EDEXCEL GCSE HISTORY · PAPER 1 · CRIME & PUNISHMENT
Exam Practice - Prisons and Reforms
Prisons and Reforms · Chapter 4: Crime, punishment and law enforcement in recent times, c1900-present · Lesson 3 of 4 · 32 marks · 35 minutes
Name Date
Answer all questions. Use specific names, dates and examples in every answer.
Question 1 EXPLAIN ONE WAY [4 marks]
Explain one way in which the treatment of young offenders in the early twentieth century was similar to the treatment of young offenders in the late twentieth century.
Question 2 EXPLAIN WHY [12 marks]
Explain why there were changes in the treatment of young offenders in the period c1900-present. You may use the following in your answer: borstals; the Children Act (1908). You must also use information of your own.
Question 3 HOW FAR DO YOU AGREE? [16 marks]
"The main aim of punishment in the period c1900-present has been to rehabilitate offenders." How far do you agree? Explain your answer. You may use the following in your answer: open prisons; the prison population. You must also use information of your own. (16 marks, plus 4 for spelling, punctuation, grammar and specialist terminology)
Answers
Check your answer only once you have written one.
Question 1 [4 marks]
In both periods young offenders were kept apart from adult prisoners so that they would not learn from hardened criminals. In the early twentieth century the Children Act of 1908 created separate juvenile courts, and borstals held offenders aged 16-21 with education and training. In the late twentieth century borstals were replaced in 1982 by youth custody centres, which still kept young people separate and aimed to rehabilitate them.
▸ A valid similarity identified 1-2 marks
▸ Supported with specific knowledge of both periods 3-4 marks
Question 2 [12 marks]
One reason was the belief that young offenders could be reformed. Reformers argued that young people were not yet hardened criminals and could be taught to lead honest lives. Borstals, set up nationally by the Prevention of Crime Act of 1908, used discipline, education and training in trades such as carpentry and farming to rehabilitate offenders aged 16-21. A second reason was the need to protect young people from adult criminals. Putting young offenders in adult prisons meant they learned from experienced criminals. The Children Act of 1908 created juvenile courts for under-16s, so young people were dealt with separately from the start. A third reason, beyond the stimulus, was changing ideas about which methods worked best. Borstals were criticised for high reoffending and harshness, and in 1982 they were replaced by youth custody centres and later by young offender institutions. Community-based punishments such as community service from 1972 and restorative justice were increasingly used to keep young people out of custody altogether.
▸ Level 1 (1-3) A simple or general answer
▸ Level 2 (4-6) Some explanation of one or more reasons, with some knowledge
▸ Level 3 (7-9) A developed explanation linked to the question, with accurate knowledge
▸ Level 4 (10-12) An analytical explanation of several reasons, with knowledge that goes beyond the stimulus points
Question 3 [16 marks]
On the one hand, rehabilitation has been a major aim. Probation from 1907 allowed offenders to be supervised in the community, and borstals from 1908 used education and training to reform young offenders. Open prisons from 1936 prepared low-risk prisoners for life after release. The Criminal Justice Act of 1948 abolished hard labour and flogging, and prisons offered education and training. Community service from 1972 and restorative justice both aim to change offenders' behaviour. On the other hand, other aims have remained important. Prison still exists to protect the public from dangerous criminals and to punish offenders - retribution - and deterrence remains a common argument for tough sentences. The prison population has grown to over 80,000 in recent years, which suggests that punishment and public protection, not only rehabilitation, still drive sentencing. Many politicians and members of the public have called for tougher sentences rather than reform. Overall, rehabilitation has been the most distinctive new aim of the period and has shaped many reforms, but it has not replaced punishment and protection. The best judgement is that punishment in this period has tried to balance several aims, with rehabilitation more important than in any earlier period but not the only aim.
▸ Level 1 (1-4) A simple or generalised answer
▸ Level 2 (5-8) Some analysis, with a judgement that is asserted
▸ Level 3 (9-12) Analysis of both sides with accurate knowledge and a supported judgement
▸ Level 4 (13-16) Sustained analysis, knowledge beyond the stimulus, and a clear, justified judgement
▸ SPaG (4) Accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar, with specialist terms such as rehabilitation and retribution