RACE AND CRIME IN THE
UNITED STATES:
ARE WE VICTIMS OF
DISCRIMINATION OR ANTIHEROES?
http://img.ehowcdn.com/article-new/ehow/images/a07/2r/tv/search-prison-inmates-800x800.jpg
P.Silva
Truman H.S.
“But now is black
beauty’s successive heir,
And beauty slandered
with a bastard shame,
….But is profaned, if
not lives in disgrace”.
Sonnet 127 by William Shakespeare
INTRODUCTION
The next
story we will read, William Shakespeare’s Othello, can be crudely
summarized as a black man who violently killed his white wife because he let
his insecurities and jealousy take over.
Although
William Shakespeare’s play deals with different social topics, the idea of
RACISM is prevalent throughout the play.
In the play,
we witness how Othello, an otherwise courageous and moral person, was
transformed into the villain, partly through the racism and jealousy of his
white “peers.” As the antihero in this
tragedy, was Othello “destined” to a horrible end because of his personal
temperament or because of his race?
Centuries
later, some people still argue that “racial” minorities are doomed to
fail…which leads to the question of whether minorities are still victims of
discrimination or antiheroes who sabotage their own chances of improvement and
success.
TASK
Using the
methods used by Public Policy Analysts (PPA), you and your group members
will identify, investigate and offer a solution to minority violence and crime
in the United States. After collaborating
on a PowerPoint Presentation, you will each write an expository paper (2 pages,
typed, double-spaced) summarizing your findings.
PROCESS/RESOURCES
Step 1: Define the Problem
As public policy analysts, your group will first
need to select a minority group and then specifically define a social problem which this group experiences, under the main
category of Crime and Punishment. Record
that information on Worksheet 1.
Crime
and Punishment (some suggestions)
o
Youth Crime
o
Violent Crime
o
Property Crime
o
Hate Crimes
o
Drug-related Crimes
Step 2: Gather Evidence
Use the provided resources to locate evidence
to support the existence of your problem (i.e. In NYC, there is a very high
rate of violent crimes being committed by and against minorities). Record
your findings on Worksheet 2.
Resources:
·
Prisoners
in 2011 (the latest prisoner statistics, provided by
the Bureau
of Justice Statistics)
·
Trends in US Corrections (statistical graphs provided by the Sentencing Project Advocacy Group)
·
FBI Hate Crimes Statistics (the latest statistics about reported hate
crimes and incarcerations)
·
Race and the Death Penalty (statistics on race of defendants and victims
provided by the Death Penalty Information Center)
Step 3: Identify Causes
Use the provided resources to identify causes
and contribution factors of your social problem. You many also use our Truman Campus Library Databases to continue your research. Record that information on Worksheet 3.
Resources:
·
American FactFinder
(community facts provided by the US Census Bureau)
·
People and Households (statistics about minority groups and
the common social problems they face)
Step 4: Evaluate a Policy
Evaluating
the main existing policy or policies to deal with a social problem is an
important step in the PPA process. Analyzing both the advantages and
disadvantages of existing policies can suggest what parts of the current policy
should be kept or strengthened, and what parts should be changed. Record that information on Worksheet 4.
Laws,
Courts and Sentencing
·
Juvenile Justice System Structure & Process (Case Flow Diagram and overview)
·
Criminal Justice: The Process of Criminal
Justice
(overview)
·
State Hate Crimes Law (national map identifying types of Hate Crimes
laws provided by the Human Rights Campaign)
·
New York State Hate Crime Laws (overview)
·
“The Drug Laws That Changed How We Punish” (you can read or listen an overview of New
York State Rockefeller Drug Laws)
·
New York Sentencing (chart classifying crimes and sentences)
·
New York Laws
(researchable database of New York State Penal Laws)
Jails
New York State Prisons (color map provided by the Department of
Corrections and Community Service)
Rehab/Education/Parole
·
New York Prison Program Services (learn more about the programs offered to
inmates by the NYS Department of Corrections and Community
Service)
·
New
York State Parole Handbook (read
to learn more about the requirements of Parole)
·
“Graduate Day:
Crossroads ” (click on the image/Video icon to view the
video)
·
Prison to College Pipeline (CUNY and Department of Corrections initiative
to provide prisoners/former prisoners with a college education)
Step 5: Develop Solutions
One way to solve a problem is to
eliminate or lessen the causes or contributory factors. For example, a policy
for felons who are paroled from prison is that they may not associate with
other criminals. The reason for this policy is to try to eliminate one of the
causes. Review the causes and contributory factors that your group identified
in step 3. Are there any that could be decreased or eliminated through a new
public policy?
Another source for developing public policy alternatives is the current policy.
Review step 4, especially your answer to question 4. Perhaps your group thinks
that the current policy fails to even deal with the problem and should be
totally replaced. Perhaps the current policy simply needs to be strengthened or
improved ( e.g., tougher penalties, more public
education about the policy, additional regulations, clearer guidelines,
etc.). Record
that information on Worksheet 5.
Step 6: Select best Solution
In Step 5 you listed three
alternative policies and you made an initial selection of your preferred
policy. Two criteria that will assist in determining the best policy are
feasibility and effectiveness.
·
Feasibility
refers to the likelihood that your policy would be enacted by the government or
government agency. Feasibility can be affected by factors such as cultural
acceptance and the anticipated costs in comparison to the benefits.
·
Effectiveness
refers to the likelihood that your policy will produce results that lessen the
social problem. To be able to anticipate the effectiveness, it is essential
that your problem in step 1 is narrowly and specifically stated.
Record that
information on Worksheet 6.
EVALUATION
PowerPoint (Project
Grade)
|
CATEGORY |
Excellent-4 |
Good-3 |
Satisfactory-2 |
Needs Improvement-1 |
|
Content - Accuracy |
All content throughout
the presentation is relevant and accurate. There are no factual errors. |
Most of the content
is relevant and accurate but there is one piece of information that seems
irrelevant/ inaccurate. |
The content is
generally relevant/accurate, but one piece of information is clearly
inaccurate. |
Content confusing
or contains more than one factual error. |
|
Use of Graphics Text - Font Choice & Formatting |
All graphics are
attractive (size and colors) and support the topic of the presentation. Font formats (color, bold, italic) have been
carefully planned to enhance readability and content. |
A few graphics are
not attractive but all support the topic of the presentation. Font formats have
been carefully planned to enhance readability. |
All graphics are
attractive but a few do not support the topic of the presentation. Font formatting has been carefully planned
to complement the content. It may be a little hard to read. |
Several graphics
are unattractive AND detract from the content of the presentation. Font formatting makes it very difficult to
read the material. |
|
Spelling and Grammar |
Presentation has no
misspellings or grammatical errors. |
Presentation has
1-2 misspellings, but no grammatical errors. |
Presentation has
1-2 grammatical errors but no misspellings. |
Presentation has
more than 2 grammatical and/or spelling errors. |
Expository Paper
(Homework Grade)
|
Expectations |
Exceed
Standards |
Meets
Standards |
Nearly
Meets Standards |
Below
Standards |
|
|
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
Establishes a context and thesis
|
Skillfully
selects and summarizes key ideas to introduce the topic. Establishes a clear, insightful thesis when
responding to a prompt. |
Selects
and summarizes key ideas to introduce the topic. Establishes a clear thesis when responding
to a prompt. |
Attempts
to select and summarize key ideas to introduce the topic. Thesis is too general or unclear or does
not respond to the prompt. |
Does
not select and summarize key ideas to introduce the topic. No identifiable thesis. |
|
Supporting Information/Evidence |
Includes
significant facts and details relevant to the thesis. Excludes extraneous information. |
Includes
facts and details relevant to the thesis.
Excludes extraneous information. |
Includes
some facts and details that may or may not be relevant. |
No
details or details are completely irrelevant. |
|
Organization |
Highly
developed introduction that sets forth the purpose of the paper and
effectively hooks the reader.
Purposeful transitions used to connect ideas logically. Information is presented in an effective,
logical order. Draws a conclusion by
synthesizing information. |
Clear introduction that sets forth the
purpose of the paper. Transitions used
to connect ideas. Presents information
in a logical order. Conclusion ties
all ideas together. |
Weak
introduction. Some attempt at using
transitions. Attempts to present
information in a logical order Conclusion may not reflect the
thesis. |
Introduction
not developed. Little or no attempt to
connect ideas. Information not in a
logical order. Paper may lack a
conclusion. |
|
Conventions |
Demonstrates
consistent control of grammar, usage, punctuation, sentence structure and
spelling. Few or no errors |
Demonstrates control of language grammar,
usage, punctuation, sentence structure and spelling. Occasional errors do not interfere with
meaning. |
Demonstrates
some control of grammar, usage, punctuation, sentence structure and
spelling. Frequent errors interfere
with meaning. |
Demonstrates
little control of grammar, usage, punctuation, sentence structure and
spelling. Numerous errors interfere
with meaning. |
<providenceschools.org/.../pais%20expository%20writing%20rubric%202...>.
CONCLUSION
Although
America is still divided in racial matters, we still have this tradition that
an individual can overcome all types of obstacles to become a success. However, we should make it easier for each
subsequent generation to achieve more, sooner, instead of always having to
start from the bottom. As a community,
we have to fight together to reduce crime in our neighborhoods to avoid the
creation of more tragic figures like Othello.
STANDARDS
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.2 Write informative/explanatory
texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly
and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of
content.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.2a Introduce a
topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information to make important
connections and distinctions; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g.,
figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.2b Develop the
topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts, extended definitions,
concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to
the audience’s knowledge of the topic.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.2c Use appropriate
and varied transitions to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion,
and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.2d Use precise
language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.2e Establish and
maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and
conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.2f Provide a
concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information
or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance
of the topic).