with other prisoners/officers
• limitations of the panopticon

  purely a deterrent

  doesn't follow rehabilitation

  cells are too small for guards to see inside

  if something does occur when no one is watching there will be no consequences
• strengths of the panopticon

  prisoners can self-surveillance - less need to discipline

  cheap to operate
• HMP Berwyn 


  only have category c prisoners, male and adults only

  centred around rehabilitation

  costs £250 million to build, staff and resource

  provides educational course and training for jobs

  humanises inmates

  design is colourful, full of light and green spaces

  technology based
• limitations of Berwyn 


  lacks retribution

  expensive

  cherry pick offenders for who qualifies for the prison so it doesn't work on a large scale
• strengths of Berwyn 


  Gives IT skills

  less reliant on staff - provides independence

  hires officers based on values not ability

  every prisoner must be in either an educational or vocational course
• halden prison


  emulates outside world with a 'campus-like' design

  different buildings so offenders have to walk outside

  built with materials like cork and wood to muffle sound and glass to maximise light
• limitations of halden


  expensive

  no retribution

  can only function in Scandinavia and Western Europe
• strengths of halden


  advanced facilities

  focus on views and nature to help process the passing of time

  antiauthoritarian

  small guard stations force them out to be with inmates - natural surveillance
• behavioural tactics


  aim to change a persons behaviour to make them more socially compliant
• behavioural tactics


  ASBOs were introduced in 1999 to stop low level anti-social behaviour

  there were civil offences, became criminal offences when an ASBO was broken

  25,000 were given out between 1999-2013 (58% were breached)
• behavioural tactics


  ASBOs became like a badge of honour and something to achieve

  • labelling theory
• behavioural tactics


  CBOs replaced ASBOs

  banned an offender from certain activities, seeing people or going places

  forced them to take part in a treatment programme

  breaching can lead up to 5 years in prison for adults
• behavioural tactics


  token economies are a key part of agencies managing offenders behaviour

  can earn IEPs for good behaviour

  argued this just shapes behaviour for the institution and not the outside world

  found that when the rewards stop the good behaviour stops
• institutional tactics


  control of behaviour through rules and punishments

  • such as cautions, privileges being taken away, extended prison time, confinement
  • sanctions can be positive or negative and come from both informal and formal agencies
• institutional tactics


  prison achieves social control by implementing a set of rules

  • no threatening or hurting someone
  • no escaping
  • no damaging the prison
  • cannot use drugs or alcohol
  • etc...
• institutional tactics - phased discipline


  first offence is given a more lenient sanction while repeat offending is met with stronger sanctions
• gaps in state provision - resources / budget cuts

  funding mainly comes from people's taxes and there is a limit as to how much someone will pay --> faces competing demands from other sectors like the NHS and education

  since financial crisis of 2008 government spending cuts have impacted state agencies

  • police budget cut by 19%
  • cps by 25%
  • prison by 16%
• gaps in state provision - new technology


  agencies are unable to cope with huge amounts of data being generates by tech

  added cost of using the new tech (DNA profiling)

  problems with checking phones for evidence had led to failures of disclosing evidence
• gaps in state provision - unreported crime

  only about 40% of crime is reported

  • 1/4 of rapes
  • 600,000 domestic abuses were reported out of an estimated 2 million
• gaps in state provision - existing laws

  social control can only be achieved if there are appropriate laws in place to begin with

  when new harm emerges (like social media) there are no laws to forbid it