Deviance and Social Control

Social Control

The methods by which social groups try to ensure conformity.Prisons

Laws

Folkways

mores

Norms

Types of Social Control

Informal Social Controls

everyday expectations-ie: stares, talk, ridicule, threats

Formal Social Controls actions violate important social values and threaten social order and well-being.written down in Canada’s Criminal Code-ie: law courts, prisons, psychiatric hospitals, sports rules, school rules

 Bibby and Posterski’s categories of major and minor social controls(page294)

PRISONS AS INSTITUTIONS FOR SOCIAL CONTROL

The main purpose of prisons are:Intended to cause hardship as a form of punishmentA way to remove dangerous individuals from societySeen as a deterrent to discourage criminals and would-be criminals from breaking the lawTo rehabilitate the offender through training and counselling

Do prisons achieve these goals???

ALTERNATIVES TO PRISON

 Full Parole -release from prison under supervision-has conditions-must serve a minimum of 1/3 sentence

 Day Parole

-parolee can work or go to school during the day, but must report to the institution at night.-4 months to 1 year

Temporary absences-short term release

-no greater than 3 days -medical, humanitarian or administrative

reasons

Mandatory Supervision -reward for good behaviour-usually 2/3 through sentence-release by law-subject to same regulations as

those on full parole

Probation-alternative to imprisonment

-probation officer -must remain in certain area -can be sent back to prison if

person does not comply

Community Service-work for a prescribed number of hours in the community

-work often related to nature of their offence

Fines-less serious criminal offences

-traffic offences

Read E.C. Deloria’s article

What advantages are there to looking for and expanding alternatives to prison?