1. Thesis
The United States leads the world with mass incarceration, with over 1.9 million
people currently in local, state, or federal detention facilities. The enormous misdemeanor
system, which accounts for about 25% of the daily jail population, leads to longer
sentencing for minor crimes, endless restrictions after being released and can increase
crime.
2. Main Heading One
Longer sentencing for minor crimes.
a. Minor offenses with major consequences.
With over 13 million misdemeanor chargers annually across the American criminal
justice system, these lower-level chargers help account of a quarter of the daily jail
population. While these charges may sound less intrusive, they can come with a host
of problems for the defendant. Most charged with misdemeanors are not offered
counsel and may feel pressured to take a plea deal.
b. Reclassification of America’s charges
With zero flexibility, criminals are classified as felonies or misdemeanors. This
system can pull low level crimes deeper in the system and have a negative impact.
Improving how the classification system works can help shrink the jail population.
3. Main Heading Two
Endless restrictions after being released.
a. Imprisoned freedom. A false sense of living free.
After being release from jail or prison, some feel as if they are still behind bars.
Depending on the crime, some newly released inmates face struggles with housing,
jobs, voting, and other liberties they had before they went to jail. To add to the stress,
some are required to pay court fines, monitors, and their stay in prison.
b. Forgiveness from a biblical point of view.
I will use this subpoint to cover the biblical worldview on forgiveness. God has so
much to offer us and others. Forgiveness plays a pivotal role for Christians, and I
believe it can do the same for the criminal justice system.
4. Main Heading Three
Potential to increase crime.
a. Higher incarceration rates could cause crime to increase.
More people in jail and prison should mean less crime, but that doesn’t seem to be the
case. Better jobs, schools and community seem to have a more positive affect on
crime over high incarceration rates. The opposite may be true, the higher the prison
population the higher the crime rate.
b. Long term prison sentences may have the reverse affect.
Punishing criminals with extended sentences may provide them with skills to become
better criminals versus better citizens. Behavior is more likely to be influenced by
other criminals and not rehabilitation programs. The death penalty and long-term
prison sentences do little to deter criminals.
References
Sawyer, W., & Wagner, P. (2023, March 14).>Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2023. Prison
Policy Initiative. https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2023.html
Correa-Buntley, T. (2021, July 21).>FACT SHEET: Rethinking America’s Laws: Felonies &
Misdemeanors. Generation Progress.
https://genprogress.org/fact-sheet-decriminalize/index.html
Miller, R. J. (2020, December 30).>How Thousands of American Laws Keep People
“Imprisoned” Long After They’re Released. POLITICO.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/12/30/post-prison-laws-reentry-451445
Christian Standard Bible
Explainer: Incarceration Rates vs. Crime Rates. (2021, May 24). Interrogating Justice.
https://interrogatingjustice.org/ending-mass-incarceration/explainer-incarceration-rates-
vs-crime-rates/
