Thought Paper 8
Framing the Criminal Justice System Part II: Courts, Prisons, Lawyers
This week we discussed how prisons and the prison experience have typically been framed
across various media outlets over the years.
In this week’s Thought Paper:
– Watch the following short clips from films that depict the ‘prison experience’:
American History X https://youtu.be/p7vWcQ-y6m0?si=Gvh_ckVCsmjVsymi
Malcolm X https://youtu.be/q0-2Grvz_Gg?si=D9PMpXnQaJpQqPTm
The Shawshank Redemption https://youtu.be/rcm7LaM6u0w?si=3dnnC5IZ9MghDOh0
Goodfellas https://youtu.be/rQV6CijIzrc?si=crDh2ZG2WiiamVX0
A Clockwork Orange https://youtu.be/Q1UUZSXFlyc?si=VUgTolsg4UY3fKF8
– Critically assess and discuss how prisons and their various elements (prisoners, guards,
administrative staff, COs, etc.) are being depicted in these clips.
– Critically assess and discuss how the ‘prison experience’ more broadly is being depicted
in these clips. What are these scenes ‘saying’ about the prison experience and how true to
life do you believe this to be?
– Each of these five films were financially and critically successful, with most (arguably
all) of them being considered ‘classics’ of modern cinema. What impacts do you believe
these images and representations of prisons might have had on individual audiences
and/or society more broadly?
– Note: You do not need to have seen each of these films or necessarily be familiar with the
larger plot/context of these individual scenes, please limit your analysis and discussion to
these specific scenes rather than the larger narratives of the films.