A common misconception is that upon release from prison ex-convicts reform their lives. Unfortunately, this is not true, criminals who enter prison tend to leave worse off than before they were incarcerated. A study conducted by Chris Haney, a researcher from the University of California, Berkley reported that, “prolonged sentences are a product of political manipulation rather than actual responses to threats of public safety” (Friedmann). Basically stating that we should punish criminals harshly and make as much profit off them as possible. This completely goes against the idea that long periods of incarceration suppress criminal behavior and keep the public safe from supposed threats. Another study demonstrated that, “extensive periods of
