https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2017/02/05/why-should-free-violent-criminals/HK8zo5OMtsMjhhQuXySuDM/story.html
This article was written by David Scharfenberg for The Boston Globe. Scharfenberg is a graduate of Brown University and was responsible for covering events such as the 2013 Boston mayor race and the 2014 governor-race. This particular article highlights the flaws in the American prison system. The Author argues that many of the problems come from the treatment of violent offenders, and he proposes new changes to the system. The Author makes it clear in the beginning that a quarter of the world's prisoners are in America (only 5% of the world’s population) and that prison populations are higher now than in 1970, despite crime rates being much lower.
One way the author argues his claim is with facts. Firstly, he dismisses the idea that the overpopulation of prisons is due to the war on drugs. He presents a statistic that shows only 20% of prisoners being drug offenders. He even says “Free them all tomorrow, and the United States would still have the largest prison population in the world.” Perhaps the best statistic he uses for arguing his point is the fact that prosecutors were twice as likely to seek jail time for the offender in 2008 than in the 1990s. However, the author uses more than just data, he uses anecdotes. He tells the story of Christopher, who stole 30 computers, and his prosecutor who let him off the hook. Christopher went on to earn a college degree and when he saw his prosecutor at an event he hugged him and said, “you changed my life.” This story demonstrates the need for opportunities for redemption for prisoners.
The author’s argument is very effective. Not only does he identify the problem and the source, but he explains how it can, and should, be solved. One cannot argue neither the data nor the instances of redeemed prisoners that Scharfenberg references. He shows that it is time for America to let the condemned redeem themselves.
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