You will be required to write a research paper on a specific myth in criminal justice. The paper should include an introduction to the myth, an empirical evidence analysis, and a conclusion.
Choose a specific myth in criminal justice and write a research paper that critically examines it. Here are examples of crime myths that students can explore for their research project, based on the course overview:
1. The "Superpredator" Myth (Module 8: Juvenile Superpredators) -
Description: This myth suggests that certain juveniles are inherently violent and beyond rehabilitation, leading to harsh policies like trying children as adults. - Impact: The superpredator myth fueled a moral panic in the 1990s, leading to policies that increased youth incarceration rates and disproportionately affected minority communities.
2. The Myth of Lenient Courts (Module 10: The Myth of the Lenient Court) -
Description: The belief that the criminal justice system is too lenient, especially in cases involving plea bargaining and sentencing disparities. - Impact: This myth has led to public pressure for tougher sentencing laws, including mandatory minimums and three-strikes laws, which have contributed to mass incarceration.
3. The "Country Club" Prison Myth (Module 11: Cons and Country Clubs) -
Description: This myth suggests that prisons are comfortable places where inmates live in luxury, disconnected from the harsh realities of incarceration. - Impact: This perception undermines efforts to improve prison conditions and rehabilitation programs, and it contributes to the public's demand for more punitive measures.
4. The Myth of the "Underworld Empire" (Module 5: Organized Crime) -
Description: The exaggerated belief in a highly organized and centralized criminal empire, often depicted as a mafia-like structure controlling vast illegal operations. - Impact: This myth has justified aggressive law enforcement tactics and policies that sometimes overlook the more decentralized and opportunistic nature of organized crime.
5. The Missing Children Epidemic Myth (Module 3: Myths and Fear of Missing Children) -
Description: The belief that child abductions are widespread and increasing, often leading to public fear and anxiety. - Impact: This myth has led to the implementation of extensive, and sometimes misdirected, preventive measures, as well as changes in laws that may not accurately address the real scope of the problem.
6. The Myth of Corporate Crime as Harmless (Module 6: Corporate Crime and “Higher Immorality”) -
Description: The misconception that corporate crime is less serious or harmful compared to street crime. - Impact: This myth results in less public outrage and weaker enforcement of laws against corporate crimes, despite their significant economic and social consequences.
7. The Myth of the War on Drugs as a Success (Module 7: Apocalypse Now: The Lost War on Drugs)
Description: The belief that the War on Drugs has effectively reduced drug-related crime and addiction, despite evidence of its failures and negative social impact. - Impact: This myth has supported ongoing punitive drug policies that have disproportionately affected marginalized communities, leading to high incarceration rates without addressing the root causes of drug addiction.
8. The Myth of Police Work as Heroic and Unflawed (Module 9: Battered and Blue Crime Fighters) -
Description: The portrayal of police work as consistently noble, emphasizing crime-fighting while downplaying the stress and challenges officers face. - Impact: This myth can distort public understanding of police work, leading to unrealistic expectations and insufficient support for officers' mental health and well-being.
9. The Myth of Crime as an Ever-Present Threat (Module 14: Crime Control Myths)
- Description: The myth that society is constantly besieged by crime, often perpetuated by political leaders, government officials, and media, suggests that crime is an ever-present and increasing threat.
Instructions:
1. Introduction: Begin with an introduction to the selected myth, providing background information and context. Explain why this myth is prevalent in society and its significance in the field of criminal justice.
2. Empirical Evidence Analysis: Analyze the myth using empirical evidence. Include data from reputable sources to either support or debunk the myth. Discuss how this evidence challenges or reinforces public perception and the implications for the criminal justice system.
3. Conclusion: Conclude by summarizing your findings and offering insights into how understanding this myth can lead to better criminal justice policies or practices.
Guidelines: - Length: 5-7 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point font. - Sources: Minimum of 5 academic sources, cited in APA format.
Use OR to expand your search.
myth OR misconception OR mythology OR perception With OR, the computer will search for any of these terms
data OR statistics OR empirical OR evidence
Crime OR criminal crime or crime rates
Use AND to narrow your search
missing children OR abducted children AND data OR statistics
social media or digital journalism or digital media or online journalism or mass media
If you have a phrase, use quotation marks to keep the words next to each other . For example : "juvenile justice system" The computer will search for these words in this order.
If you just enter Myth AND Juvenile Superpredator the computer will search for just these two words in all of the articles.
1. Superpredator: superpredator or super-predator or "juvenile offender" or "juvenile crime" or juvenile delinquen* AND criminal justice or justice system
2. Lenient Courts: leniency or lenient or disparities or plea bargain or sentencing AND court or “criminal justice” or criminal sentencing or permissive
harsh sentencing or harsh punishment or increased punishment or increased severity
punishment or penalty or incarceration or imprisonment AND effect* or impact or consequences or deterrence
3. Country Club prison: correctional institutions or correctional facilities or prison or incarceration or minimum security or Club Fed AND prison conditions or comfort or perception or easy or privileges
4. Underworld Empire: underworld or “organized crime” or mafia or “criminal empire” AND data or statistics or analysis or empirical
5. Missing Children: missing children or kidnapped or abducted AND myth or misconception or false or fear or exaggerated AND data or statistics
6. Corporate Crime: corporate crime or white collar crime or commercial crime AND harmless or harmful or repercussions or cost or impact or damage or effects
7. War on Drugs: "war on drugs” or “drug laws” or “drug control” or drug legislation or drug policy AND fail or failure or impact or success or consequences or effect
8. Police Work Heroic: police or law enforcement or police officers or cops or law enforcement officers AND heroic or hero or perception or expectations
9. Crime- Ever-present Threat: crime or criminal or illegal activity AND data or statistics or reports
10. Immigrant Crime: immigrants or refugees or asylum seekers or undocumented AND crime or criminal or illegal or violence or deviance or criminal behavior or delinquent
11. Fingerprints solve crimes: fingerprint AND solve or resolve or help or assist or complete AND statistics or data
12. Suburbs are safer than cities: suburbs or suburban or suburbia AND crime or criminal or illegal or violence or criminal behavior
13. Fake News : fake news or misinformation or disinformation or false news or rumor or propaganda or persuasion
14. Stranger Danger: "stranger danger" or abduction or kidnap* AND myth or data or statistics