Television and the Criminal Justice System
February 14, 2016
American InterContinental
Tina Louise Barker
Abstract
Most of what the public knows about the three components of the criminal justice system, that is Law Enforcement, Courts, and Corrections is what they see are television. This paper discusses television shows and how they match up with real life. Crime drama shows have been good at showing law enforcement in a positive way and incorporating the issues of the day into their shows. Some court television shows are good at showing how the court system works. Some prison shows have showed what prison life is really like, while others show it has a fun place to be. Television shows had helped explain law enforcement procedures but it has also confused jurors who think trials happen just like on TV.
Television and the Criminal Justice System
Most people go thru their lives without ever having any contact with the components that make up the criminal justice system: Law Enforcement, Courts, and Corrections. There only ‘so-called’ knowledge of how the system works is by what they see on television or read in newspaper. The shows are so convincing of what the criminal justice system is really like, that it is having an effect on juror’s expectations (Deutsch, 2016). Over the years, since the beginning of television, crime shows have proliferated the scene, but do they really portray law enforcement, courts, and correction in a realistic way or is it just hype. This paper will discuss popular television shows about the components that make up the criminal justice system and compare them to real life.
When it comes to law enforcement, over the years, television shows have gotten a bad rap about police officers. But is this really the case? While it may be true in some cases, television shows can also help educate the public about law enforcement. Take for example, the TV show ‘Dragnet’, which aired from 1967 to 1970, it also played on radio as well. The main character of the show, Joe Friday, was actually based on cases from a real person on the Los Angeles Police Department (Rasmussen, 2003). Not only did the show portray detectives in a positive light but the lead character showed how to solve crimes by the book and treating victims and suspects with respect, but it also helped to educate the public and law enforcement but how to give suspects their ‘Miranda Rights” (Purdum, 2000). Another show that had a positive image for law enforcement was ‘Hill Street Blues’, airing from 1981 to 1987. The show attempted to show police officers as humans, often showing the struggles between their private lives and their professional lives. The television show did a good job of showing the diverse nature of police officers by having females and black officers, which was a rarity at the time, and also addressing the issues of the times, like police corruption and the tensions between police and those living in the ghetto (Miller, 2012).
The second component of the criminal justice system is Courts. There have been several television shows that have been successful in portraying the court system in a positive light. One of these is ‘Law and Order’, one of the longest television shows in history. The show was good at showing the struggles that not only cops but lawyers have to deal with in order to convict criminals within the legal parameters. It also changed the way lawyers were portrayed by ensuring that woman and blacks were also shown in positions of power. Most of the episodes of ‘Law and Order’ were based on real life cases and made them as close to the real thing as possible. For example, in one episode ‘Out of Half-Light’ it actually focused and copied a racially charged rape that was happening at the time. Another good show that showed the court system was L.A. Law, which aired from 1986 to 1994. This television show portrayed the judiciary system in a positive light. The show was good at presenting legal cases that involved a lot of the issues at that time. Most of their shows centered on abortion, gay rights, racism, AIDS, and domestic violence. The show had a positive image about lawyers and, in fact, real life lawyers credited the show with increasing applications to law school and many of the cases shown on the show was presented to law students for discussion and teaching points (Margolick, 1990).
The third component of the criminal justice system is Corrections. When you think about the correctional system, the only thing we know about prisons is what we see through television shows. One of these is a documentary like show called ‘Lockup’. This show depicts prisoners after they have entered into a correctional facility. It is a behind-the-scenes television show that gives the viewer an educational look into prisons and jails within the United States. This show shows the professionals working at these correctional facilities in a positive light as they are dealing with some of the worst hardened criminals in America. It also shows the respect that the correctional professionals have when dealing with the issues that arise with inmates, whether it be inmate-to-inmate or inmate-to-guard. The show gives viewers an inside look what happens at disciplinary hearings and during family visits. One of the things that the show does is present prisoners with personal video recorders so that they can talk about their live in prison (Lockup, 2106). And on the other end of spectrum is the show ‘Orange is the new black’. This shows the correctional system has a fun place to be and where sex runs rampant. This is in contrast to the real thing, where same-sex relationships are in secret for fear of being punished or transferred to a different wing of the prison. It also shows visiting centers as a place to have a party when visiting with family and friends. This too is in contrast to the real thing, where visitors visit you from behind a window or in a cramped room with only chairs (Codianni, 2014).