Hi all,
I watched the movie “Central Park Five” last night at the Lincoln Plaza Cinema.
It was an amazing documentary film and I was shocked that the discrimination was still deep and profound in NYC in 1989. I was also surprised that the subway was filled with graffiti; it is unbelievable people at that time commuted to work by subway.
In the film, through the interview of central park five, we learn how their lives were destroyed by the police, media and so on. Once people are arrested, their reputation cannot be recovered. For example, Raymond Santana had no choice but to sell drugs because he could not find any job.
Police, prosecutors, and media should apologize to central park five and compensate their loss. However, I am not sure how to calculate the loss. Recent case in my country, one undergrad student was wrongly arrested that he sent an e-mail with computer virus to a television company and he was captured for 45 days. Since he could not take any final exams in the university, he had to resign the university. His career and future was destroyed, but he received compensation only $6,000 because it is ruled that compensation per day is about $140…
Another statement I got interested in the movie was that this case would not become so famous and made the police hasty if it was not happened in Central Park. Since Central Park is a symbolic park in NYC, police had to settle the case as soon as possible so that people and tourists can feel safe in the city. Location also affects a lot.
KEI SHIMIZU
Hi Key. I can tell you enjoyed the movie! I’m interesting in the undergraduate story you brought up in Japan. Is that rare about the compensation of $140 per day? Sure his reputation was affected, but maybe he could be hired in some tech company as a web hacker then how can you say his future was “destroyed.”
Hi, the compensation of $140 per day is the legal price, so people need to sue if they want more compensation.
I hope he could get a good job such as web designer. However, I guess he will struggle to find it.
“Arrested experience” is a serious damage for one’s career in my country (even though it was wrongly accusation…).
Also, he resigned the university. Many company will hire other person instead of him.
(I guess the situation in China is similar. How is it? )
Kei
Hi Kei,
totally. Record in prison will be attached to a person’s whole life. Actually I’m no sure how terrible it is in China but I know in Singapore, the newspaper will publicize the crime and the person hardly could get anything, no credit, bad reputation, no employment, etc.