Treatment and Punishment of Crime

Spec check

Examiners report

Further examiners report

Lesson 1 Aim and objective is for you to be able to describe punishments (the psychology behind this) and evaluate with reference to research. Complete the first part of this essay

camera/CaughtOnCamera.aspx Is criminality a disorder which requires treatment, the aims of which being to prevent reoffending? Or is criminal behaviour an action which needs punishing to deter both the criminal themselves, and others from committing the same offence? DISCUSS IN PAIRS

What are goals of treatment and punishment of crime? The main goal for our culture has been defined as 'reducing the recidivism rate'. Recidivism is the re-offending rate over a defined period, usually between 2 and 5 years. This provides an agreed dependent variable (DV) for any scientific study. So the question to be answered is whether any particular treatment or punishment (usually know as a regime) is better than any other at reducing recidivism. Success in this task is known as deterrence and adoption of a non-offending lifestyle as rehabilitation.

Cavadino and Dignan (1997) suggest several justifications for punishment: Deterrence: an unpleasant experience (or the threat of one) serves to prevent the behaviour in the future Reform: the experience of punishment leads the offender to becoming a changed individual, such that they do not repeat the behaviour in the future. Incapacitation: the punishment serves to (temporarily) prevent the individual from committing further crimes by, for example, removing them from society (prison) or removing the means to reoffend (driving disqualification) Retribution: the punishment is designed to fit the crime. Here society exacts a kind of revenge upon the offender that is considered proportional to the crime; a very serious crime merits a severe punishment.

How does psychology fit into this? look at your 4 points – now see if you can explain in terms of psychological theory/principle. DETERENCE REFORM INCAPACITATION RETRIBUTION

The Psychology Skinner (1938) established the basic principles of operant conditioning. He was very clear about punishment, it was a poor and unreliable way of conditioning behaviour. Unlike positive reinforcement, which generalises to other behaviours, punishment only succeeds in repressing target behaviour in the specific situation it was used in.

Class discussion 1.Why would a custodial sentence not work, what is it failing to do? 2.What would you expect to see from research in terms of recidivism rates? 3.What do you think would work better?

YBwu1pd7vU YBwu1pd7vU Inside Britain's Prisons – short clip

Homework – very disturbing documentary conducted in Russia (can also link into theories of crime) BymXchttps:// BymXc Watch this documentary as it highlights the differences in prison regimes and also the death penalty that still exists for some. The question that remains is it effective at preventing others committing the same crime?

Evaluation – is prison effective? Long-term prison sentences have recidivism rates in excess of 70%, short term average 53% while community orders average 46% (Minister Of Justice 2007). The major factors in staying out of trouble were identified as getting a job and finding good accommodation. Therefore?

Task for you! 20 minutes There are lots of evaluation points, remember you have approximately 15 minutes to discuss punishment in the exam – you should spend 10 minutes on evaluation. You task is to choose some points of these and turn them into in depth effective points. You will write these and then we will peer mark to see if they can be improved further. (these will be added to your notes)

Essay Structure Q5: Discuss treatment and punishment of crime Paragraph 1: Intro (A01) What is the goal of treatment and punishment? Keep this brief. Paragraph 2: Describe a punishment. What happens, and what is its aim? IMPORTANT THAT YOU LINK THIS TO THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND THIS! Discuss effectiveness in terms of recidivism rates – again link back to the psychology (A01/A02).

Lesson 2 Aim and objective is that you can describe a treatment for criminal behaviour and link this to the psychological basis. You can then complete this part of your essay, you should also be able to see issues with the treatment programmes discussed

Group work Today you will work in small groups with the tasks that will be set. Anyone not working effectively will be placed in the slammer (be warned)

Treatment An alternative to punishing offenders is to see their behaviour as a problem that can be treated. Often treatment and punishment will go together; offenders in prison will be given therapy to help them reform and to adapt to a non-criminal life

Recap – operant conditioning A few minutes to discuss in your group the principles of operant condition. Write down the key terms and describe how they are practically applied

Group work – case study Paul has just received an 18 month sentence for shoplifting. He is not behaving in a way that is acceptable, he is aggressive to the guards and other prisoners. He is also not washing himself or cleaning his cell. He fails to eat at the mealtimes set by the prison, relying on food brought in by his family.

How could these guards change Paul’s behaviour using operant conditioning?

Extension task Write down answers in your group for the following questions. 1.Do you think this is effective as a treatment? why? 2.What do you think the problems may be? 3.What might be a better way of treating Paul and why?

Treatment – token economy While it could be argued that the very concept of prison is based on the idea that punishment can stop undesirable behaviour (operant conditioning) behaviourist principles can also be used to encourage behaviour that is desired. This can be done by the use of a token economy.

The process of token economy It must follow the following structure: The desired change in behaviour is clearly specified. A baseline rate is measured over a period of days. A reinforcement strategy is adopted (when to reinforce, what to reinforce). All those in contact with the offender should adhere to the programme. The offender’s progress is carefully monitored. The target behaviour after treatment is compared with the baseline. Could also include negative reinforcement, how does this work?

Practical application Secondary reinforces, usually tokens (token economy) are exchanged for primary reinforcers. Typical primary reinforcers in a prison setting would be a telephone call home or watching a video.

Evaluation Using the paragraph – pull out 4 points and use in an effective way. Point Evidence Elaborate – what does this suggest – go back to the question

Homework Cognitive therapy (treatment) is on pages 20 & 21 – this can be used very briefly as comparison to token economy or as an alternative with token economy as A02 point. Read and summarise for homework (short test next lesson)

Lesson 3 Aim and objective is that you should be able to add to your knowledge other treatment programmes for differentiation, compare & contrast effectiveness to other treatments/punishments previously discussed (stretch & challenge) You should also be able to formulate a conclusion for the essay.

Quick quiz – previous lesson 1.How can enhance thinking skills be practically applied? 2 points 2.Name 3 modules that offenders cover on a reasoning and Rehabilitation course. 3.Palmer et al (2007) found what? 4.A limit of cognitive therapies is that while it is addressing the way a criminal thinks, it is failing to do what? 5.Cann et al (2003) found that any benefits of cognitive therapy are what?

Last paragraph/conclusion – 10 minutes maximum Any punishment and may be treatment programme may not deal with a major contribution to criminal behaviour, which is? (hint, think back to social theories or crime) Andrews and Bonta 2006 suggested that behavioural and cognitive therapy is preferred and appears to be more effective, why might this be? There is an argument that social skills training might be an alternative to other treatments based on the psychological view of the frustration-aggression hypothesis – due to a lack of social skills people become frustrated and then aggressive – see page 238 & 239 for a little more detail and evidence to say whether this is effective.

Independent task To use the previous slide to draw a sound conclusion – bring it all together – remember top-band on this question wants to see thoughtful analysis, psychological and accurate. Once you have written this you will peer mark each others!

Homework Complete your essay plan – if you are struggling come to subject support for help and guidance. Watch the following documentary for further information about boot camps (can discuss in essay) Read the following for further evaluation – facts and figures about prison (2014) - rison%20the%20facts%20May% pdf rison%20the%20facts%20May% pdf