Jonathan Simon writes this article with an aim of ending mass incarceration that was rampant during his time. Simon believes that mass incarceration leads to both torture and degradation of human dignity. However, modern correctionalism and the likes of rehabilitation curbs the problem associated with mass imprisonment, providing a more decent place for prisoners. Some institutions may fail to embrace human dignity, but the emergence of Red Cross in 1860 showed concern for humanity that everyone wanted. Prisoners from California are tortured, but only a few people know it, but the majority believes that prisoners suffer less than the mistake they have committed. Still in America, prisoners are no respected as human beings, and no one is there to sympathize with them, and people focus more on violence committed over human dignity (Jonathan, 2014).
There are a thousand and one challenges of mass incarceration to prisoners. Apart from the loss of human dignity, prisoners are at a high risk of contracting diseases such as chronic illnesses as a result of toxic incarceration. In the call for mass incarceration termination, dignity proves to be the most sensitive issue, followed by equality on the basis of color. With time, the modern correctional tradition was created by the courts to include rehabilitative philosophy to create new demands for prisons. To make it even more interesting, Obama criticized mass incarceration and called an end to it. Mass incarceration has been caused by racial discrimination, but the best thing is to come up with a movement that looks into both dignity and racial justice. Prisoners protested against isolation incarceration, showing that they were concerned about their respect for human dignity (Jonathan, 2014).
The argument is clear and organized. The author argues on the need to call off the mass incarceration and shows why he thinks it is good for it to be called off. He argues that mass incarceration lowers human dignity, but the authorities do not understand it. As a matter of fact, even the society does not understand that human dignity is degraded when a prisoner is confined in a place with a thousand more prisoners. Almost everyone thinks that the crime itself committed is more valued than the dignity of a person, and this is demoralizing.
The evidence is well presented in this article. The main argument in this article is to call an end to mass incarceration. The article has highlighted the dangers associated with mass imprisonments, such as degradation of human dignity, hunger, and failure to manage the prisoners well. Also, prisoners are likely to contact diseases such as chronic illnesses and HIV/AIDs, and this may increase their death in prisons rather than transforming them. Therefore, the evidence is well presented as it shows a sense of honor because it has given evidence of what happens to prisoners, calling for the end of it.
The argument is logic and makes sense. The motive of imprisonment is to transform a person who has turned out to be a nuisance to the society. They should be taken to the rehabilitation centers to change their behaviors as well as their ways of thinking. However, sending them to mass incarceration is not a solution to their problem, and they may never change. In fact, their ill behavior may increase because if someone was imprisoned for murder, he or she might get even better chances to kill other inmates.
The argument is in line with what I know about the topic. I do not recommend mass incarceration because I believe it is not good, not only to the prisoners but also to the state. The argument to end mass incarceration is to endorse justice, both in human dignity as well as race, and that is paramount in maintaining the peace of the country.
The audience in the subject is the judges and authorities from legal actors who are responsible for imprisonment. Judges make decisions of the accused according to the magnitude of the mistake. They send the accused to prisons, yet they are well aware of the population of the cells, even after lawyers requesting them not to send the accused to jail. Judges are addressed to be realistic if they opt to send the accused to the prisons.
The argument is fully convincing. The call for mass incarceration to end is after a review of how human dignity is taken for granted. The authorities and the society do not realize the kind of harm they impact to the prisoners, yet they are human beings who would love to be respected. Prisoners even decide to protest against isolation incarceration, after realizing that no one cares for them. The argument is later supported by President Obama, who calls for the end of mass incarceration and gives relief to the prisoners (Jonathan, 2014).
The argument is conventional. The argument is meant to endorse the rights of human beings. All human beings deserve respect, regardless of who they are, where they are, or what they have been accused of. Again, human beings deserve respect regardless of the color. Racisms are one thing that brings division, and because the author believes most of the mass incarceration is dictated to blacks, it can only be prevented by saying no to mass incarceration.
References
Jonathan, S. (2014). Mass Incarceration on Trial: A Remarkable Court Decision and the Future
of Prisons in America. New York. The New Press.
