The role of the police is to act as 'gatekeepers' deciding which acts should be classified as crime or not
It is from the police figures that the criminal statistics are derived
The influence of the courts is to decide, not what criminal acts have been committed but if the person accused is guilty
The British judiciary system couldn't work without a huge number of the accused pleading guilty
8 out of 10 people appearing in court plead guilty which allows the courts to concentrate on those who plead not guilty
If convicted of a criminal offence the criminal may be sentenced to jail - the length of which will vary depending on the crime committed
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Alternatives to a Jail Sentence
A police caution is an alternative to prosecution (legal proceedings)
It is intended to act as an official warning to deter people from getting involved in further crime. There are 2 forms of caution:
Formal caution - may be given to adults who admit they are guilty of first-time minor offences eg. vandalism or petty theft and counts towards a criminal record
Informal caution - an oral warning given by a police officier and doesn't count towards a criminal record
A reprimand is a formal verbal warning given by a police officer to a young person who admits they are guilty of a minor first offence
Community Service is a service that a person performs for the benefit of there local community in place if a prison sentence
Probation is the suspension of a jail sentence. A person may have committed a crime but they are given 'probation' where they can live in the community and follow certain conditions set by the court under the supervision of a probation officer
The ASBO is seen by some as the solution to anti-social behaviour - they are court orders that are issued for vandalism and rowdy behaviour etc
It can ban a person continuing the behaviour of visiting certain areas
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Victims and the Communities effected by Crime
Social control is important in society not just to control the individuals who take part in deviant or criminal behaviour but also for society as a whole
Some areas are greatly affected by criminal behaviour eg. inner cities
The crime in the area has a huge effect on the individuals in that area eg. not feeling safe to go outside or destroying community life
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