How does society control us? » Methods of control used by formal agencies - arrest, sentencing, imprisonment

What you'll learn this session

Study time: 30 minutes

The main formal agencies of social control in society
How the police use arrest as a method of social control
The purpose and types of sentencing in the criminal justice system
The role of imprisonment as social control
The effectiveness and criticisms of these formal control methods
Real-world examples and case studies of formal social control

Formal Social Control: How Society Keeps Us in Line

While we often think we make our own choices in life, powerful forces in society work to control our behaviour. Formal social control refers to the official ways that society regulates people's actions through laws, rules and punishments. These controls are carried out by formal agencies like the police, courts and prisons.

Key Definitions:

Social control: The methods used by society to encourage conformity to norms, values and laws.
Formal agencies: Official organisations with legal authority to enforce rules and norms.
Criminal justice system: The network of institutions (police, courts, prisons) that process offenders.

☆ Formal vs Informal Control

Formal control involves official sanctions, written rules and legal punishments administered by government agencies.

☆ Why Study This?

Understanding formal control helps us recognise how power operates in society and how certain groups may be affected differently by these systems.

Method 1: Arrest - The Gateway to Formal Control

Arrest is often the first direct contact a person has with the formal control system. It represents the power of the state to physically restrict someone's freedom based on suspected law-breaking.

How Arrest Works as Social Control

When police arrest someone, they're exercising one of the most visible forms of state power. Arrest serves several social control functions:

✓ Immediate Control

Physically removes alleged offenders from society, stopping ongoing crimes and preventing immediate harm.

✓ Deterrence

The threat of arrest discourages others from committing similar offences (general deterrence).

✓ Symbolic Power

Demonstrates the consequences of breaking social rules, reinforcing the authority of the state.

Case Study Focus: Stop and Search

In the UK, police have powers to stop and search individuals they suspect of carrying illegal items. Statistics consistently show that Black people are 9 times more likely to be stopped and searched than White people. This raises important questions about how arrest powers may reinforce existing social inequalities. The Lammy Review (2017) highlighted significant racial disparities throughout the criminal justice system.

Method 2: Sentencing - Formalising Punishment

After arrest and conviction, sentencing is how society officially determines punishment. Sentences serve multiple purposes in the social control system.

Types of Sentences and Their Control Functions

The UK courts can impose various sentences depending on the offence and circumstances:

Custodial sentences: Prison terms that physically remove offenders from society.
Community sentences: Punishments served in the community (unpaid work, curfews, rehabilitation programmes).
Fines: Financial penalties that create economic consequences for rule-breaking.
Conditional discharges: No immediate punishment but a warning that further offences will result in punishment.

Each type of sentence aims to control behaviour in different ways:

★ Purposes of Sentencing

Punishment: Making offenders 'pay' for their crimes.
Deterrence: Discouraging future offending.
Rehabilitation: Changing offenders' behaviour.
Public protection: Keeping dangerous individuals away from society.
Reparation: Making amends to victims or society.

Case Study Focus: Youth Sentencing

The UK has a separate youth justice system for offenders aged 10-17. This recognises that young people may be more responsive to rehabilitation than punishment. Youth Rehabilitation Orders can include education requirements, curfews and supervision. This demonstrates how sentencing can be adapted to different social groups with the aim of more effective control.

Method 3: Imprisonment - The Ultimate Control

Imprisonment represents the most extreme form of formal social control in modern democratic societies. It physically removes individuals from society and places them in highly controlled environments.

How Prisons Control

Prisons exercise control in multiple ways:

Physical containment: Walls, bars and surveillance physically restrict movement.
Strict routines: Every aspect of daily life is regulated (when to eat, sleep, exercise).
Behaviour management: Rewards for good behaviour and punishments for rule-breaking.
Identity control: Uniforms, numbers and limited personal possessions reduce individuality.

! Incapacitation

Physically prevents offenders from committing further crimes in society during their sentence.

! Punishment

Loss of freedom serves as both punishment and a warning to others about consequences of crime.

! Rehabilitation

Programmes aim to address offending behaviour and prepare prisoners for reintegration into society.

Case Study Focus: Prison Population

The UK has one of the highest imprisonment rates in Western Europe, with approximately 82,000 people in prison. Over 95% of prisoners are male and ethnic minorities are significantly overrepresented. This raises sociological questions about which groups are most subject to this extreme form of social control and why.

Critical Perspectives on Formal Control Methods

Sociologists often take a critical view of formal social control, examining who benefits from these systems and who may be disadvantaged.

Effectiveness and Criticisms

While formal control methods are presented as necessary for social order, they face several criticisms:

✗ Problems with Formal Control

Discrimination: Certain groups (ethnic minorities, working-class people) experience disproportionate control.
Labelling: Contact with the criminal justice system can create stigma that leads to further deviance.
Reoffending: High recidivism rates suggest imprisonment often fails to change behaviour long-term.
Cost: Formal control is expensive - it costs approximately £44,000 per year to keep someone in prison in the UK.

Marxist sociologists argue that formal control primarily protects the interests of the powerful, while controlling the working class. Meanwhile, feminist perspectives highlight how the criminal justice system often fails to adequately address crimes against women while simultaneously treating female offenders differently.

Conclusion: The Balance of Control

Formal social control through arrest, sentencing and imprisonment represents society's most direct methods of regulating behaviour. While these mechanisms are necessary for maintaining order, sociologists encourage us to question how they operate, who they target and whether they achieve their stated aims.

As you continue your sociology studies, consider how formal control interacts with informal control methods (like family socialisation and peer pressure) to shape behaviour. Also reflect on how different theoretical perspectives (functionalist, Marxist, feminist) would interpret these control mechanisms differently.

Thinking Point

If you were designing a criminal justice system from scratch, what balance would you strike between punishment, rehabilitation and other goals? How might your system address the criticisms of current formal control methods?

🧠 Test Your Knowledge!