Importance Of Criminology In The Criminal Justice System

In this essay, I we be discussing the importance criminology has on the criminal justice system, criminology involves conducting research and studying social and physical factors of why people commit crimes and end up in our prisons. criminologists work is important as their work aids in developing a society that is less prone to acts of criminality and deviance, protecting society. My primary focus will be on why we have prisons, looking at the type of people we find in them, what may cause them to end up there. Following up with how criminologists respond to the obvious problems. I will be supporting my answer by providing statistics and presenting criminological theories throughout.

As of December 2017, statics show that our UK prisons

Black African Caribbean’s account for just 12% of the prison population were as white ethnicity accumulates to a high percentage of 73% (House of Commons Library, 2017). Criminology is specifically important in this area as they look into social exclusion and how this contributes to criminality. Bhui (2009) reported that there is a division within prisons that implements social exclusion and deprivation of the minority of black criminals. Within prisons power is given to those in charge, prison guard etc. These powers are often abused leading to abuse in forms of racism, most often dehumanising those who are different to the ethnic minority this is one form of racism which Kimmit Edgar (2007) has identified. Research from critical criminologists Wilson & Moore (2003) have identified that there is a substantial occurrence of direct racism within our prisons, direct racism in forms of violence is an ever-growing presence against black male inmates specifically (Scott & Codd,

After thorough research criminologists are also able to predict patterns in family backgrounds linking to crime. Social background and childhood experiences have impacted a high majority of prisoners and are both acknowledged as having an involvement with criminal activity. Evidence shows that criminal activity is influenced by a history of social exclusion, poverty, growing up within care and if a member of their family is or has been in prison ("Prisoners’ childhood and family backgrounds", 2012). In 2012 a sample was taken of 3,849 prisoners to analyse this, criminologists have a growing interest regarding the relationship between offenders and their childhood and family relationships. The results of the samples found that 24% of the prisoners had been in care at some point of this childhood, 29% were abused by family member/carer, 41% observed violence at home and 31% had a family member that had been in prison. In 2006, 90,000 children had a parent who was in prison ("Prisoners’ childhood and family backgrounds", 2012). Evidently this shows this is an aspect of the social learning theory and implies that is a child has grown up around criminal activity they are more likely to commit crimes themselves. Criminology is important as criminologists are