Final Draft
Project 3
Genre #1
Photo Essay
The Criminal Justice System in Everyday Life
Wakulla Correctional Institution is a state-run prison that is around a 17 minute drive away from Tallahassee. The effect Wakulla has on the immediate area it engulfs was quite apparent on my trip south, as prisoners dotted the side of the road, clearing brush and mowing grass, overseen by an authoritative sherriff. The sparse town adjoining Wakulla is very rural and is not notable for much else, besides hosting the roughly 2,000 inmate facility. My plan was to take a few pictures of the prison, and I was immediately shocked at the size of the compound. A small barbed wire fence entangled the massive institute with a type of dry moat leading up the a formidable, barbwire-lined double fence security measure. A few inmates were performing light grounds maintenance as the careful eye of the guards suspiciously gazed over at me. I was obviously recording something, phone high in the air, when I heard yelling in my general direction. Sure enough, a pickup truck bounced down the unkempt roadside, waving at me to stay where I was, presumably. Needless to say I suspected they did not appreciate my photographing their prison. After having a tense conversation with a few burly guards doned with reflective sunglasses, I sheepishly surrendered my phone and deleted the pictures I had taken.
The correctional officers eventually changed from stern to understanding, and I was free to leave without further incident. I was not welcome to turn around and come back, and saw a few man cautiously eyeing my departure as I glanced back in my rear-view mirror. I do not believe my actions were illegal, just heavily frowned upon. I did not realize the intensity of precautions taken by our criminal justice system in the name of security. And while a lawyer may argue on the floor of a courtroom that I had every right to photograph the prison from publicly accessible roads, that environment is very different than a lone college-aged male out in an unfamiliar area. Sometimes a textbook or class lecture cannot prepare you for the gritty reality of our justice system.
Thanks to cloud backups, one photo survived. One more photo was recovered days later off my SD Card using a recovery software.
Fun Fact: The majority of Florida's state run prisons are not air conditioned
FSU PD only has 67 officers to cover the entire 450-acre campus
Police interact with citizens in a variety of fashions. The FSUPD is a great example of specialized police that serve a specific purpose, in this case patrolling the FSU Campus. While still adhering to duties and responsibilities of more traditional policing roles, FSUPD has a more direct role in student safety and campus security. FSUPD even has specific regulations for college football game days, produces mobile apps tailored for student sanctuary, conducts a female-only self defense class, and maintains the FSU Alert system that informs students of potentially dangerous crimes and miscellaneous scenarios. While having a vigilant patrol may make some students feel at home, other students have certainly been negatively effected by FSUPD's constant presence. Many college students that make the mistake of committing crimes on campus fall into the hands of FSUPD bike patrols at night, get traffic tickets from the highly mobile and highly trained Motorcycle units, or get a hard knock on their dorm-room door from an FSUPD officer. These students must own up to their crimes when caught, and quickly learn they are held responsible for their actions the same as any other adult in this country.
Tallahasse's
Violent crime rate
(out of 100)
76 vs
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Property crime rate
59.8 vs 38.1
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National
Average
31.3
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Crime can happen to those that don't expect it. I certainly did not expect my car to be broken into in one of my first few months in Tallahassee. Tallahassee has a notoriously high crime rate, and coming from the suburban community I am used to, I was shocked to be the victim of a crime. Living in a city brings many perils and requires awareness that may be a culture shock to those used to idyllic suburban lives. However, I found the criminal justice system extremely resourceful and friendly.
I received a phone call from campus police, connecting me with the responding officer that noticed my window in pieces. I was informed I was not the only one targeted, but unfortunately no word was given on if there was any chance of solving the crime. I thought I would be left on my own, but a police report was filed for insurance purposes and everything took very little action on my part. It helped remind me of the purpose of the campus police I usually eye with mistrust, and made me feel grateful for the unusually high amount of police I notice around Leon County. However, awareness is still the best defense against being a victim of crime. But sometimes, no one can stop others from immoral and unethical violations against society. Only the penal system can.
Donald Trump is expected to lose the popular vote by more than 2.5 million votes.
Clinton's popular vote results are close to Obama's 2012 numbers, but about five million votes away from his 2008 results.
Donald Trumps' historic election showed a clear division in America. Those that believe crime is a major problem and the police are under attack, possibly associating with "Blue Lives Matter" among other movements. And those that believe the criminal justice system is in desperate need of reform, police brutality is at an all time high, and commonly associate with "Black Lives Matter." Protests sparked up in cities across the nation following Trump's election, including Tallahassee. The fear of a supposed rising crime rate, combined with media coverage of crime and police shootings, certainly contributed to the attitude of needing a political strongman in office. Authoritarianism has never been more popular, from the Obama administration expansion of NSA spying to the blunt "Make America Safe Again" slogan empowered by Trump and the RNC convention. Whether this fear is founded or unfounded is certainly controversial, but it is certainly fact that violent crime rates have been falling. And police brutality has actually remained constant, despite the anger shown by modern Civil Rights movements. Certainly this police brutality is not positive, and any violent crime rate should not be taken for granted, but both sides of the political spectrum are rife with factual inaccuracies and biases that cloud the reality of the state of our nation.
Recently, the recount movement has sparked further controversy that the results of the election could be challenged. I fear for our country greatly if these recounts reveal any serious implications. It is apparent the sheer anger and division both sides express vehemently. These strong emotions can easily boil over, and I dread if that were to come to fruition.