Forming
an Opportunity Belief
Belief:
A Prison reform act must be put in place, giving non-violent criminals a second
chance at life outside the federal system
Does a
mother of two kids deserve a life behind bars for dealing a single kilo of
cocaine to provide for her family? Does a young man brought up in an under privileged
community deprived of social and economic funding with no choice but to adjust
to his surrounding deserve to rot in prison simply because he was too afraid say
no? Does a naïve 20 year old woman deserve to be locked up for 15 years because
she was dumb and in love with a man who made her keep a pound of marijuana in
her trunk. Many people will assume if you are in prison, that you deserve to be
there and I could not disagree more. Today’s justice system is constantly locking
up first time offenders and non-violent criminals for decades to life,
completely milking tax payer dollars. While many prisoners indeed do the crime
and must serve the time, many are doomed to rot away without a well deserved second
chance. Jail overcrowding is a systemic issue
in jails across the United States which affects the overall rehabilitation of
prisoners. Citizens are forced to give a
percent of their taxes to prison systems which is suppose to be used to help
the prisoners live comfortably while behind bars. Overcrowding is mostly caused
by the justice system continuously putting non-violent criminals in jail. While
serving time is usually necessary, serving decades for petty thefts, small drug
charges and other non-violent crimes is unnecessary and a complete waste of tax
payer dollars. This has been an issue for centuries in federal prisons.
Recently, steps are being taken to prevent criminal injustice through news
stories, journalism and even social media platforms. Bringing this issue to
light and making others aware of what is actually going on can hopefully
increase the chances of giving these prisoners a second chance at life.
Laramie Caceres, Business owner, 41
Do you
think there is a need for a Prison Reform Act? Why?
Yes.
It is harsh to prosecute someone for first offense and I do not agree with a
first offender being sentenced the same as a known offender
How long
have you felt this way about a Prison Reform Act?
About
10 years
Do you
think the federal system has always experienced this problem or do you believe
this is a recent issue?
I
believe it started with the Reagan Era. About 30 years ago.
How can
you, as a citizen, help put a reform act in place?
Voting.
Do you
believe a reform act will better our society or worsen it?
I
believe this question is up for debate. Freeing every offender is probably not
the best idea but those who have proved themselves to be someone who can ultimately
contribute to society, it would be a good idea to set them free. Prisons have
programs that allow prisoners to prove themselves inside.
Gisela Laurent, Judge, 41
Do you
think there is a need for a Prison Reform Act? Why?
Yes,
because right now its not fulfilling its purpose of reformation for the inmates
and it is costing too much tax payer dollars
How long
have you felt this way about a Prison Reform Act?
15 years
Do you
think the federal system has always experienced this problem or do you believe
this is a recent issue?
I definitely think it is not new.
I believe its been an issue for more than 10 years.
How can
you, as a citizen, help put a reform act in place?
Making sure to vote and speaking
with my legislature
Do
you believe a reform act will better our society or worsen it?
I think there has to be
consequences but I think their could be a more effective way to go about the
situation. There are defiantly better choices that are not being explored for non
violent offenders.
Andre Correa, Student, 20
Do you
think there is a need for a Prison Reform Act? Why?
Yes,
because I believe the system is unfairly sentencing under privileged people at
a higher rate.
How long
have you felt this way about a Prison Reform Act?
1
year
Do you
think the federal system has always experienced this problem or do you believe
this is a recent issue?
Always
How can
you, as a citizen, help put a reform act in place?
Vote
for Prison Reform
Do you
believe a reform act will better our society or worsen it? Why?
Better
it because more people can be free and citizens are saving their money
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