- Introduce the topic, and enter the conversation using Alexander, and Stevenson quotes from their books.
-Convicts never really regain full citizenship after serving their sentences.
-Prison systems have a terrible effect on their prisoners that often leaves them worse than when they entered
-Convicts receive no help at any stage that could help them become functioning members of society after serving their sentence
-The amount of convicts who revert back to old ways/habits, thus keeping them in the prison system is staggering
Possible crux: The American Criminal Justice System does not offer much assistance in allowing citizens to re-enter society, or rehabilitation services for the trauma of jail. But it is proven by statistics that when these things are offered, convicts tend to get their lives back on track, and stay out of jail after serving their first sentence. Does the fact that the criminal justice system STILL isn’t offering any of these things consistently say about their intentions?
Thesis: I think it alludes to the fact that because of the profit received from prisons, the system thrives off of keeping convicts in it. While Eileen Fisher believes that all of american society is failing convicts by not offering assistance, I’d like to specifically call out the government, and heads of the criminal justice system for their absence on this issue.
- Trauma inside prisons and penitentiaries takes a very negative toll on the prisoners, which affects a plethora of aspects of their well-being.
-Living conditions are bad, and promote bad habits, and unhealthy outlets
-Forced, unpaid labor is often implemented instead of job training, counseling, and educational courses, which have worked with prisoners in the past (Sean Miller)
-All this causes deep emotional, physical, and psychological trauma that makes it easy for convicts to slip back into old habits and troublesome ways.
- The situation waiting for convicts when they get out of jail sets them up to easily end up right back in a prison cell.
-Government restrictions awaiting prisoners outside of jail: buying homes, voting, getting jobs with criminal records, overall disapproval and rejection by society (Louisiana high # of restrictions from article)
-When rehabilitation services, and assistance are provided to prisoners (job skills training, education, counseling, therapy, etc), statistics (Miller, Fisher) show that the amount of convicts who remain out of prison systems increases significantly. Yet most state, and federal prison systems fail to implement these systems that would help keep convicts out of trouble and out of their cells.
- The profit received by the higher powers of the criminal justice system may explain their failure to implement services and methods that are proven to be effective?
-Bibas states that the change in purpose of prisons in society has sparked the issues we see today with the criminal justice system. This shift from a system that was designed to punish as a lesson to make the person a better citizen upon returning to society, to more punishment for profit is very problematic in Bibas’ eyes.
-Find Statistics about revenue of prisons both private and government run? See what they suggest about thesis?
- Counterarguments revolve around the fact that prisons and convicts are so well removed from society that people simply don’t care enough to have sympathy for convicts.
-Michelle Alexander talks about how prisons are often strategically placed in isolated areas. This causes people to almost forget about convicts as they serve time.
-Others may remember, but simply don’t care. The general statement is the concept of free choice: “They chose to do the crimes. They got themselves into this mess without our help, so they should be able to get out of it without our help”(Bibas?).
-However a lot of the situations of these criminal help push them towards their criminal actions (products of their environments). DO NOT SPEND MUCH TIME ON THIS TOPIC, STAY ON TRACK.
-Maybe bring in Stevenson’s quote about needing mercy to end rebuttal?
- Conclusion paragraph:
-Restate key points
-Restate crux
-Restate thesis
-Review reasons, and possibly important evidence
