The Us Correction System Persuasive

I. Introduction

A. Attention Getter: "Prisoners are crammed into spaces neither designed nor intended to house inmates. As many as 200 prisoners may live in a gymnasium, monitored by as few as two or three correctional officers. As many as 54 prisoners may share a single toilet." (California's Toxic Prison Conditions)

B. Relevance Statement: As time passes, more people are being incarcerated.

C. Credibility Statement: According to Crime State Ranking, from 2002-2003, the state prisoner incarceration rate increased 1.7% in California alone and continues to rise. From 1990-2009 it went from 97,309 to 168,830. (Dept. of Corrections, 2009) This does not include the inmates we send out of state because of overcrowding like my cousin.

D. Thesis Statement: Our Correction system does not work and fails to fulfill its intention.

E. Preview of Main Points: Today you will learn the problem we have in our correction prisons, why we keep having the problem, and how we can fix it.

Transition: In order to fix a problem we must know what the problem is.

II. The Body

A. The Problem

1) Our jail facilities are overcrowded, therefore not fulfilling their purpose. In Corrections in the 21st Century, it states that 4 out of 7 of our largest local jails in California are capacitated over the 100% level or limit.

Transition: Not only must we be aware of what the problem is, but we must understand what causes it.

B. Cause

1) There are too many laws to take into consideration when it comes to sentencing a delinquent. With mandatory minimum sentences, judges and administrators have no leeway to release inmates to lessen the census. (SHaRC)

2) Our recidivism rate is high. In 2006, more California parolees returned to prison than any other state in the nation. During this time, 70 percent returned within two years and 10 percent of the 70 percent returned six or more times over a seven-year period (Duffey) In December 2009, 9.5% of men and 10.6% of women parolees returned to prison for violating their parole conditions and parolees returned pending a parole revocation hearing. 25.2% of men and 18.4% of women parolees returned with a new felony committed. (Dept. of Corrections, 2010)

Transition: Now that we know the problem and what causes it. What can we be done to fix it?

C. Solutions

1) Laws can be reviewed. Changing laws for non-violent crimes, property crimes for example, should be changed.

2) In order to decrease recidivism rate, one, the parole system