Thoughts about Crime

It was interesting to learn that the United States has the highest rate of incarceration among several countries. While this graph provides numbers, I wish it provided the percentage of the population that these numbers signify. For example, it is not surprising if a less-populated country has lower numbers incarceration because there are less people inhabiting the country to begin with. The more important question is what percentage of the population is imprisoned.

The book also mentions some impressive numbers: the American imprisonment system requires $200 billion to annually maintain, and it costs $25, 327 to keep a prisoner in jail for one year, but prisoners typically serve several years.

I can’t help wonder if prisons truly benefit our society. It was evident in the film, What I Want My Words to do to You that prisoners can grow, develop, and evolve into better people in prison, but I also think this situation was special. I have a hard time believing that male prisons gather around, write, and talk about their pasts and their feelings, but perhaps that is part of the answer. People cannot grow, improve, and move forward unless they peel back the layers of hurt, anger, and sorrow that drove them to where they are. Some people might think that inmates don’t deserve this chance, but I think it would be worth developing therapeutic writing and discussion groups to allow inmates a chance to be understood and heard. One reason why people commit crimes in the first place is because they are misunderstood and/or want to be seen, heard, and recognized. Also, the brutality of prison could only serve to harden the inmates further, making them more hateful and closed off towards society. Is that really productive and worthwhile? Should our nation spend so much money just to make bad people worse? (Note after watching What I Want My Words to do to You, I have a hard time saying all inmates are truly bad people anyway. I’m not denying that what they did was awful, but they definitely showed deep remorse and courage to improve and contribute to society).

I think the labeling theory is an accurate belief in why people commit crimes.  When someone is labeled, this label becomes a part of their social and self-identities. When someone knows what others think of them, they are more likely to act accordingly. I know this from experience too. For example, if my mother asks me why I am acting impatient, I am more likely to feel her belief in my impatience, and resultantly act even more impatient. When people know others think poorly of them, they are more likely to act upon their insecurities and lash out as a means of indifference and not letting poor beliefs get under their skin. Therefore, perhaps if prisons included therapy and a chance for prisoners to re-label themselves, not as convicts and outcasts of society, but as people who made mistakes and are on the road to recovery, that could influence how they change.

Additionally, our textbook mentions shaming as a way to prevent crime. I cannot say I agree with this either. Stigmatizing shame is when a criminal is labeled as a threat to society and treated as an outcast. I believe this is simply stoking the fire of hatred within a criminal, so I don’t agree with it. Reintegrative shaming is when a criminal is reintegrated back into their community with the help of people close to them. While this method is effective in Japan, I also think Japanese people tend to live with clear cut expectations and a high level of pride since their culture is collectivistic in nature. I question the effectiveness of reintegrative shaming in the US because I think it would be challenging for family and friends to control a truly rambunctious or angry person, but maybe their second chance to integrate back into their community would be helpful. However, if they live in a troubled community, that could be more fuel for their actions anyway. I think police presence can be helpful because simply seeing a policeman in uniform is a good reminder of society’s rules, but at the same time, some people believe rules are meant to be broken anyway.

I don’t know what the answer is to preventing and treating crime, but especially after watching What I Want My Words to do to You, I cannot help but feel like inmates need to work through their pasts, their feelings, and their labels.