Crime in the Media A case study on television shows
What is the purpose of the show? Dexter works for the Miami Metro PD as a blood spatter analyst He is a devoted father, brother, husband, and friend In his spare time, he enjoys golfing, boating, fishing, and killing people Dexter is a serial killer who targets criminals who have escaped the justice system The show is based around Dexter trying to keep his dark side a secret from those around him, while still fulfilling his own need to kill
How is crime represented in the show? Negatively: We see how acts of crime effect the victims, the police, and the world around us Casually: Ridding the world of criminals is just a regular part of Dexter’s life. It’s how he feels normal. Examples of street crimes, organized crime, and political crime
How might the media skew statistics on Crime? Statistically, crime rates are dropping Shows such as Dexter need a new story every episode New episode means new criminal act Make is seem as though major criminal offences take place every day, everywhere
How does television impact the public’s perception of crime? It depends on who is doing the crime Dexter is a serial killer, but he is seen as good The other criminals in the show are the ones that deserve to pay for what they have done There is a time and a place for justice to be served
How could the media/television perpetuate crime? In the case of Dexter, they make is look easy. Many shows demonstrate how criminals go wrong (messy work, etc.) He has never been officially caught, and has only been suspected a few times Anyone could be a criminal What sets us apart from these people?
Criminal Justice System
What does in include? The Courts Prison The Police
They are the concrete extension of the State to provide for social order Maintain peace in the community How are all the functions tied together? Authority Non-negotiable force Discretion
The Courts They decide the guilt or innocence of those accused of committing a crime Punishment- any action designed to deprive a person of things of value (including liberty) because of some offense the person is thought to have committed
Prison The functions of a prison: Retribution (Imposes a penalty on the offender) Social Protection (He or she cannot commit crime anymore) Rehabilitation (Return offenders to the community as law abiding citizens) Deterrence (Reduce criminal activity by instilling a fear of punishment)
Restorative Justice To seek to return the focus of the justice system to repairing the harm that has been done to the victim and the community To reconcile offenders with those they have harmed “Circle Sentencing” Used in aboriginal communities, bringing the offender, the victim and the community together “Family Group Conferencing” for young people linked to the victim and the family members Community Corrections- responsibility for correction back to the community and minimizes the separation of the offender from society
Crime & Deviance in the Future The present system cannot solve that problem of crime Need more structural solutions like: Better educational solutions Affordable housing More equality Less discrimination Socially productive activities