Tag: prison

  • Sociological Research on Life Imprisonment

    A life sentence in jail is the most severe form of punishment the English Criminal Justice System can hand out, and the number of people serving life imprisonment in England and Wales has increased in the last few decades, but how do those sentenced to a Life-term in jail cope? This recent Thinking Allowed Podcast…

  • The world’s toughest prisons: Tucumbu in Paraguay

    Tucumbu Prison in Paraguay, South America, houses some of the most dangerous convicted criminals in the country. It is based in the middle of a slum, and is hideously underfunded and overcrowded – originally built to house just 800 inmates, it currently houses 4000. The prison features in a recent Netflix documentary series: Inside the…

  • Does Prison Work? The Stats suggest not!

    What can prison population statistics tell us about Crime Control in the UK?  Is Prison an effective strategy for controlling crime? These are questions that should be of interest to any student studying the Crime and Deviance option within A-level sociology. Scotland, England and Wales have high prison populations  In England and Wales we lock…

  • Official Statistics on Ethnicity and Crime

    A summary of how ethnic minorities are over-represented at different stages of the criminal ‘justice’ process in England and Wales

  • Does Prison Work?

    According to the government’s Prison Population Statistics – as of 31 March 2016 the total prison population in England and Wales was just over 85,400. The number of people in jail has been increasing especially rapidly since Michael Howard declared that ‘Prison Works’ in 1993 – a mantra adopted by successive governments. Since that time, the…

  • Sociology on TV August – September 2016

    There’s a couple of really useful documentaries relevant to the crime and deviance module which have been on recently, which you might want to grab for college estream if you teach Sociology – As I see it you can get a good three-five years out of a good documentary. Life Inside Wandsworth Prison demonstrates how…

  • Evaluate Sociological Perspectives on Prison as a Form of Punishment (Essay Plan)

    1. Functionalists would point to the positive functions prison might perform in society –Prison could act as a deterrent – thus reinforcing social regulation; and it should also work to maintain equilibrium and balance in our society – making up for the failings of other institutions such as the family and the education system –…