Social Inequality In Criminal Justice

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In the coding process, both interview transcripts were read multiple times, coded them first to generate initial categories such as “poverty”, “education”, “rehabilitation”, “media”, “fear”, “neighbourhood”. I then checked whether any codes were missing, could be combined with others, or effectively divided in two. On the basis of the coding, one particular theme that emerged from both interviews is the emphasis on social inequality to crime and criminal justice. I then went back to the data to re-examine whether the codes fit under this theme overall, and consulted new literature to contextualise this theme. The theme of inequality is based on the responses of both participants who have once or repeatedly discussed the topics relating to that …show more content…
Yet, research has shown that those from low socio-economic backgrounds are three times more likely to commit crime than those from wealthy families (Fergusson, Swain-Campbell, Horwood, 2004). The Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS) presents similar ideas to Workman and McIntosh. The CHDS examined the association between socioeconomic deprivation in childhood and later involvement in crime, with a cohort of 1,265 children born in Christchurch in 1977 from birth to age 21 years (Fergusson, et al. 2004). The results revealed that the poorest commit three times as much property/violent crimes as the wealthiest, however, the poorest are twenty-five times more likely to be convicted than the wealthiest (Fergusson, et al. 2004). The results of this gap between the rich and poor underlines the way in which our response to crime varies for different groups. To separate crime from the context in which it occurs means we are left chasing after the symptoms. Notably, one participant underlined the importance of addressing inequality as part of rehabilitation for …show more content…
2004) has helped shift the focus to the changes in the social response to crime rather than the underlying behaviours. It is the rise of inequality that changes the way society views crime and punishment, and how to respond by implementing punitive punishments (Cavadino and Dignan, 2006). The interviewees’ responses align with the criminological research that harm is far more likely to be prevented in communities by addressing poverty and rising inequalities, than increasing Police numbers to chase after symptoms (Workman and McIntosh, 2013). It is clear that the crime that is politicised, controlled/policed, and punished have significant relationship to poverty and social and cultural inequalities. Both participants are aware of this in their acknowledgement of that fact, those most often targeted by the criminal justice system are uneducated, unemployed, young, and Maori, who are marginalised from economic and political influence (Workman and McIntosh,

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