September / October 2002 - Crime

Editor's Note

A mob hit is not typically done with a .22. Double jeopardy prevents prosecutors from trying the same person for the same crime. Up until just a few years ago, there was no death penalty in New York state. "Why do I know this?" you may ask. No, I didn�t major in criminal justice, and I haven�t made it a point to keep diligently informed about crime issues; I�ve just watched hours and hours of Law & Order.

This penchant surprises myself more than it surprises anyone else. I don�t consider myself to be a person fascinated by murder or the criminal justice system. I stray from movies that are gratuitously violent, even the clever and hip ones like Reservoir Dogs. I don�t watch other cop or lawyer shows. So I remain puzzled by my near-obsession with this program. I�m clearly not alone in my interest, considering the L&O series now boasts three distinct shows and is considered the most successful television drama of all time. I have to wonder what we get from these shows. Is it a sense of control in a world that seems increasingly chaotic? Is it an adrenalin rush that we lack in the repetitive routine of our mundane lives? Whatever the reason, I can�t believe that mine is an entirely healthy interest. And I have to think that the show makes the world look like a much more violent place than it actually is. (Others would argue differently, I�m sure.) What I admire about L&O is that it portrays more affluent, white criminals than other cop shows, while covering complex criminal and legal issues in a thought-provoking way.

But mainly, it gives serious criminal justice issues diligent consideration, which is more that can be said for our policy makers. In the last presidential election debates, Gore and Bush both vowed allegiance to the death penalty, while pointedly not mentioning that 52 percent of death row inmates are black or Hispanic. Indeed, Bush hails from Texas, with an execution rate that accounts for more than a third of the total executions in the United States since 1977.* Additionally, Texas has seven times as many black and Hispanic inmates as it does white inmates.** Meanwhile, one could easily argue that the lackluster attempt to punish white-collar criminals has contributed to the financial malfeasance that�s been making headlines lately. Not surprisingly, given his corporate connections, President Bush made no mention in his July "Corporate Responsibility" speeches about prison sentences for white-collar crooks. The double standard is hard to ignore.

We�ve decided to give the topic of crime formidable consideration by dedicating a whole issue to Women & Crime. In this issue, we�ll look at crime-fighting women, intersex hate-crimes, an organization dedicated to getting and keeping women out of prison, and two stories about women who have built profitable crime-related businesses. I�d rather see an intelligent debate about criminal issues in Congress on C-SPAN, but until that day, I�ll have to make do with Law & Order and the better newspapers, magazines and websites.

Stay Nervy,

Kristin Schuchman, Editor-in-chief

back to top