Criminal Justice Labeling Theory

Unit 5 Individual Project

CRJS105

Kayla Pierson

September 29, 2013

LABELING THEORY

The United States has a huge prison population, with nearly two million incarcerated. We imprison more than any other country ever. The original idea for jail and prisons was to help inmates, and give them a chance at a better life. We want the criminals to get better and not want them to keep coming in and out of the criminal justice system.

Social conflict theory stated that in our society the result of conflict between different classes. Social conflict theorists believe the cause of this is because of the stress put on people. The constant stress put on the inmates is also another challenge. With that being said it is why I believe that the labeling theory has a major impact on prison rehabilitation, and its rates of success and failure.

I believe that the labeling theory can influence all of the policies that I picked; Prison Rehabs, The three strikes law, and expunging of records programs. Society and other places make it hard for people that have been convicted of crimes. They struggle with getting jobs, and their habits, the stares, and all the other drama that comes along with it.

It is so hard on the inmates to change in prison because of all the “labeled” factors about wanting to change to some of the most well respected prison inmates. Some inmates will cause bodily or mental harm on an inmate for wanting to change, because they look at it as weakness, and an easy way out. The inmates who do want to change are constantly labeled and teased and this is why I think some of the time the prison rehabilitation does not work. On a positive note though, for most “first timers” in prison for minor offenses, prison can be so traumatic and cause a lot of pain and suffering that it makes the criminals want to change. The criminals also not only have labels within the prisons but out as well, in society. Most people that have been in and out of jail have a bad name around people. This is not always fair, but sometimes are they right?

The labeling theory influences the three strikes policy because of the stress as well. If the criminals are constantly judged because of their past they feel like they are stuck in their ways, which causes them to keep committing crimes. Once both of these strikes happen, the third one sends them away for a long time. The three strikes policy is that when habitual offenders keep coming through the doorway, you make harsher sentences on them. Some of these third strikes can be life in prison with no parole. The people can’t survive in regular