Dominant Ideologies in U.S.

CONSERVATIES

• Value order/stability, respect for authority

• People get what they deserve

• Crime caused by poor choice (Free will)

LIBERALS

• Value equal opportunities and individual rights

• Success/failure depends on outside forces and where you start

• Crime is caused by outside influences

Implications of Ideology for Crime and Justice• Conservatives tend to fit with “Classical School”

• “Neo-Classical” = deterrence, incapacitation • James Q. Wilson’s “policy analysis”

• Liberal/Progressive fit with positive school• Favor decriminalizing some acts • “Root causes” of crime only fixed by social change• Rehabilitation may be possible

• Elliott Currie = ample evidence that government can address social ills and prevent crime

• Radical = Marxist/conflict theory

Ideology as “hidden agenda”• Many policies and programs are driven more by ideology

than empirical evidence• Intensive supervision probation (conservatives)• Restorative justice (liberals)

The “Martinson Report” (MR)• The “Martinson Report” was review of studies on

rehabilitation published in the early 1970s• Concluded that not much is working• Used by politicians as the reason for abandoning rehab

• Social Context of the 1960s• Hippies, Watergate, Attica, Viet Nam, Kent State…• Conservatives? SKY IS FALLING • Liberals? Cannot trust the government

• Reality = liberals and conservatives were both “ready” to pull the plug on rehabilitation

The Limits of Empirical Evidence• Criminologists tend to be cautions with conclusions

• All studies are flawed in some way

• Politicians and public tend to “over generalize” from a single study• This can lead to bad policy

• RAND Felony Probation study• Domestic Violence Experiments

Good theory makes good policy…

• In a perfect world, programs and policies would flow from empirically supported theories of crime

• Unfortunately, people often “shoot from hip”• Policy without Theory• The “panacea” problem: scared straight, intensive

probation, boot camps, warm and fuzzy circle…

• Some hope in “evidence-based” movement• Multisystemic Therapy (MST)

• Targets for change = parental supervision, delinquent friends, reducing rewards for deviance…

CRIME AND THE MEDIA

What do Americans believe about Crime and the Justice System?Where and how do they develop these beliefs?What are the consequences of these beliefs?

Criminology vs. Other Science• How many “crime related” T.V. shows can you name off

the top of your head?• Crime and the CJS on T.V. news or newspapers?• Crime and the CJS in movies and fiction books?• How does this compare to biology, psychology, or physics?

Who Cares?• People get information about most things from television,

newspapers

• BUT—with regard to crime, the question becomes, “How accurately does the media reflect crime, criminals, and the criminal justice system?” • “Back stage” behavior

Sources of Media Bias—or “Reasons for Skepticism”• Newspapers and T.V. news

• Crime in general captures audiences• Violent crime, especially stranger violence

• “If it bleeds it leads”

• Politicians• “Get tough” on crime = political payoff

• Entertainment• Need for “excitement” belies accurate portrayal of

criminals and criminal justice system

Types of Distortion

• Creation of “crime waves” and attention to violent crime• What is the “typical” crime?• What about “white collar crime?”

• Portrayal of an Over-Effective Criminal Justice System

• Creating/Spreading Crime Myths• Halloween psychopaths• The Serial Killer Epidemic

Crime Waves and Distorted Images

• Despite historic declines in criminal behavior (especially violence), most people thing crime is getting worse.

Class Survey: Violent Crime in U.S.

Class Survey: Property Crime in U.S.

The Media Criminal Justice System

• How effective are investigations?• How effective is “profiling?” • What is the typical criminal justice process?

2011-12 Class Survey

• Is “profiling” an effective way to catch serial killers? • 73% yes

– Can you remember the DC “sniper” case? – Behavioral Science Unit of FBI?

2013 Class: What percent of those found guilty had a trial (not plea)?

What percent of those found guilty had a trial (not plea)? ANSWER

2012 Class: Children poisoned with Halloween candy in past 20 years?

2012 Class: Children poisoned with Halloween candy in past 20 years?

2013 Class: How Important to Check Halloween Candy?

Media and Crime: Summary• Tendency to distort reality:

• Political rhetoric• If it bleeds it leads (other types of crime?)• Overemphasis on crime (crime waves)• The “effective” criminal justice system

• Profiling, CSI, Police Detectives…

• Why is any of this important• Dorthy and W.I. Thomas (1928), if people believe it, it is “real in its

consequences.”

Bowling for Columbine Clip

• Context = Mass School Shooting in Columbine, CO High School

• Clip relates to the media, fear of crime, and race