CRIME AND CRIME AND PUNISHMENTPUNISHMENT

WHY SOCIETY PUNISHES WHY SOCIETY PUNISHES PEOPLE WHO BREAK THE LAWPEOPLE WHO BREAK THE LAW

Society sets up Society sets up rules and we have rules and we have to obey them or to obey them or face the face the consequences.consequences.

But people can see But people can see things differentlythings differently

What one person What one person feels strongly about feels strongly about another doesn’tanother doesn’t

This is why we This is why we have a judicial have a judicial system which sets system which sets tariffs for tariffs for punishments and punishments and doesn't allow doesn't allow judges to do what judges to do what they want. they want. debatable?)debatable?)

THE THEORY OF PUNISHMENTTHE THEORY OF PUNISHMENT

This country has This country has five aims to five aims to punishment.punishment.

PROTECTIONPROTECTION We are to protect We are to protect

members of members of society.society.

So if someone is a So if someone is a danger to others danger to others in any way, they in any way, they are removed from are removed from circulation to circulation to protect people protect people e.g. imprisonment e.g. imprisonment for murder or for murder or curfew for a curfew for a burglar.burglar.

RETRIBUTIONRETRIBUTION Getting someone Getting someone

back for what they back for what they have done. we have done. we repay their crime repay their crime by hurting them in by hurting them in some way.some way.

E.g. Islamic society E.g. Islamic society will remove the will remove the hand of a thief. hand of a thief. Society has made Society has made them pay for their them pay for their crimecrime

E.g. taking away E.g. taking away someone's someone's liberty liberty (imprisonment) (imprisonment) is another way is another way to pay people to pay people back, like giving back, like giving a prison a prison sentence to sentence to someone who someone who defrauded defrauded money.money.

DETERRENCEDETERRENCE This is a This is a

punishment punishment designed to make designed to make the offender not do the offender not do it again, and to it again, and to send a message to send a message to everyone else not everyone else not to do it- to put you to do it- to put you off doing the crime. off doing the crime.

E.g. Some states in E.g. Some states in the US uses the US uses execution in this execution in this way- way-

if you commit if you commit murder you will murder you will be executed, so be executed, so don’t commit don’t commit murder.murder.

Smaller scale – Smaller scale – driving under the driving under the influence leads influence leads to a ban, fine and to a ban, fine and maybe maybe imprisonment so imprisonment so don’t drink and don’t drink and drive.drive.

REFORMATIONREFORMATION To try to change To try to change

someone's ways someone's ways and improve them and improve them as a responsible as a responsible citizencitizen

E.g. a joy rider E.g. a joy rider might have to might have to work at a work at a physiotherapy physiotherapy unit with road unit with road traffic accident traffic accident victims.victims.

The punishment The punishment is designed to is designed to make offenders make offenders consider their consider their behaviour and behaviour and why it is wrong.why it is wrong.

From that they From that they may modify their may modify their behaviour behaviour because their because their values have values have changed.changed.

VINDICATIONVINDICATION If we have laws If we have laws

we have to we have to punish those who punish those who break them, or break them, or there would be no there would be no point to the laws.point to the laws.

You get a fine for You get a fine for not having a valid not having a valid parking ticket, parking ticket, because the rulebecause the rule

says you have to says you have to have one.have one.

The car park The car park maybe empty maybe empty and you are and you are depriving no one depriving no one of that space , of that space , but that’s the but that’s the rule.rule.

WHY DO PEOPLE COMMIT WHY DO PEOPLE COMMIT CRIME?CRIME?

Trigger Trigger Immediate causeImmediate cause greedgreed BoredomBoredom HatredHatred ExampleExample DesperateDesperate PsychologicalPsychological ChoiceChoice

FearFear DriveDrive BuzzBuzz AddictionAddiction PowerPower Life you haveLife you have ConflictConflict Emotional/mental Emotional/mental

disturbance disturbance

TASKTASK1.Give examples to 1.Give examples to

demonstrate the demonstrate the causes of crime.causes of crime.

2.What do you 2.What do you think about the think about the 5 motivations or 5 motivations or aims of aims of punishments? punishments? Give reasons for Give reasons for your answer.your answer.

3.Chose a crime 3.Chose a crime and apply each and apply each punishment to it. punishment to it. State what you State what you think the think the consequences consequences would be for each.would be for each.

4.Which do you 4.Which do you think would be think would be most effective most effective and why?and why?

5. 5. ’If all criminals were punished very ’If all criminals were punished very severely, crimes would almost severely, crimes would almost disappear.’disappear.’

Do you agree? Give reasons and explain Do you agree? Give reasons and explain your answer , showing that you have your answer , showing that you have thought about more than one point of view.thought about more than one point of view.

6.6.’In a civilised society, we should try to ’In a civilised society, we should try to reform all criminals. Most are damaged reform all criminals. Most are damaged people, damaged by others, and we should people, damaged by others, and we should help them, not damage them further.’help them, not damage them further.’

Do you agree? Give reasons and explain your Do you agree? Give reasons and explain your answer , showing that you have thought about answer , showing that you have thought about more than one point of view.more than one point of view.

SOME FIGURESSOME FIGURES

Crime figures in Crime figures in UK have risen UK have risen steadily over the steadily over the past 50 yrspast 50 yrs

1951-638,000 1951-638,000 crimes reportedcrimes reported

2002 – 7 million2002 – 7 million

Greatest increase Greatest increase in violent crime in violent crime and robberyand robbery

Greatest increase Greatest increase of robbery among of robbery among teenagers – teenagers – mobile phonesmobile phones

Crime related to Crime related to alcohol increase alcohol increase dramaticallydramatically

For every crime For every crime reported at least 3 reported at least 3 go unreportedgo unreported

Thought that over Thought that over 30 million crimes 30 million crimes are committed are committed each year in the each year in the UKUK

Over 30% of the Over 30% of the population suffer population suffer badly from crime.badly from crime.

Most crimes are Most crimes are committed by committed by people under the people under the age of 25age of 25

Majority of Majority of criminals between criminals between ages of 16 & 19ages of 16 & 19

Men are 7 times Men are 7 times more likely to more likely to commit a crime commit a crime than womenthan women

Burglaries, car thefts Burglaries, car thefts and arson attacks and arson attacks carried out by 18-20 carried out by 18-20 yr olds alone cost yr olds alone cost households & households & Businesses £4 billion Businesses £4 billion per yr in UK per yr in UK

Men commit 6 million Men commit 6 million crimes a yr but crimes a yr but thought to be thought to be responsible for at responsible for at least 3 times this least 3 times this numbernumber

1 in 16 of all houses 1 in 16 of all houses are burgled each year.are burgled each year.

The perpetrators of The perpetrators of about 20% of all about 20% of all crimes, just 1 in 5, are crimes, just 1 in 5, are caught and punished.caught and punished.

In some parts of the In some parts of the country the detection country the detection rate is even lower rate is even lower (and other parts, (and other parts, higher).higher).

Britain locks up Britain locks up more people as a % more people as a % of population than of population than any other country in any other country in Europe.Europe.

At the end of At the end of November 2006, November 2006, over 80 000 over 80 000 inmates.inmates.

Each prisoner costs Each prisoner costs the tax payer £37 the tax payer £37 500 per year.500 per year.

Each young offender Each young offender costs £42 000 per yr.costs £42 000 per yr.

Over half of all prisoners Over half of all prisoners re-offend within two re-offend within two years.years.

This rises to 2/3 for young This rises to 2/3 for young offenders.offenders.

Only 1/3 of prisoners Only 1/3 of prisoners have committed serious have committed serious offences (drugs, violence offences (drugs, violence or sex related).or sex related).

The majority of prisons are The majority of prisons are overcrowded and we are at overcrowded and we are at crisis point in this country.crisis point in this country.

On average, one prisoner On average, one prisoner commits suicide every five commits suicide every five days (rate is highest days (rate is highest amongst women).amongst women).

Up to 1/3 need psychiatric Up to 1/3 need psychiatric care. It is argued that they care. It is argued that they would be better served by would be better served by mental health care mental health care systems.systems.

Find out (p106, T&S) and explain the Find out (p106, T&S) and explain the termsterms

Imprisonment Imprisonment (with categories)(with categories)

Absolute and Absolute and conditional conditional dischargesdischarges

ParoleParole Community Community

serviceservice Electronic Electronic

taggingtagging

Binding overBinding overCurfewCurfewSuspended Suspended sentencesentence

ProbationProbationCare ordersCare ordersCautioningCautioningFinesFines

Look upLook upwww.prisonreformtrust.orgwww.prisonreformtrust.org.uk.uk

Find out what they doFind out what they doand say why they do it.and say why they do it.