Question 1
The main point of this reading is to understand the relationship between social interaction and crime. The text suggests that the state and its influential individuals create a crime by suggesting and labeling some behaviors as criminal and unacceptable. The focus of the reading is on the reactions of the society members, in regards to deviance and crime. Tge reading brings out the fact that even if criminological efforts to reduce the rate of crime are used to help the lawbreakers, they are also responsible for taking the law offender closer to crime due to the stereotype they give to the individuals who commit these crimes.
Question 2
The information that I found most surprising is the fact that many occurrences in the reading portrayed that police officer was involved in increasing crime in the streets. It is evident in the part that Jose reported that the law enforces encouraging people to take the law in their own hands. Those parts of the reading surprised me because we expect that law enforcers are quick and swift to implement rules and make sure they are followed, as well as arresting and punishing the lawbreakers. The police come together in a union with the youths and decide to collaborate in determining how to implement laws.
Question 3
The code of the street, gave way to the police officers to conduct harassment to students, and suspend students, and make the entire society develop a particular fear for young people. However, prominent people in the law in Oakland created a culture of punishments that made young people to be labeled as criminals. It did not matter to them if the youth were in pursuit of doing the right thing or the wrong thing; they are still labeled as criminals and were punished anytime being accused of breaking the law. I was confused to find out that to the law enforcers, it was not essential to understand how the young people used the code of streets. By looking at how people in the society responded to the law of the street, makes me wonder which role the criminal justice systems and the schools were responsible for in creating social conducts that victimized the youths as criminals.
Question 4
The reading, and the TED talk shoe, both talk about how young people are victimized and labeled as criminals by society. He explains how young people should not be considered criminals because they have the potentiality to change, even if they are criminals. He talks about how teachers should not be involved in victimizing students,insead. They should be included in trying to change the lives of the students, who they stereotyped as criminals. He talks about how his teacher helped him get away from his complicated past to concentrate on a good future. He talks about valuing young people’s stories and experiences, as well as assisting them in creating better stories for themselves. Instead of judging and punishing young people, they should be taught how to grow and learn from their mistakes positively.
Question 5
This reading relates to other class material of the nature of the criminal justice system. The criminal justice system has three pieces of criminal justice that work together. Once the crime is committed, the law enforcement will investigate, then the suspect is apprehended and taken to court. The police, in this case, do not go through with the whole criminal justice process. They quickly arrest young people without first confirming if the people were committing crimes or not. They are, however, promptly punished without following the legal procedures. Additionally, they are not involved in shaping the future of the youths, as the criminal justice expects of law enforcers. The law enforcers are portrayed as incompetent when comparing their work to the criminal justice system.
Question 6
This reading relates to my personal life, taking into consideration that my parents both work as law enforcers and the fact that I am pursuing law. I will make sure to continually remind my parents to try their best to find ways to help the offenders in the community, instead of prematurely arresting and punishing them. I will also talk to them about the disadvantages of victimizing these young people and stereotyping them as criminals. However, I will remind them to always investigate small youth gatherings, and what they are doing, before arresting and punishing them.