Crime and the Treatment of Prisoners

Paper Summary:

This paper investigates the misconception held by many Americans that violent crime in the country is steadily increasing and that prisoners are treated like guests in trendy hotels. The paper shows that this cannot be further from the truth and goes on to provide proof of the declining crime rate in the country. The paper also investigates the role of the media in creating myths and misconceptions.

From the Paper:

"Another part of the myth centers on separating "criminals" from "law abiding citizens." The two are seen as having a great gulf between them. However, the difference between the two is not so clear cut. Studies have shown that more than 90% of "law-abiding citizens" have done something for which they could have gone to jail (Silver, 1968; Wallerstein & Wyle, 1947 cited in Bohm, 1986). There are probably a few people who have never done anything wrong, but in general, criminality is relative. It would be hard to find a single person who was either all good or all bad. It would not make sense to label a person criminal, for example, who cheats on his income tax, switches license plates from one car to another, gets into a fight, shoplifts, or exceeds the speed limit."

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