Review materials below and attached . Identify three prison population trends. Why do you think these trends have occurred? What do you think can be done to alleviate the situation to reduce recidivism and ultimately the future size of the US prison population? Write three fully paragraphs explicitly utilizing below and attached material.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/criminal-justice/locked-up-in-america/michelle-alexander-a-system-of-racial-and-social-control/
http://www.prb.org/Publications/Articles/2012/us-incarceration.aspx
http://www.prb.org/Articles/2012/us-incarceration.aspx
http://digitalcommons.northgeorgia.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1035&context=papersandpubs
http://www.amnesty.org/en/death-penalty
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/419/
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/419/video.html
What is deviance? What is crime? The sociological "take" on these concepts is
often quite different than the lay person’s definition. If we take a cross-cultural
comparative approach, you will see that definitions of deviance and crime vary a great
deal from culture to culture. Social factors will influence our likelihood of engaging
in certain criminal activities and will influence how we are perceived and punished
from crossing societal norms.
Labeling and Social Deviance
Howard Becker and others have helped us to understand that becoming "deviant"
involves a process of labeling. We must first be recognized as deviant to be labeled
deviant. This will often involve people with power within social institutions…..the
police, judges, school authorities, etc. The process of labeling makes differences in
power visible. Some have more power than others to enforce their definitions of
deviance and label offenders. Class, gender, sexual orientation and ethnicity all come
into play in how we are labeled and punished for real or imagined transgressions. For
example, how are men and women punished differently for prostitution? Cross
dressing? Rape?
Feminist Perspectives on Deviance
Previous studies on women’s deviance lacked accurate information and research.
They rested on stereotypical assumptions about women’s natures. The feminist
perspective challenges us to think about what constitutes deviance, the impacts of
sexist labels, and the importance of social context. The importance of gender, class,
ethnicity, age, and sexual orientation will influence the causes and consequences of
deviant behavior.
Feminist criminology focuses on how women’s subordinate position in society
affects crime. For example, females are more likely to be reported as runaways
(often fleeing from sexual abuse). Female runaways are more likely than male
runaways to be picked up by police. The subordinate position of women in the U.S.
also impacts victimization rates. Seventy percent of all female homicide victims in
industrial countries are American. A female in the U.S. is five times more likely than
in England, and three times more likely than in Canada. The murderer is likely to be
an ex-boyfriend, husband, or other intimate.
Demographic Data
Males commit more violent crime than females. Some argue that girls are
controlled though subtle mechanisms, including learning that violence is incompatible
with the meaning of their gender. In 2001, males accounted for 83% of arrests for
violent crimes. Many sociologists have argued that socialization plays a key role in
these differences. Some contend that women are socialized to suppress aggression,
while dominance and power are key to dominant ideals of masculinity. Connect to the
site below, and view the short clip on "Tough Guise".
http://www.mediaed.org/videos/MediaGenderAndDiversity/ToughGuise/#
The monetary value of female involvement in theft, property damage, and illegal
drugs is typically less than for similar offenses committed by males. A growing
number of women have become involved in traditionally male criminal activities such
as gang-related crime and drug use.
Race/ethnicity, class and age of course come into play. The highest arrest rates
involve individuals under the age of 25. Crimes by people in their teens and early
twenties tend to be property crimes while the median age for those who commit more
serious crimes such as aggravated assault and homicide is late 20s. Minorities are
disproportionately represented in the official crime statistics; African Americans are
13% of all property index offenses, and 33% of the crime index total. Black males
between the ages of 20 and 39 make up about one-third of the prison population. The
high arrest rates for minorities may be a consequence of institutional bias. For
example, Blacks are sent to prison at a rate 8.2 times higher than for Whites.
For some additional interesting statistics, connect to:
http://www.fbi.gov/homepage.htm (the FBI site for crime statistics)
http://www.actabuse.com/dvstats.html (domestic violence statistics)
http://www.rainn.org/ (Rape Abuse and Incest National Network)
http://www.ojp.usdoj.go/vawo (Violence Against Women Office)
