Every time we turn on the television, go to the movies or even listen to the radio, crime and punishment seem to be the hot topic. Why are shows like Orange is the New Black, Nancy Grace, SVU and CSI all the rage right now? Why do we find ourselves fixated on celebrities who break the law or even high profile criminal cases? Do we really care that much about Paris Hilton, Justin Bieber, Lindsay Lohan or random strangers? Do you think we as a society feel harmed when they break the law? Each time one of these celebrities finds themselves arrested, discussions about power, privilege and discrimination always follow. We become focused on whether justice is upheld for the victims and our larger society and whether justice was carried out fairly throughout the CJ process. On the whole, we know that deviations from social norms and, especially, from the laws of our society require some form of punishment to maintain social order, but questions arise about what the specific form of punishment should be. This topic is important because, for many people, justice is carried out directly through the “fair” sentencing and punishment of the offender. Therefore, in order to understand justice in our society, we need to also understand the philosophical purposes behind punishment. Since for many people the media is their only connection to the criminal justice system, how it conveys messages about crime control, justice and punishment becomes particularly interesting for criminal justice scholars. The media also tends to mirror general societal sentiments about these issues as well. For example, according to the General Social Survey, 63% of those surveyed in 2014 believed that the courts in their area were not harsh enough in dealing with criminals.

Popular Culture Activity: Select a movie or episode of a television show of your choice that relates to crime and punishment. While watching the movie or television show episode, I want you to briefly jot down the messages that are given about crime control, punishment and justice. Go back to Chapter 9 in your textbook and look at the 5 contemporary philosophies on punishment. Can you fit your popular culture reference to any of these 5 philosophies (could use more than one) and if so write down specific examples? Did you see more than 1 philosophy or even contradicting philosophies highlighted? Lastly, do you think “justice” prevailed for the victim and/or society?

Writing up your Popular Culture & Punishment Paper:

Your paper should be doubled spaced, 12 pt. font and 4 (full) to 5 text pages. 1) The first section of your paper should talk about the philosophies of punishment and how they relate to our overall understandings of justice. Briefly discuss all 5 philosophies and give an example of what they look like in the real world. This section of your paper should be around a full page in length. 2) In this section briefly discuss in a paragraph or so your methodology. What movie or television show episode did you watch? What time and what channel? If you own the movie state that here. Why did you choose this particular movie or television show episode? 3) In a couple of pages, give specific examples from your movie or TV episode, about the messages that are being given about the reasoning and choice of the punishment(s) that are used to “restore justice.” Give the reader descriptive context (describe scenes from the movie) for your argument, but make sure you are specifically applying those earlier discussed philosophies of punishment as they apply. Briefly describe who the offender(s) is/are and what crime or crimes have been committed. Who is/are the victim(s) of the crime? Do you think that justice is restored by the end of the movie or episode? Give examples here to support your argument. 4) In a page or so, explain whether you personally agree with the choice of the philosophy behind the punishment(s) here? In your opinion were there better ways to ensure that justice was upheld, while possibly utilizing a different philosophy and hence punishment? Give examples here either way to support your argument. If you were the victim or the victim’s family, would you have felt that justice was upheld? Do you think the reasoning behind the choice of punishment displayed in your movie or T.V. episode is common for this type of crime or crimes and will this punishment help prevent future offenses? 5) Lastly, what do you think the future holds when it comes to thinking about crime control, punishment and justice?

Category: Essays