Leah, aged 18, is due to be sentenced for repeated shoplifting. She says that she began offending after older friends praised her and shared the stolen goods with her. She still spends time with these friends, but she has recently started a training course.
The shop owner does not want any contact with Leah. A possible mentor grew up in the same area as Leah, has stopped offending and now has a stable job and volunteers in the community. Leah has agreed to meet this mentor each week.
A court report recommends a community sentence with mentoring rather than a short prison sentence. It includes the following results from people convicted of similar non-violent offences:
| Support received during a community sentence | Detected reoffending within 12 months | In work, education or volunteering after 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| No mentoring | 47% | 36% |
| Voluntary mentoring | 31% | 64% |
Explain whether the recommendation made in the court report is justified. Use the information about Leah, the results in the table, your knowledge of the changing nature of punishment and Dweck's mindset theory from Development.
25 exam-style questions on OCR GCSE Psychology 1.3 Application: The changing nature of punishment, covering 1.3.1 Rehabilitation and pro-social behaviour and 1.3.2 Punishment and deterrents. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.