1. Discuss the origins of the extraordinarily high rate of incarceration in the United States compared to the rest of the developed world. What groups are most overrepresented in the criminal justice system? What does the data tell us about crimes committed by the overrepresented groups? Do these groups commit more crimes when compared to the overall population? 2. Based on what we know about the criminal process, including plea bargaining, discuss whether the criminal process discourages those who are arrested from going to trial and instead focuses its resources on plea bargaining. Does this tendency have any effect on conviction rates and rates of incarceration for those who find themselves in the criminal justice system? 3. Think about the types of crimes discussed in the textbook, Future Crimes. Do you think bringing to justice the perpetrators of the sorts of crimes discussed in the text, will have an impact on the criminal justice system in the future? Why? If so, will the prosecution of the perpetrators change the criminal justice system? If so, in what way? HOWEVER, if you tend to believe that the perpetrators of the digital underground crime-types discussed in the textbook, Future Crimes, will not have an appreciable impact on the criminal justice system in the future, defend and discuss your viewpoint.
