Criminal Justice and Social Work

Imagine you are working as an intern with the Criminal Justice Social Work Department, which is responsible, amongst other things, for conducting social enquiry reports on young offenders under the age of 21. You have been asked to prepare an academically-informed report on Sandy, who is facing a custodial sentence for breaking the terms of an anti-social behaviour order. Your report should draw on relevant concepts and theories related to understanding crime and punishment and make recommendations on what outcome would best serve ‘justice’ in this case. In addition to the particulars of the case itself, some issues you might like to reflect upon are: ? What matters relating to Sandy’s background or present circumstances could have had a bearing on the offence committed? ? Are there any personal circumstances that should be taken into account in terms of understanding the offending behaviour and how ‘best’ to respond to it? ? What potential risks are there of re-offending? 23 ? What are the likely effects on the individual of the various kinds of sentences available (i.e. imprisonment or a community punishment)? Please remember that such reports are used to determine the most appropriate sentence for individual cases. They are not meant to serve as documents for the defence, but should be both fair and objective. CASE STUDY 17-year-old Sandy has lived his whole life on a housing estate on the edge of a large city, which is acknowledged as having more than its fair share of deprivation.. He was raised by his Gran, who has been his sole guardian since his Mum passed away when he was a toddler. He knows his Dad, but rarely sees him as the latter is in and out of prison, largely for petty offending. In recent years, his Gran’s health has been waning and he has become her main carer. In his local area Sandy is generally perceived to be a ‘bit of a yob’: provoking admiration among some of his friends; concern and sometimes derision by those in authority. He is regularly stopped by the police, and subject to search procedures. He has also repeatedly been taken home by the police for loitering. Sandy attended high school until he turned 15, when he more or less stopped going altogether. Throughout high school Sandy got into trouble for his poor attendance and lack of academic progress. Sandy appears to have some creative and artistic ability, which is clear from the artwork he shares freely with the local community. Whilst some people like it, others dismiss it as graffiti and, therefore, vandalism. As a result of this petty vandalism, the local authorities successfully applied for a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) against Sandy (in November 2015). Sandy was recently caught, by the local community officer, trespassing on the grounds of his former school, in possession of spray paints, and now faces a spell in a young offenders’ institution for breaching the conditions of his CBO. CASE STUDY END In drafting your report, aim to summarise and synthesise relevant material, comparing and contrasting approaches succinctly, where appropriate. Please pay attention to the word limit and avoid describing theories/perspectives in detail. Aim at a style that seeks to clearly and concisely point to key works, ideas and concepts – using appropriate referencing throughout - along with a critical evaluation INSTRUCTIONS I will upload an outline to my account in due course. I need the subheadings - Introduction Offender Backgound Present and personal circumstances Offence Risk of reoffending Possible punishments Recommendation I will also upload a reference list. If you cannot get assess to them, please use relevant references - e.g journal articles. Please ensure they are good ones. The theories need to link into the case study. The theories need to be referenced e.g citied. The outline I send gives some ideas, in what to include under each subheading. It can be followed closely if you wish or more losely if there is difficulties.