Portrayal of the Prison System

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the key issues which are addressed in four films: "Cool Hand Luke", "Brubaker", "Midnight Express", and "The Shawshank Redemption", and questions if they provide their audience with realistic and objective views of prisons and prison life. It describes that the films are full of socially created stereotypes, which conform to the general publics' view of prisoners, prisons and prison staff.

From the Paper:

"Unlike many areas of crime and the criminal justice system, the public remains relatively ignorant of the workings and conditions that exist within prisons and other correctional facilities. This, therefore, places a greater importance on the influence that can be exerted by the media's representation of the prison system and the manner in which they portray the experiences of inmates. Unfortunately, a large percentage of the population will, at some point during their lifetime, become either a victim of crime or find themselves involved with the legal system, whether this is as a witness, a defendant, or a juror."

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