Crime and Punishment in America

What can we do to feel safe in our communities? One of the more pressing questions on the American conscience, the crime and punishment issue is examined here in both an historical and current context, as interviewees debate the pros and cons of rehabilitation vs. retribution. A few less sensationalist crime stories (which, unfortunately, are already more than plentiful on both tabloid and regular news shows) and a more focused examination of the issues (the program touches on topics ranging from church bingo to serial killers) would have made this 2-hour odyssey into America's heart of darkness more illuminating. Still, there is enough here--particularly in the segments on parental responsibility laws and supervised release programs--to make people think, and liberals and conservatives alike will surely find their views supported and denounced, from arguments over the barbarous nature of the death penalty to the sight of a vigilant hoisting a sign at a nighttime execution reading "Happy Trails Asshole." Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Pitman)