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Author Archives: irina.tyumentseva
Posts: 5 (archived below)
Comments: 4
Government’s new mechanism of surveillance
Few days ago a friend of mine added this article on Facebook. It talks about the new legislation that makes internet providers to create and store users’ profiles, that include information like credit card numbers and browsing history.
The bill was passed under disguise of protection children from internet pornography, but in reality it is a way of policing internet users. Just the way foot patrol was introduced into neighborhoods for the good reason of protecting community, but ended up to be a surveillance mechanism.
This bill is extension of our debates on how much surveillance is appropriate and on how much we allow government to interfere in our private life. It seems like government takes more and more steps towards tracking individuals. It resonates with the argument of societies of control. Control, unlike discipline, doesn’t require enclosed buildings to limit people’s ability to move in space, in fact, it doesn’t need to to do that, instead it only needs to know where every given individual is at the given time.
The bill discussed above, gives government opportunity to track our location in internet space. State acquires precious tracking mechanism of the space that becomes increasingly important in our society. Many of us spend as much time in online world as in the physical one and many do so because they can escape mechanisms of control. Well, I guess there are less chances to do so now.
Photo Evidence in Abu Ghraib Prison Scandal
In the beginning of 2004 instances of prisoners abuse in Abu Ghraib prison came to the public attention. Many of 30.000 Iraqi prisoners were tortured by US military officials, CIA interrogators and independent contractors during interrogations or “for fun”.
United States Army Criminal Investigation Command started criminal investigation and some evidences were revealed to media. In April 2004 television news-magazine 60 minutes II aired a story on the abuse, including picture evidences. Harsh’s article in The New Yorker followed with detailed report on this case. (wikipedia )
Some picture you can find easily online, the link I post here is to the “wired” magazine’s webpage that came not from government officials, but from psychologist who had access to them.
Only fraction of photo evidences were released to public, the rest were presented in court behind the shut doors. Even though the case took place in 2008, there are still debates about whether or not the rest of pictures should be published.
I found it interesting to bring up this case for our class for a few reasons. First, as we see from the fact that picture evidences for this case are still a hotly debated topic, they played a major role in the case itself and in attracting public attention to it. It serves as a proof of how powerful photo evidence can be in law. Secondly, even though in some court cases picture evidences may be arguable evidence as picture only depicts a moment in time and can give a false presentation of what was happening at that time, in this case pictures were backed up by testimonies and video tapes. It also serves as an example of how much easier it is to get public attention and sentiment when case is supplied with vivid images.
Finally, Abu Ghraib prison scandal connects us with last weeks discussion of Foucault reading. Foucault argues that prisons are products of the switch from punishment to discipline, whether in Abu Ghraib prison detainees were clearly punished, not disciplined, often without a cause or reason.
Tampering with witness’ testimony
The movie about child molesters that we watched in class reminded me off another documentary I watched about wrongly convicted. (its in two parts, part 1 and part 2)
In Law and Psychology class we were looking at the Cotton Case where young woman was raped by guy who broke into her apartment. She identified one person, who after years in prison was released when DNA identification linked rape case to other prisoner. The victim met with the man she mistakenly put into prison, he forgave her and understood how she was made to believe that he was the one who raped her. They wrote the book and toured together. The book and tour was about how police can manipulate victim’s judgment. It can be done through the way questions are stated, or potential offenders positioned in a line-up. In that case it was through how the picture of the same man was shown to the victim in different sets of pictures.
This case, as well as cases of child molesters that we watched in class, shows how different factors can tamper with witness’ memory. Victims in both cases were in doubt throughout the case trial and were convinced or made to testify false by police. But the Cotton case has another analogy with what we discussed in class, because the convict was eventually released on the base of DNA evidences. We had some discussions in class and on blog about the harm of storing DNA information on people. I personally posted a blog last week that argues against State’s storing of DNA samples from people who commit misdemeanor. The Cotton case may serve as an example of how DNA information help to free innocent people from jail. It serves as a good example of an opposite side of the argument about the use of DNA in justice.
Posted in Assignment 3
Tagged child molesters, DNA profiling, testimony, wrong conviction
18 Comments
Football Behind Bars
This video is a trailer to the UK six part series that was aired on Sky1 channel in 2009. Ian Wright, soccer star, former Arsenal player and prominent TV host created a show. He himself, according to his interview for the show’s description on Sky 1 official website, spent 14 days in jail for driving without “tax or insurance”. During the show he was coaching young prisoners for the big final game. According to the same Sky 1 channel’s website, young prisoners had to go through a lot of training with strict discipline and those who didn’t work hard were excluded from the team. They were also participating in life coaching sessions, like anger management training, and were giving positive examples and encouragement to break out of criminal life cycle. As show’s page claims: “As well as nurturing football talents, the series will also show how organisation, communication, trust and team work play a vital part in the rehabilitation and social integration of young offenders on their release.”
In the end of the show prison got funding for it’s own Football Academy. As for Ian Wright, he was palnning to attract government’s atention to the problem of young criminal’s rehabilitation and hoped to encourage creation of Football Academies in Juvenal prisons across the UK. How succesfull he was in that I don’t know. I will try to find out and will post it in comments to this post.
In Ian Wright’s model of rehabilitation through football we can see reflection of Merton’s theory of goals and institutionalized means of achievement. Football Behind Bars prophecy popular concept that sport fosters discipline and improves one’s morals. It also works on giving young criminals new model for success- becoming successful athlete. Moreover, through Ian Wright’s personal example it shows institutionalized way for them to achieve goals of success and even wealth.
Posted in Assignment 2
Tagged criminal youth, criminals, cultural goals, football, institutionalized means, prison, soccer, young criminals
12 Comments
DNA profiling in US
On popular science and technology website Singularity Hub i found interesting article. It shows that as of July2011 13 states in US collect DNA samples from anyone who gets arrested. It highlightens the usefulness of this practice and even gives example of the case when murderer was found because police had his DNA after he was arrested for felony. Of course DNA profiling can serve many good causes, but the fact that it gets so widespread and used on virtually anyone, makes me personally, very uncomfortable.
Lets say you get arrested because you happened to be out late at night and crime was committed nearby. You will be released from police department within couple hours, but your DNA sample will be stored in their system. Of course, as a law obeying citizen you have nothing to worry about. That’s from the side of law enforcement agencies, but in the age of computer hacking there may be criminals who can use your precious information. If Wiki Leaks could access information from top secret government websites, where is guarantee that your DNA code won’t be stolen from police databases and used for anything from fraud to faking of your criminal records. Article hints on the problem by saying that widespread DNA screening practice “raises serious concerns about who has access to potentially incriminating DNA information stored in databases”.
Another thing with databases is that there may be mistakes. Article mentions that society and courts put a lot of weight on DNA identification. Therefore, given the level of trust that courts are putting into DNA identification, one may be convicted wrongfully because of the faulty entry in DNA police database.
Now whether the fact that so many states use DNA profiling on anyone who is arrested serves for public good or not is up to you to decide.
