College Honors Program

Rhetorical Punishment: The U.S. Incarceration System

Date of Creation

5-17-2024

Document Type

Campus Access Only

First Advisor

Daina Harvey

Abstract

This thesis is an exploration of a possible shift in American’s perception of the country’s approach to incarceration. The main approaches I contend with are punitive versus rehabilitative. I bring up the multiple social groups that have power in this, including reformists, abolitionists, politicians, legislators, prison guards, and prisoners themselves. With a preview on the evolution of punishment, this paper’s focus is a study of how the general public reacts to popular media in relation to their views on the prison system. Specifically, I focus on major popular media since the 1990s when there was a noticeable change in society for a less punitive approach. I take a look at the message in Shawshank Redemption, Oz, and then the later rise of a multitude of social media with streaming platforms. Examining coinciding public reactions with changing popular culture, the ‘pocket’ opportunities for change in perceptions can be identified.

Comments

Reader: Anthony Williams

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