The 904: Reflection Paper -- Crime

In 2005 Jacksonville gained the title of â€Å"Florida's murder capital† (Florida Times-Union, 2005; Murphy, 2005). According to the results of â€Å"The 904 Project† in 2011 Jacksonville still holds the title. According to Sherriff Rutherford during the time the study came out Jacksonville has shed that title (Patterson, 2011). Does Jacksonville hold the title or not? It depends on who you ask. In reflecting on what the 904 Project has brought us it is important to not only look at the results of the study, but also what we already know about media and the criminal justice system and what the study might have inadvertently illustrated about Jacksonville’s media, it’s leaders, and the crime problem itself. What research shows is that media and crime are intertwined and that there is an effect on the criminal justice system and its policies. Surette discusses the two tenets concerning criminal justice and the media. The first is the â€Å"backwards law† which states that anything the media portrays is in fact the opposite of what is really happening (2010, p. 182). He goes on to explain that this distortion is due to how news is presented in either an episodic format, the following of a single incident or case, or thematic format, a flowing of trends, and how both formats only show a small fraction of the reality (p. 183). The other is the â€Å"rule of immanent justice.† Surette defines immanent justice as â€Å"the belief that a divine higher power will intervene, and reveal and punish the guilty while protecting the innocent† (p. 186). He argues that the media perpetually illustrates that criminality is inborn and that society seeks immanent justice and supports crime fighters, such as police, in helping combat the issue of crime (pp. 186-187). While... ...e&db=edsbl&AN=RN066843348&site=eds-live Surette, R. (2010). Media, crime, and criminal justice: Images, realities, and policies Cengage Learning. Treen, D. (2006a, Girl's killing sparks pleas for an end to the violence community and city leaders discuss plans to stem the killings. Florida Times-Union, the (Jacksonville, FL), pp. A-1. Treen, D. (2006b, Murder rate on grand jury list shorstein says he has discussed it with panel. Florida Times-Union, the (Jacksonville, FL), pp. A-1. Treen, D. (2011, Results are in: Duval no longer murder capital miami-dade takes title as violent crimes in duval county down 19%. Florida Times-Union, the (Jacksonville, FL), pp. A-1. UNF Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice. (2011). No longer #1? Retrieved January, 2012, from http://www.unf.edu/uploadedFiles/aa/coas/ccj/904_project/No%20Longer%20number%201%20-%20Data.xls