POLICE – PRISON SYSTEM

POLICE

1. POLICE STATION- RECORD
2. POLICE- INVESTIGATOR
3. POLICE HELPER-INFORMER
4. POLICE WORKING- PROFILING- CHASE
5. POLICE WORKING- INVESTIGATE
6. POLICE WORKING –ARREST- CUSTODY
7. POLICE WORKING-RACISM
8. POLICE WORKING-RIOT-GUARD
9. POLICE-ARMY DRESS

The police are primarily responsible for the maintenance of public order, and the prevention, and detection of crimes in the state. It also protects the life, liberty, and property of the people. A Police Officer serves to maintain law and order in local areas by protecting members of the public and their property, preventing crime, reducing the fear of crime, and improving the quality of life for all citizens.

PRISON

1. PRISON
2. PRISON SYSTEM

Criminological arguments for prisons

One argument for prison is that it is an effective deterrent. Prison can be seen as a tough type of punishment because it takes away your freedom and potential support networks, and in many ways, it strips away your identity. The thought of prison is enough for some people to not even contemplate committing a criminal act.

Prison sentences are also a message to the wider public that this is what will happen if you commit a crime. Prison advocates would say this is a message to wider society about what is right and wrong and what will happen if you commit a crime.

Additionally, prison advocates argue that prison is such a difficult time for people that the experience should then deter them from committing any further offenses. However, we know that is not the case because many individuals who have committed an offense and go to prison then commit further offenses. This makes us a question, is prison a) effective and b) enough of a deterrence?

Another argument for prison is that by putting people in prison, we protect the public by ensuring these individuals cannot commit any further offenses. Additionally, prison sentences provide a sense of justice to the victims affected by the crime and the public.

Criminological arguments against prisons

The first argument would be that prisons do not work. Those advocating for prison reform highlight reoffending statistics as an example of the ineffectiveness of prisons.

The adult reoffending rate for the October to December 2018 cohort was 27.5%.

Almost 101,000 proven re-offenses were committed over the one-year follow-up period by around 25,000 adults. Those that reoffended committed on average 3.97 re-offenses. [Source – Home Office – Proven reoffending statistics for England and Wales, published October 2020].

Research shows that long prison sentences have little impact on crime. Time in prison can actually make someone more likely to commit a crime — by further exposing them to all sorts of criminal elements. Prisons are also costly, using up funds that could go to other government programs that are more effective at fighting crime.

Additionally, there are arguments that prison does not rehabilitate prisoners. While there are some opportunities in prison, this does not always meet the needs of the prisoners and does not help them on their release due to the views people in society have about imprisonment and criminal records. On release, three-fifths of prisoners have no “identified employment or education or training outcome”. If prison punishes people through the experience itself but then does not offer those individuals the opportunity to improve and change their lives once they are released, can we realistically expect people to be rehabilitated and not return to crime?

Some believe that the whole prison system is an oppressive institution governed by the powerful that cages the marginalized and powerless. They would argue that prison further damages people because it causes further trauma, exposes them to further violence, reinforces disadvantage, and creates further crime and social harm. The prison also does very little to tackle the underlying causes of crime in communities. However, some have argued that by reducing the prison population, we are still widening the net and criminalizing people, as community sentences and alternatives to custody would be increased rather than looking at some of the structural inequalities that may lead to crime and criminal behavior.

Others argue that prison mainly holds those that are from lower socio-economic backgrounds and ethnic minorities, punishing poverty and disadvantage while protecting the crimes of the powerful. For example, where are the imprisoned individuals from corporations that cause widespread harm, such as those that need to be held accountable for the Grenfell Tower fire, multi-million corporations, and so on?

There are many arguments for abolishing prison, and then there are arguments that recognize prison cannot be abolished completely but needs reforming.

 REASONS TO STUDY POLICING

One of the oldest occupations in the world, policing varies from nation to nation, town to town, and even street to street!

It is also one of the most personally and professionally fulfilling career options to take. However, the requirements to join the police force are evolving, making a university-level study of policing increasingly crucial for anyone wishing to pursue a career in the field.

Start making a difference right away

Why wait until you’re a police officer to start making a difference? Start right away with a policing degree!

Policing degrees can allow students to be trained as special constables, as is the case with our BSc (Hons) Professional Policing degree. This means that you will receive ‘on-the-job training’ alongside your academic studies. The role presents a significant opportunity to protect our communities from harm and to understand policing from the inside, long before you graduate.

Skills for life

Whilst policing degrees teach you a lot of bespoke skills the policing sector finds desirable, they also provide students with a wealth of other transferable skills that can be applied to a variety of other sectors.

You’ll learn leadership and team-building skills, which are ideal no matter where your career path takes you after graduation. Management roles are always looking for those with the personal tools to get people motivated and productive. The same can be said for the report writing and analytical skills you’ll learn during the course too.

Expert experiences

Policing is one subject that benefits greatly from the experiences of ex-professionals. Police officers, both active and retired, come with a wealth of knowledge that they want to pass on to the next generation.

Students on our Professional Policing degree will benefit from a teaching team comprised of both Criminology academics, who will explore the theoretical and psychological underpinnings of policing and former policing professionals. This will give you an excellent balance of both the theoretical and practical skills modern police officers need to excel in their careers.

This will be complemented by field trips to give you further hands-on experience. Field trips are being planned to courts, police public order training, and prisons, to give students the real insight they wouldn’t get on other degrees.

Interested in finding out more about what our Professional Policing degree could offer you? Visit our course page to get more in-depth information.