WJEC CRIMINOLOGY LATEST
UNIT 4 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 2026 - 2027
Parole board
An independent body which carries out risk assessments on prisoners to
determine if they can safely be released into the community.
Do community sentences meet the aims of punishment?
Three quarters of people sent to prison had at least one previous
community sentence, suggesting that community sentences are not
effective at preventing reoffending.
How do criminological theories link to the aims of punishment?
- Retribution
- Public protection
- Rehabilitation
- Reparation
- Deterrence
- Retribution (rational choice theory and deterrence)
- Public protection (biological theories)
- Rehabilitation (operant learning theory. cognitive theory)
- Reparation (labelling theory, functionalism)
- Deterrence (rational choice theory)
END OF
PAGE
1
, WJEC CRIMINOLOGY LATEST
UNIT 4 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 2026 - 2027
Do financial penalties (i.e. fines) work?
61% of fines are either written off or remain uncollected. Many fines are
written off because offenders cannot be traced.
In 2019 there were £2bn of unpaid fines.
PCSOs (Police and Community Support Officers)
People who give up their spare time to support the police. They work on
the frontline tackling anti-social behaviour. They do not have powers of
arrest.
What are the functions of the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service)?
To decide which cases should be prosecuted.
To determine appropriate charges.
Prepare cases and present them in court.
Support victims and prosecution witnesses.
What two tests are used by the CPS when deciding if a case should
be brought to trial?
Evidential test: Is there enough evidence against the defendant to
provide "a realistic prospect of conviction"?
END OF
PAGE
2
UNIT 4 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 2026 - 2027
Parole board
An independent body which carries out risk assessments on prisoners to
determine if they can safely be released into the community.
Do community sentences meet the aims of punishment?
Three quarters of people sent to prison had at least one previous
community sentence, suggesting that community sentences are not
effective at preventing reoffending.
How do criminological theories link to the aims of punishment?
- Retribution
- Public protection
- Rehabilitation
- Reparation
- Deterrence
- Retribution (rational choice theory and deterrence)
- Public protection (biological theories)
- Rehabilitation (operant learning theory. cognitive theory)
- Reparation (labelling theory, functionalism)
- Deterrence (rational choice theory)
END OF
PAGE
1
, WJEC CRIMINOLOGY LATEST
UNIT 4 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 2026 - 2027
Do financial penalties (i.e. fines) work?
61% of fines are either written off or remain uncollected. Many fines are
written off because offenders cannot be traced.
In 2019 there were £2bn of unpaid fines.
PCSOs (Police and Community Support Officers)
People who give up their spare time to support the police. They work on
the frontline tackling anti-social behaviour. They do not have powers of
arrest.
What are the functions of the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service)?
To decide which cases should be prosecuted.
To determine appropriate charges.
Prepare cases and present them in court.
Support victims and prosecution witnesses.
What two tests are used by the CPS when deciding if a case should
be brought to trial?
Evidential test: Is there enough evidence against the defendant to
provide "a realistic prospect of conviction"?
END OF
PAGE
2
