Read The Following Academic Paper And Identify What Makes th

Read The Following Academic Paper And Identify What Makes the Paper Read the following “academic†paper and identify what makes the paper weak. What fallacies can you spot, and what questionable evidence do I use? After identifying such weaknesses, what advice would you give me? America’s Prison Problem: Why Longer Prison Sentences are Ruining America For too long America’s prisons have functioned under the same guiding principle: longer sentences reduce crime, keeping criminals behind bars, away from the country’s vulnerable and law-abiding population. After analyzing the data, however, one cannot help asking how true this belief is? Are America’s streets actually safer thanks to longer prison sentences, or are we deceiving ourselves as a nation, due to an unwillingness to challenge long held ideas? Regardless of their crimes, prisoners are known to grow increasingly resentful and violent while incarcerated. A study published in the 1966 issue of Journal of Crime shows that “ex-felons who have been locked up for five or more years are very likely to commit further crimes after being released back into society†(Watson 12). This trend has continued into the twenty-first century, as seen by the countless grim headlines shown in our newspapers. Experts around the nation agree as well. According to my colleague, who has volunteered in prisons since 1982, prisoners with shorter sentences have an easier time reentering society and holding stable jobs. To further support this claim, many online blogs state that prisoners with shorter sentences are viewed as less threatening by potential employers and family members, thus making the transition from prison to society smoother. Because many employers are unwilling to hire an individual who has been out of the workforce for an extended period, shorter sentences mitigate this risk and benefit both parties: the employer can hire a new worker, eager to start a fresh life, and the ex-inmate can enter a new career, rather than being barred from the workforce as a result of their long-term sentence. As artist and performer Kanye West states, “Prisons make bad criminals even worse†( Rolling Stone 67). Government officials and judges would be wise to take this quote into mind when handing down sentences and drafting new laws. Many prisoners, guilt-ridden and repentant, want nothing more than to leave the confines of prison to right their wrongs and show society who they really are. “I can’t wait to leave here and begin working again,†Phil Long, inmate of Pelican Bay Penitentiary recently told me during a phone interview. “I’m afraid the longer I’m here, the angrier I’ll get. I’m afraid I won’t be me after a while.†The threat is clear: while incarcerated, prisoners gradually become more bloodthirsty, scheming of ways to