CHAPTER 7 Media Coverage of Corrections: Life in Prison and Problems of Punishment

Corrections

The stage of the criminal justice process responsible for punishment supervision and rehabilitation of offenders including prisons jails probation and parole.

Media Distortion

News or entertainment portrayals that misrepresent or oversimplify the realities of criminal justice.

Veiling of Punishment

Prisons are hidden from public view and poorly covered by the media making punishment invisible to society.

News Beat

A topic area regularly assigned to journalists; corrections has no news beat so it is rarely covered.

High Profile Case

A criminal case followed closely by journalists because it is dramatic violent or politically relevant.

Probation

A community-based criminal sanction where offenders are supervised and must follow specified rules.

Incarceration

Punishment involving confinement in jail or prison where freedom and autonomy are removed.

Death Penalty

The legal execution of an offender; the most severe criminal punishment.

Incapacitation

The strategy of preventing crime by physically restricting offenders ability to commit further crimes.

Deterrence

The idea that people avoid crime because they fear punishment.

Specific Deterrence

Punishing one offender to prevent that specific offender from reoffending.

General Deterrence

Punishing offenders to discourage the entire public from committing crime.

Certainty of Punishment

The likelihood of punishment occurring; research shows this deters more than severity.

Severity of Punishment

The harshness of punishment imposed; severity alone does not strongly deter crime.

Diminishing Returns of Incarceration

The point where more imprisonment produces smaller or no reductions in crime.

Mass Incarceration

Large-scale imprisonment affecting millions especially minorities and the poor since the 1970s.

Collateral Consequences

Hidden punishments such as lost rights job barriers and stigma that continue after release.

Pains of Imprisonment

Loss of liberty autonomy security dignity relationships privacy and personal identity.

Labeling Theory

Theory that labeling offenders as criminals affects their identity and increases future offending.

Supermax Prison

A high-security institution with extreme isolation long-term solitary confinement and minimal human contact.

Contextual Discrimination

Discrimination occurring in some parts of the system at certain times but not everywhere or always.

Systematic Bias

Discrimination occurring across all parts of a system; stronger than contextual discrimination.

Media Sensationalism

Media focus on shocking emotional or violent events to attract viewers distorting reality.

Wrongful Conviction

When an innocent person is convicted; often revealed through new evidence or appeals.

Exoneration

Clearing a convicted person of guilt due to evidence of innocence or court error.

Recidivism

The likelihood of an offender committing crime again after release.

Reentry

The process of returning from prison to society often involving major social and psychological challenges.

Disenfranchisement

Loss of voting rights due to felony conviction disproportionately affecting Black males.

Hegemony

Dominant cultural influence; media coverage reinforces the status quo and punitive beliefs.

Why is corrections the least covered aspect of criminal justice by the media?

Corrections is rarely visible prisons restrict access no corrections beat exists and prisons lack dramatic visuals.

Why are prisons the most invisible stage of justice to Americans?

Most people never directly experience prisons; incarcerated people cannot share their perspectives; media lack access.

What circumstances lead prisons to be covered in the news?

Coverage only arises when rare dramatic events occur such as riots escapes executions or scandals.

What 3 types of negative prison stories dominate the media?

Failure to protect the public; prison luxuries; corruption or misconduct.

What is the Willie Horton case and why is it significant?

A furloughed inmate committed rape; Bush portrayed Dukakis as soft on crime demonstrating how media manipulate political fear.

What lessons did politicians learn from the Willie Horton case?

Avoid appearing soft on crime; portray opponents as soft; simplify messages; reinforce emotional appeals.

How do politicians use mainstream media?

They deliver short emotional fear-based messages that get repeated influencing public opinion.

What is the most common punishment used in the United States?

Probation.

Is probation commonly featured in the media?

No it is routine nonviolent and receives little attention compared to prison or execution.

Why does the media focus on imprisonment and the death penalty over probation?

They are rarer more violent more dramatic and better suited to sensationalism.

What are the major goals of punishment in the U.S.?

Incapacitation deterrence rehabilitation and retribution.

Does incapacitation succeed?

Only partially; long-term imprisonment weakens communities and increases future crime.

Define deterrence

The belief that punishment discourages people from committing crime.

Does deterrence work?

Rarely; most offenders are impulsive and do not consider long-term consequences.

Does getting tough on crime reduce crime?

Only slightly and temporarily; long-term mass incarceration increases crime.

Why is the high U.S. incarceration rate significant?

The U.S. imprisons more people than any nation undermining freedom and damaging communities.

How much of the world’s prison population is in the U.S.?

The U.S. has 5 percent of the world population but 25 percent of its prisoners.

What are the major costs of imprisonment?

Tens of billions annually; about 23 300 dollars per inmate; funds diverted from education and social services.

Identify the major pains of imprisonment

Loss of liberty autonomy security relationships dignity goods services and voting rights.

Why is loss of autonomy a major pain?

Prisoners lose control over daily decisions and personal independence.

Why is loss of security a major pain?

Prisons are violent; inmates face constant threats and stress.

Why are prisons not country clubs?

Media exaggerate amenities; real prisons are overcrowded violent and degrading.

What are collateral consequences of imprisonment?

Loss of rights stigma housing or employment barriers and harm to families and communities.

What portion of prisoners suffer from mental illness?

About half.

Do Americans know about high rates of mental illness in prisons?

Generally no; mainstream media rarely discuss it.

Why are prisons full of mentally ill people?

State hospitals closed; community treatment unavailable; prisons became default mental health institutions.

How much do media address biases in corrections?

Very little; systemic racial and class discrimination is rarely covered.

What is contextual discrimination in corrections?

Bias occurring under specific conditions rather than universally.

Who is disproportionately imprisoned?

Black males Hispanic males poor individuals and those with limited education.

Why do death sentences and executions appear in the media?

They are rare dramatic punishment events that attract coverage.

Does media exposure increase support for capital punishment?

Yes emotional portrayals increase belief in executions.

How does the media misrepresent murder?

Media portray murder as rare brutal and interracial though most are intraracial and relational.

Does media coverage influence prosecutors in capital cases?

Yes public pressure encourages prosecutors to seek death.

What would happen if media reported murder accurately?

Public support for the death penalty would significantly drop.

Why do prisons increase future crime?

Conditions traumatize inmates harm relationships and undermine reentry.

Why do Americans misunderstand imprisonment?

Prisons are hidden and media focus only on rare sensational events.

Why does the public support harsh punishments despite weak evidence?

Media portray offenders as evil increasing fear and punitive beliefs.

Why do costs of imprisonment rarely get media attention?

Corrections has no beat politicians avoid the topic and media rely on sources who support prisons.

What is the central media myth about punishment?

The idea that prison is typical and comfortable when probation is more common and prison is harmful.

How do media depictions create misunderstanding about prisons?

Television shows portray amenities but ignore violence trauma overcrowding and deprivation.

What are supermax prisons and why are they hidden from the media?

Extreme isolation facilities; media access is restricted so conditions remain unknown.

What is the major irony of U.S. incarceration?

A nation valuing freedom imprisons more citizens than any other country.

Does media educate Americans about imprisonment?

Rarely; coverage is shallow and avoids systemic issues.

Why do many prisoners struggle to reenter society?

Prisons foster dependency stigma and lack of autonomy and do not prepare people for life outside.

How do labeling effects worsen reentry?

Labels such as ex-con block housing or employment and increase reoffending.

Why do costs of prison matter to society?

Prison spending diverts funds from education health care an