Staci Evans
Instructor Jennifer Caro-Barnes
ENGL 1302
November 8, 2015
Mapping the Issue: Rethinking Crime and Punishment in America
The United States has the dubious distinction of having the highest incarceration rate in the world. A shift in prison policies over the past few decades has received most of the blame. In response to high crime rates, politicians did not want to seem "soft on crime" and enacted policies such as lengthy sentences, mandatory minimums, and "three-strikes" laws. Along with this shift in policy came a shift in the nature of the prison itself as incarceration rates skyrocketed: are prisons for punishment, or are they for rehabilitation? Which approach serves the greater good of society? A bloated incarceration rate goes hand-in-hand with a bloated prison budget, to the amount of $80 billion dollars annually. As taxpayers, we have a desire for our tax dollars to be spent wisely, and we should be concerned if the current justice system is really serving our society 's needs. Additionally, we should be worried about the safety of our neighborhoods when the …show more content…
Schenwar 's sister was a drug addict, in and out of prison several times for drugs. Each time her sister was released from prison, Schenwar expected her to come out reformed. However, she would immediately turn back to drugs. In her opinion, the environment of a jail or prison is "counter to any type of real healing that could happen." The very act of being locked in a "cage" is destructive to an individual. Upon release, convicts aren 't usually able to support themselves on their own, putting a strain on families and communities. She acknowledges the complexities of the issue, but is most interested in starting a conversation in the search for alternative solutions to the current prison
Instructor Jennifer Caro-Barnes
ENGL 1302
November 8, 2015
Mapping the Issue: Rethinking Crime and Punishment in America
The United States has the dubious distinction of having the highest incarceration rate in the world. A shift in prison policies over the past few decades has received most of the blame. In response to high crime rates, politicians did not want to seem "soft on crime" and enacted policies such as lengthy sentences, mandatory minimums, and "three-strikes" laws. Along with this shift in policy came a shift in the nature of the prison itself as incarceration rates skyrocketed: are prisons for punishment, or are they for rehabilitation? Which approach serves the greater good of society? A bloated incarceration rate goes hand-in-hand with a bloated prison budget, to the amount of $80 billion dollars annually. As taxpayers, we have a desire for our tax dollars to be spent wisely, and we should be concerned if the current justice system is really serving our society 's needs. Additionally, we should be worried about the safety of our neighborhoods when the …show more content…
Schenwar 's sister was a drug addict, in and out of prison several times for drugs. Each time her sister was released from prison, Schenwar expected her to come out reformed. However, she would immediately turn back to drugs. In her opinion, the environment of a jail or prison is "counter to any type of real healing that could happen." The very act of being locked in a "cage" is destructive to an individual. Upon release, convicts aren 't usually able to support themselves on their own, putting a strain on families and communities. She acknowledges the complexities of the issue, but is most interested in starting a conversation in the search for alternative solutions to the current prison