Crime-Focused Labels
What's in a Word? As students, faculty, and practitioners in Criminal Justice, we are accustomed to using crime-focused labels to refer to those impacted by the legal system. In all honesty, these terms are easier to say and use than wordy alternatives. We must carefully consider the potential consequences of the language we use based upon our intended goals for the correctional system. Harms of Labeling and Stigma Crime is socially constructed. This means we as a society determine what behaviors are deemed “illegal.” As you’ll learn in CJ 391: Corrections, individuals are incarcerated for various reasons, a large proportion for non-violent offenses. Crime-related labels in particular carry negative connotations, particularly those that are sexual or violent. Such language cues imagery related to stereotypes and prejudices common in the media. Also, reducing a person to a criminal label neglects their holistic identity. The stigma associated with criminal labels may become in
