C1.

TOPIC 11: SOCIAL ISUES, PUBLIC SERVICES, POLITICS: CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

LIFE IN JAIL
How would you punish these types of crime?
• Financial crime: fraud, embezzlement, corruption, tax evasion, counterfeit…
• Vandalism: arson, criminal damage, graffiti…
• The different forms of criminal violence: battery, gender violence, manslaughter, homicide,
assassination, murder, massacre, stabbing, sexual assault (rape, gang bang), sexual
harassment…
• The different forms of theft: larceny, burglary, home invasion, robbery, pickpocketing, confidence
tricks, scams, phishing, identity fraud/theft…
• Car crimes: DUI (driving under the influence of substances like drugs or alcohol), drunk
driving, driving without insurance, speeding, reckless driving, run over pedestrians, vehicular
manslaughter…
• Taking somebody against their will: abduction, kidnapping, hijacking
• Defamation: libel VS slander

Consider: which of these forms of punishment do these types of crime deserve? Which of
them are possible in your country?

1. He was sentenced to life imprisonment

2. He had to do community service
3. She served a reduced sentence for good behaviour
4. The judge insisted that she serve the full ten years
5. Dustin Higgs was sentenced to death/capital punishment and executed
on Jan, 16, 2021
6. The company was fined a six-figure sum
7. He was banned from driving
8. They suggested that he be brought face-to-face with his victim
9. Prisoners with mental health issues receive psychiatric help
10. It is necessary to hold some prisoners in solitary confinement
11. It is unlawful for a teacher to inflict corporal punishment on pupils.

* Discuss which crimes or types of criminals might receive each form of punishment or rehabilitation

Complete the verbs in the text with the prepositions of, with, to, from, by. Then, match the
verbs with the definitions below.

John Boons worked in Acme Bank for 15 years. He was a model employee until one day he decided to
steal money from the bank! At first, he thought no one would find out what he had done and he would
get away …… it. But, as they say, cheaters never prosper. As he was getting more careless, one day he
was caught red-handed when transferring money to his own account in a bank in the Cayman Islands
using his own corporate laptop. His boss accused him …… financial fraud and reported him to the
police.
John was charged …… money fraud and money laundering and tried …… a judge and a jury three
months later. During the trial, John was sure that he wouldn’t be sent to prison and he would manage to
defend himself. What’s more, he even decided to blame his boss and claim that he had forced John to
do all these illegal things. This way, he could be acquitted …… all charges and his boss would end up
in prison. However, the prosecutor had collected so much evidence against John that it was impossible
to avoid responsibility for his actions. He was sentenced …… 10 years in prison which did not seem as
a harsh punishment for what he had done. But lucky him! Due to good behavior, he was released ……
prison after 5 years of having been incarcerated. What did John do after leaving prison? Well, it wasn’t
easy to find a new job with his criminal record. Now he works full-time as an office clerk and has good
chances of not becoming a repeat offender and going back to prison.
a. to do something bad without being punished or criticized for it = get away with
b. to let someone leave a place where they have been kept
 c. to say someone is guilty but without any particular evidence
d. to state officially that someone is not guilty
e. to judge a person or case in a court of law
f. to decide and say officially what a punishment will be
g. to keep someone in prison
h. to formally accuse (someone) of a crime

Which prison do prefer? Why?

LISTENING
Adapted from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWHxybXYufQ
Lesson from a Governor: Prepare prisoners for life outside | Tom Eberhardt |
TEDxUniversityofBristol
Around the world billions are spent every year on high security prisons that history tells us have failed to rehabilitate
people back into society. Tom Eberhardt explains that in order to create new compassionate prisons like Bastøy we
will need to challenge our instinctive emotions and our societies’ desire to see justice served as revenge. This talk
demonstrates how ‘open’ prisons create the space for effective rehabilitation. Tom Eberhardt is the Governor of
Norway’s famous Bastøy prison. Known around the world for its radically different approach to rehabilitating
criminals, Bastøy represents the embodiment of a philosophy committed to best serving our societies by rethinking
the ways that we punish.

1. Listen to the first part of Tom Eberhardt’s talk. Say if the sentences are TRUE or FALSE. Explain
why.
1. During his stay in Bristol, he lodged in a really nice hotel. f
2. When you are given so good conditions, there must be something you have to do in return. t
3. Most countries in the world feature prisons were tough measures are imposed. f
4. One of prisoners’ biggest concerns is how they’re expected to behave once they’re outside. t
5. What he has learned from his experience is that most inmates have some kind of mental
illness that makes them commit crime. f
2. Listen to the second part of the talk. Fill in the gaps with the missing words:
6. When prisoners get to Bastøy for the first time, they are amazed as there are neither
prison guards
_____________ fences
nor ____________.
culture
7. New prisoners learn the ____________ in Bastøy by asking other inmates.
skeptical
8. Initially ____________ inmates eventually become teachers to new prisoners.
9. According to Tom Eberhardt, creating a decision-making environment in prisons will
the task payers
eventually profit ____________.
crew
10. For example, prisoners are much cheaper labour than hiring ____________ for the ferries.
KEY

GLOSSARY (LAW AND ORDER)

Criminal damage: damage to a person’s property or car that is illegal and is done on purpose.

Difference between homicide, murder, manslaughter: https://www.steinandmarkuslaw.com/whats-the-

difference-between-homicide-murder-and-manslaughter/

Larceny: stealing, especially (in the US) the crime of taking something that does not belong to you,
without illegally entering a building to do so.

Confidence tricks: an act of cheating or tricking someone by gaining their trust and persuading them to
believe something that is not true.

Vehicular manslaughter: Drivers who unintentionally cause accidents that result in the deaths of
passengers, occupants of other cars, or pedestrians may find themselves charged with the crime of
vehicular manslaughter (also known as vehicular homicide).

Abduction VS kidnapping: Abduction is taking away of a child or person by deception or force from
their home and family. Kidnapping is defined by law as taking someone unwillingly and keeping them
illegally imprisoned without their valid consent. Kidnapping is done with motive such as ransom or
financial gain.

Petty VS serious crime: minor vs major crime: https://www.met.police.uk/sd/stats-and-data/met/crime-

type-definitions/

Lawer, attorney, solicitor & barrister:

http://www.saberingles.com.ar/which/127.html#:~:text=Solicitor%20es%20un%20abogado%20en,un%20c
liente%20en%20la%20corte.

Notary (public): an official who has the legal authority tos ay that documents are correctly signed or true
to make an oath (=promise) official.

To be released on parole: permission for a prisoner to be released before their period in prison is
finished, with the agreement that they will behave well.

To be released/remanded on bail: an amount of money that is paid to a law court so that they can be
released until their trial. This payment is a way of making certain that the person will return to court for
trial.

Mitigating circumstances: Accompanying or accessory condition, event, or fact that (though not
constituting a justification or excuse of an offense) may be considered by the courts as reducing the
degree of culpability or liability of the accused.

READING: VOCABULARY: VERBS

John Boons worked in Acme Bank for 15 years. He was a model employee until one day he decided
to steal money from the bank! At first, he thought no one would find out what he had done and he
would get away with it. But, as they say, cheaters never prosper. As he was getting more careless,
one day he was caught red-handed when transferring money to his own account in a bank in the
Cayman Islands using his own corporate laptop. His boss accused him of financial fraud and
reported him to the police.
John was charged with money fraud and money laundering and tried by a judge and a jury three
months later. During the trial, John was sure that he wouldn’t be sent to prison and he would manage
to defend himself. What’s more, he even decided to blame his boss and claim that he had forced
John to do all these illegal things. This way, he could be acquitted of all charges and his boss would
end up in prison. However, the prosecutor had collected so much evidence against John that it was
impossible to avoid responsibility for his actions. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison which did
not seem as a harsh punishment for what he had done. But lucky him! Due to good behavior, he was
released from prison after 5 years of having been incarcerated. What did John do after leaving
prison? Well, it wasn’t easy to find a new job with his criminal record. Now he works full-time as an
office clerk and has good chances of not becoming a repeat offender and going back to prison.
a. to do something bad without being punished or criticized for it = get away with
b. to let someone leave a place where they have been kept release
c. to say someone is guilty but without any particular evidence accuse
d. to state officially that someone is not guilty acquit
e. to judge a person or case in a court of law try
f. to decide and say officially what a punishment will be sentence
g. to keep someone in prison incarcerate
h. to formally accuse (someone) of a crime charge

LISTENING
1. Listen to the first part of Tom Eberhardt’s talk. Say if the sentences are TRUE or FALSE.
1. During his stay in Bristol, he lodged in a really nice hotel. F
2. When you are given so good conditions, there must be something you have to do in return.
T (of course there’s a catch: there’s a complication).
3. Most countries in the world feature prisons were tough measures are imposed. F (for some
countries you can add disrespectful treatment, overcrowded cells and facilities and
the fact that you always feel that you are in an environment that you need to keep
safe).
4. One of prisoners’ biggest concerns is how they’re expected to behave once they’re outside.
T
5. What he has learned from his experience is that most inmates have some kind of mental
illness that makes them commit crime. F (People want to fit in; the people he meets in
prison are not cruel, evil men, mostly men, who want to do bad things to other
people; they are at the wrong place at the wrong time; they’re drunk, high on drugs,
they’ve got some mental issues; some of them simply are poor and need to make a
living).
2. Listen to the second part of the talk. Fill in the gaps with the missing words:

6. When prisons get to Bastøy for the first time, they are amazed as there are neither
_____________ nor ____________ [prison) guards / fences].

7. New prisoners learn the ____________ (cultures/codes – cultures and codes) in Bastøy by
asking other inmates.

8. Initially ____________ (skeptical) inmates eventually become teachers to new prisoners.

9. According to Tom Eberhardt, creating a decision-making environment in prisons will

eventually benefit ____________ (tax payers).
10. For example, prisoners are much cheaper labour than hiring ____________ (crew) for the
ferries.