Discussion Questions

  1. By 2015, the federal and state inmate population in the United States was more than 1.4 million. Though the United States represents only 5 percent of the world’s population, the number of incarcerated people in the United States represents nearly 25 percent of the world’s prison population. Data reveals that the United States has the highest prison population rate in the world. Do we imprison too many people? Why do you feel our prison population is so high? Which populations are most represented in prisons? Why?

  2. Turn on the local evening news any night of the week and you are guaranteed to hear stories about carjackings, home invasions, and attempted murder. These individualistic crimes are referred to as blue-collar crime because of the type of people committing the crime. Blue-collar crimes are typically much more apt to make the evening news than white-collar crimes. Why do you feel this is the case?

  3. Many individuals are fearful of becoming a victim of a crime although in reality this may never take place. Discuss with the class why people are fearful of becoming a crime victim. What factors lead to this fear?