[These are lecture notes. Abbreviations used: CJS = Criminal Justice System; T
= theory; fr. = from; b/c = because; c = crime; w/
= with; instit = institution; peo = people; wd = would]
You'll have to imagine this being presented orally.

Purpose of CJS to control, reduce c.
But CJS fails in this.

Continues to fail at this.
Why?

When things continue over long time without success
need to ask: who benefits fr. this failure?
perhaps it ís not supposed to succeed.

Who benefits fr. Pyrrhic defeat? [actually: Pyrrhic victory = win,
but at too great a cost].

II) [rich & powerful]
III) Not b/c they conspire
IV) conspiracy theories are silly-
V) too many must be involved to keep it secret;
VI) canít prove it;
VII) peo donít act this way most of time
VIII) better: use a T. that doesnít require peo to act differently
than usual i.e., they're doing what they sincerely believe is right.

IX) Really 3 failures:
a) not implementing policies that actually wd reduce c. (by esp.
attacking poverty);

b) not identifying c. of rich & powerful as c.

c) not eliminating econ bias in cjs that funnels poor in, rich out.

X) Didn’t evolve b/c someone sat down to map it out that way.

XI) rather: historical inertia

XII) inertia = momentum continues in direction that already headed in.

XIII) hard to change it b/c requires sufficient demand to change.

a) those who have most to gain fr. change are least powerful

i) not only b/c theyí're mostly the ones going to prison,

ii) but b/c they're mostly the victims of c. (see p. 161 table 4-1)

(1) little or no insurance vs. theft.

(2) fewer resources to begin w/, so losses more devastating.

b) those who benefit already have power

c) since cjs shapes pub perception of who real dangerous ones
are, it creates impression that it’s fighting the real
enemy.

i) so peo continue support more $ for cjs, harsher legis., etc.

XIV) Put another way: CJS directs blame downwards.

XV) Encourages mid-America to fear those below, identify w/ those above.

a) somewhat small eg. of this: peo overspending to live up to those
richer than themselves.

b) identification or empathy for others is powerful factor.

c) 1960s mid-c. íd w/ the disenfranchised

d) an unusual time, deeply threatening to rulers.

e) majority of college studs supported some kind of revolution at the height.

f) that ís why what Beckett chronicles: attacks by conservatives on
60s, role of c. issue, happened.

g) effort to stuff 60s back into the bottle, deep six it.

h) blacks were leading group in 60s,

i) this one main reason why blacks targeted in war on c. & drugs.

j) yr ability to dissent, foment rebellion, much harder when inside cjs.

k) since rulers are tiny minority, to stay in power, must get swing
group, mid-class to side w/ them.

l) attitudes amg. l-class towards rich v. different than amg. mid-c.

i) they don’t wish to be the rich, they wish to win lottery,
but they despise the rich.

ii) one ex. of this: attitudes in ghetto towards cops is they aren’t
Officer Friendly, here to help old ladies across street.

iii) rather: occupation army.

XVI) Implicit Ideology of CJ

a) Since cjs [ ]s on indiv offenders, by implication, exonerates any
instit. contributions to indiv acts.

b) cf. psycho focus on indiv v. socio. focus on grp.

c) as if cjs were employing purely & exclusively psycho. criteria

d) avoiding, negating sociological approach.

e) if instits. contribute to c., foster c., = criminogenic.

f) U.S. highest valuation of $ over everything else = criminogenic.

g) every econ sys must use some incentive get peo to work.

h) U.S. ñ material incentive (cf. moral incentive, or collective
welfare incentive).

i) to make peo work hard at unpleasant, alienating jobs must offer a
lot of material incentive.

j) otherwise, why would peo do it?

k) so built into system > highly unequal society.

l) forces substantial portion of peo to be poor.

m) this too = criminogenic.

n) 2nd implicit ideological pt: crim law advanced as minimum neutral
ground rules for any society.

o) e.g., law v. theft = law protecting what property peo currently own.

p) = makes current division of property the correct division.

q) = makes extant property division = same as minimum requiremts for
any social life.

XVII) Importance of Ideology

a) How many of you when you come to a stop light in the middle of the
night, and there ís no one ard., but you still wait till the light changes?

b) How many of you wdn’t shoplift, even if you knew you wdnít get
caught?

c) Peo donít go along w/ social rules only b/c of coercion.

d) Peo also go along b/c they believe that rules are fair.

e) So belief that rules are fair and just is v. important for soc
order & stability.

f) persuasion & coercion: twin props of soc order & stability.

g) when the distrib of resources is extremely unequal,

h) at least substantial section of peo must believe it to still be fair

i) what can convince peo to abide by extreme inequality?

j) ideology ñ another way of saying persuasion.

k) lower classes don’t primarily go along b/c of ideology,

l) tho ideology plays an important role.

m) they go along primarily b/c of coercion,

n) & b/c they know they can’t just rise up & have a chance of winning

o) except under highly unusual circumstances: when social upheaval is
high

p) & rulers are in trouble.

q) for mid-classes, tho, persuasion/ideology is key.

r) material basis makes it such ñ they have better lives

s) & donít need to be convinced by force that things are ok as they
are.

t) ideology = worldview, explains why things are way they are +

u) rationalization of class self-interest.

v) i.e., per Marx & Reiman: ideology = deception by rulers.