The Marshall Project: The Language Project
Reporters and editors have long believed that terms such as “inmate,” “felon” and “offender” are clear, succinct and neutral. But a vocal segment of people affected by the criminal justice system argue that these words — and any other words that define human beings by their crimes and punishments — are dehumanizing.
The Language Project serves three purposes. First, through a series of powerful pieces by and about people with intimate experience with incarceration, we show the human impact of the words we choose. Second, our guide, “What Words We Use — and Avoid — When Covering People and Incarceration,” makes public our decision to avoid labels such as “inmate,” in favor of language that follows the logic of “person-first” language. Third, we provide alternatives to the labels.
They can call me everything but a child of God. I want relief not altered euphemisms.
JoelM, we are all creations of God. We do not become children of God until we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. We have to be ready to justify ourselves on judgment day if we have failed to do that when we had the opportunity. I would be offended if someone told me that I was not a child of God. We have many politicians today who will be in shock when they find out that they are not who they think they are.
I do not identify as a sex offender…the State and Federal governments classified me as such against my will.
I resent the term “sex offender” because it is in the present tense. I was once convicted for possession of CP, but I am not currently a sex offender. The language project is correct in that terminology creates perceptions. I noticed they still used the term sex offender. I think I’ll send them a courteous email.
Veritas.
There is a ton of truth to what the Language Project shares. Years about (circa 2005) I was working for a company as a manager with hiring/firing responsibilities. We did not have a formal HR but did try to stay current with what a formal HR person would do. In that effort, I was invited to attend a lecture on the concerns of hiring persons who are sex offenders. I was about 5 years on the registry and over 2 years off supervision. My GM asked if I wanted to attend in his absence as I was probably the most up to date on the subject.
The lecture was given at UNF and there were about 100 persons present. The “expert” was a Lawyer with years as a Prosecuting Attorney. He started doing lectures when he realized how so many HR persons were placing their companies in peril by hiring individuals who were SO or SP. The expert started the lecture by stating “I will be using the term Sexual Predator or Predator intermittently with Sex Offender or Offender, but I want everyone to realize that there is little to distinguish between these terms or individuals assigned them”. (Not an exact quote but pretty close). I saw the heads of all in attendance nod in approval. My hand went up fast and I interrupted the speaker.
I shared there is a clear difference between the terms he used and to mix them with no concern, either means he has no idea what the difference is or is ok with sharing incorrect information. The HR person needs to understand where the difference is and what is needed, if anything, to protect the company they work for.
The speaker spent the next few minutes trying to get back on what his comment track was and I kept raising my hand and correcting his misinformation. He finally said Lets take a 10 minute break and reconvene. As I stood up I was surrounded by about 15 HR reps who wanted to hear what was missing from the lecturers perspective. I spent the 10 minutes and a few more sharing/answering questions. When the lecturer returned he started with I was correct. The difference needs to evaluated by each individual company.
If I were not present how many incorrect lessons would have been “learned”? Propagated? How many company policies would have been put into place based on the wrong information? The Language Project focus on words can hurt deeply is well founded.
Al,
I’m curious if that presenter updated his lecture at later appearances. If not, the concerns in your concluding paragraph remain.
I hate to disappoint those who use labels to identify people, as I consider the source driving such people and thank God I’m not driven by the same demon. As my dad used to say…”Call me anything except late for dinner’.
I noticed in a recent article on the border crisis …or …term dejuer… concern was expressed about how many drug dealers, criminals, terrorist and sex offenders were coming in…REALLLY…sex offenders have their own special place in the litany of dangerous persons?
Politicians LOVE using destructive and demeaning language to instill fear into the voting public. Fear creates destructive laws and violent law enforcement responses.
Women Against Registry is in the midst of a 12-month moratorium against derogatory words. Why? Because legislators are puppets-on-a-string. A representative here in Missouri who is a doctor by profession told me that he wanted to do the right thing but many of the legislators depend on that income as that is their only income and they have nothing to fall back on. They are puppets because they react to public opinion. This is not our concept but came out of the Americal Psychological Association in 2018. So if you begin speaking in different terms and don’t say things that activate the reptilian brain it will begin to make a difference.
Hi Vicki. Totally agree. We should add that civilly committed persons should be called something else. I favor “detainees”. I especially object to Kansas “sexually violent predators” which quite destructive
Those in civil commitment should be called “prisoners” or “inmates.” That is exactly what they are. They were sent there by a judge and/or jury. The only differences between them and prisoners are that they were not charged with a new crime and their sentence is indefinite (by design).
FAC is already ahead of the game. When they told me to not refer to myself as a sex offender, but as a registered citizen, I did that. And now I use that term when discussing my status, and it makes a huge difference in how I see myself. I know deep down who I am today, but using the correct language reinforces it. And it takes the power of the negative terms away from those who oppose us.
Not taking away from FAC because they are a great organization, but I’ve been trying to stop people from saying “sex offender” since 1999. Actually 1999. I didn’t try extremely hard, or I’d like to think I’d have gotten better results!
I was one of the first people saying “Registered Citizen” but I’ve really come to dislike that term. It just sounds way, way too legitimate and legal. Maybe “Registered Partial Citizen” or “Registered 3/5ths Citizen” would be okay.
Personally, I’m a “Person Forced to Register”. Nothing else.
Related to that, if people keep saying “PFR” over and over and over again, and nothing else, eventually most people will stop saying “sex offender”. The only people still saying it will be the few thousand knuckle draggers left. Those “people” aren’t fixable.
I hope that the registered citizens in Florida…and for that matter around the country…realize just how fortunate they are to have such an organization as Florida Action Committee to speak up for and represent one of the most suppressed groups of citizens in the United States.
Only problem is even the Marshall Project still uses “sex offender” even in this article as an example of how to address us.
Derek. What is this Marshall Project some MacGyver tooth pick stunt or hunt. Get real either one was talking to a teenager or they weren’t. Now who is telliong the truth or who is not? Who know’s the thoughts and intent of another. Sure we can all play games but the registry is some medievil torcher in a computer game of chess if you want to call the move…. Checkmate.
I went to Marshall… Oh yes their is a Marshall University and it is named after John Marshall who was cheif Justice of the Supreme Court. So were is Justice today my man. Could it be some gin rummy scheme or a bad poker deal of the cards.
One wonders who was caught in adultrey or who was casting the first stone. Sure who was harassing who or who was actually talking to a teenager. My dad didn’t teach me to play with fire but we all have to defend something. Life is not a game of cards where the deck is stacked against the enemy or who is the enemy or the devil in blue jeans today. that carries a tin badge. Where is justice in the courtroom today?
They say talk is cheap but true justice is standing up for the right thing for many. One for all and all for one.