Essay Instructions: Required readings:
Speculations, Readings in Culture, Identity, and Values (2nd edition), edited by Charles I. Schuster, William V.Van Pelt.(ISBN 0-13-442294-5)
- (P.210-219) Mitford, Jessica "The Crimial Type"
- (P.220-235) King, Martin Luther "Letter from Brimingham Jail"
- (P.263-272) Telander, Rick."Senseless Crime"
- (P.273-282) Wozencraft, Kimberly."Notes from the Country Club"
- (P.382-385) Staples, Brent."Just walk on By:A Black Man Ponders his Power..."
A complete answer to this thesis driven prompt will include an address of the following:
1. What image is conjured up in your imagination when you hear the word ??criminal??? Does your criminal have a specific gender, color, appearance, height, accent, neighborhood?
2. To what extent is prison an appropriate response to crime?
3. Should we treat one class of criminals different from another? Do we already employ this biased treatment?
4. Is there a better alternatives to prison?
5. At what age should a youth be treated as an adult? Or is age unimportant and should all people be treated based on the crimes they commit?
6. Has American Society unfairly categorized a criminal type based on race, class, age and ethnic prejudices?
7. Consider how crimes are ??classified?? and how similar offenses may be labeled differently for different ??criminal types??
Purpose: In this assignment you will be working to explore argumentation, particularly with regard to claims, warrants, counterarguments and qualifiers. Be sure to refer to focus on constructing a sound and well supported argument when addressing the below issue. We will focus on QUOTING and paraphrasing, making sure the different between the two is clear. The end result will allow you to conduct a close examination of complex concepts using incorporated outside sources.
In this essay you will examine how media depictions also help to contribute to the formation of ??criminal types?? within our society. Although on a superficial level crime may appear to be cut and dry?Xa rule is set, and individual breaks or goes against such rule, as such the individual has committed a crime?Xas we will learn, laws are often created, implemented and enforced with prejudice and a decided bias against marginalized peoples. (I.e. lower class; racial, ethnic or religious minority, youth, gender & etc.)
Writing task:
Critically evaluate the ??criminal type?? and our societies response to crime (fines, probation, prison, the death penalty). Then using the method for Ethnical reasoning, at least two of the scholarly articles above, and any other relevant information, write a 5 page, thesis driven response to the following prompt:
According to Jessica Mitford American Are Preoccupied with Crimes of the Poor and as such the ??Crimial Type?? has surfaced in American consciousness as a social creation. That said:
TO WHAT EXTENT IS THE AMERICAN JUSTICE SYSTEM BIASED AGAINST THIS ?? CRIMIAL TYPE???
Other suggested reources:
WOMEN IN PRISON FACT SHEET
http://www.correctionalassociation.org/women_fact.html
JUVENILE JUSTICE PROJECT FACT SHEET
Treating Juveniles as Adults
http://www.correctionalassociation.org/juvenile_fact.html
Child Welfare League of America (includes general stats and stats on
women & Families)
http://www.cwla.org/programs/incarcerated/cop_factsheet.htm
Bibliography, References, Works Cited, Footnotes page needed
Please include a sperate thesis statement seperately
Also allow some grammar and language mistakes
Use AXES to develop topic segments
A- Assertion
X- Example
E- Explanation
S- Significance