Dealing with Offending: Custodial Sentencing & Recidivism

Custodial sentencing — imprisonment — is the most severe form of punishment available in the criminal justice system. It involves the physical detention of offenders in prisons or other secure institutions. Understanding the psychological effects of custody, the aims of sentencing, and the effectiveness of imprisonment in reducing reoffending (recidivism) is a key part of the AQA A-Level Psychology forensic psychology specification.

Key Definition: Recidivism is the tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend after being released from custody. It is typically measured as the percentage of offenders who commit a new offence within a set period (usually one or two years) after release.

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Aims of Custodial Sentencing

Custodial sentences serve several purposes, which can be broadly categorised as follows: