Effect of imprisonment - crime

Punishment - fines, community service, imprisonment etc. Imprisonment can serve a number of functions:

• 1. retribution (pay for their offence)
• 2. incapacitation (prevents from re-offending)
• 3. deterrence (puts people off)
• 4. restoration and reparation (reconciliation between offenders and victims)
• 5. rehabilitation/reform (recognise error of their ways)

Evidence for recidivism: 

• UK (ministry of Justice Eng and Wales) = offenders given a sentence of less than 12m , 59% will reoffend. 
• US (Gov research) = within 3 years of release, two-thirds (67.8%) rearrested

Negative effects of imprisonment - depression and suicide risk

• Prison inmates show more depression and anxiety than the general public. Dooley found the suicide rate of prispners is 4x that of the general population. Investigated all unnatural deaths that occured in prisons in Eng and Wales, 442 unnatural deaths, 300 were suicide. 

Reform is trying to change a prisoner's behaviour to prevent re-offending and lead to better integration in society. This is a more positive response to criminal behaviour than punishment.

An example of reform is planned employement schemes.

Planned employment schemes - which equip them with skills for employement e.g. numeracy and literacy skills. These skill increase the chnge of them getting a job which gives them financial security and structure/purpose to their day. Pakes and Pakes describe prison as "home of the excluded and unskilled". Therefore, these schemes help them get a job and keep them away from crime. 

Aim: to investigate the situational/dispositional hypothesis in relation to prison environments.

Method: lab exp, IV = prisoner or guard. DV = behaviour. 

Sample: male, volunteers, mostly college students, paid $15 per day for taking part. 21 used = 10 prisoners and 11 guards.

Procedure: simulated prison built in Stanford University basement. Included small cells, solitary confinement, guard's quarters, prison yard. Guard's uniform = plain khaki shirt, whistle, night stick, reflective sunglasses. Prisoner's uniform = loose-fitting muslin smock, ID numbber, no underwear, rubber sandals, light chain and lock around ankle. De-individuate the prisoners and to be humilitating. 

Results: show how behaviour of "normal" students was affected by the role they were assigned to. Prisoners adopted a passive response, they showed pathological prisoner syndrome and became negative e.g. extreme depression. The guards absorbed in pathology of power where they enjoyed and misused the power they had e.g. punishments and demands. 

Conclusions: social situation of prison locks G and P into interdependent relationship, effects of imprisonment as a response to criminal behaviour is very -ve for both prisoners and guards

1. imprisonment - but it isn't actually very effective

2. planned employement schemes - Gillis and Nafekh

3. anger management: Novaco suggests people who are aroused find that anger helps them feel in control of a situation, should be taught how to control and manage their anger, learn how to deal with conflict situations e.g. arguements without aggression.

Ireland aimed to assess the effectiveness of a CALM programme with young male offenders. A natural exp was conducted, making comparisons between treatement group of 50 ppts who received the treatement, and 37 control group. Pre + post test scores gained. Overall, 92% of the exp group showed improvement on at least one measure.