Title: 360 degrees: Perspectives on the U.S. Criminal Justice System

Source/Sponsoring Agency: Picture Projects

URL: http://360degrees.org/

Date Checked: 7/28/2008      Status: Active

Date Annotated: 11/1/2001

Topics: Criminal Law; Criminal Procedure; Legal History; Women and the Law

Other keywords: Capital Punishment; English Law

Contents: "360 Degrees" is a multi-media exploration of experiences of the U.S. criminal justice system, named for its in-the-round views of prison cells, judges' chambers, victims' living rooms. The site is accessible two formats, Flash and HTML. The Flash format requires special software: Explorer 5--Netscape does not operate--Quicktime 4, and Flash 5. (Once I entered the site it became impossible to back out of it to previous Internet locations.) There are several principal sections: "Stories" presents first-person narratives by inmates, guards, judges, lawyers, and victims or their families, accompanied by audio from the National Public Radio "Prison Diaries" series and 360-degree views of their living/working spaces. "Dynamic Data" contains interactive quizzes on crime, with other data under construction. A timeline offers a concise history of the development of the Anglo-American criminal justice system, going back 1300 years. There is a dialogue section with public commentary and discussion, including postings by female inmates of Rikers Island. Resources include an annotated reading list, videos, a curriculum guide, links, and a searchable glossary of historical terms. Geared for the layperson, an informative and engaging resource for secondary schools or freshman seminars.

Author of Annotation: A. Carson