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5 pages
Argument Essay Assignment
Argument Essay Assignment: For this assignment, be sure to clearly state a position in the thesis and clear, logical reasons in topic sentences. A refutation is OPTIONAL and would be the 3rd or 4th body paragraph. Only a properly constructed refutation paragraph will receive FULL CREDIT. Students should be mindful of their organization and transitioning. Be sure to illustrate reasons with logic and evidence from
Just Mercy and ONE source (article) from the school library.
Helpful resources on Bb in NOTES and VIDEOS:
The Notes on Argument
The Notes on Refutation
The Notes on the Dos and Don’ts of Researching
YouTube Argument Videos (Intro to the Argument Essay; Counterclaims or Refutations; How to Write an Argumentative Essay; How to Write an Essay: Evidence and Citations)
Write an
outline, an essay and a Works Cited page on the following topic:
We have been delving into the criminal justice system reading Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson this semester. For your argumentative essay, choose any claim (be sure not to choose an inarguable fact!) from Stevenson’s book. Once you have chosen your claim, your task is to agree or disagree with the claim, show why you think it IS or is NOT true. For example, you may decide to focus on women in prison, and select “Poor women have also been criminalized for other kinds of ‘bad parenting’” (202). Or you may choose to focus on “We’ve given up on rehabilitation, education, and services for the imprisoned because providing assistance to the incarcerated is apparently too kind and compassionate” (15). You could also choose to focus your essay on Stevenson’s idea that juveniles sentenced to life in prison should have constitutional relief under the 8th Amendment (223) or his assertion that “the opposite of poverty is justice” (17). Whatever claim (be sure it is a claim, not a fact! you choose, explain why you think it’s true or not.
Essay Requirements:
· – 850-950 words in length, typed –
5 full paragraphs (5 including the FULL CREDIT refutation)
· – Use
Just Mercy and ONE relevant article from the school databases
. No other sources may be used (except the
60 Minutes video or
15 to Life Kenneth’s Story documentary if you wish)
· – An
outline, including ideas for support (text quotes included) is required.
· – An effective, organized refutation is optional and will receive FULL CREDIT ONLY if
constructed effectively.
· – Students are required to properly integrate and cite in-text (and include a works cited page that includes your two sources, the book and the library article)
Properly use the quotation process: provide context, introduce, cite, and explain/connect
quotation to the main idea.
· – Proper MLA conventions: margins, font, spacing, heading, etc.
· – Use all MLA stylistic conventions and to properly document the novel in-text as we have
studied in class.
· – Include an
original title centered at the top of the essay.
As this is academic writing, please remember to use a certain level of formality in your writing. You may use “I” for this essay, but:
avoid slang, clichés, texting language, contractions, “you,”: “we”; “This quote means”; “This proves”; Weak word choice like “things,” “stuff,” interesting,” “good,” “bad.”
· – Any evidence of
plagiarism will result in earning a zero for the essay, which endangers failing the course. If your essay is plagiarized, it will receive a zero, without exception.
Sample outline to fill-in with your topic material
Thesis: indicates a selected claim for the book and your position on it
Bp1 – ts. Reason – why you think the claim is true or untrue Gives ideas for support
details
Just Mercy novel? PG #
Article?
Bp2 – ts. Reason why you think the claim is true or untrue Gives ideas for support
details
Just Mercy novel? PG #
Article?
Bp 3 – refutation TS Some critics might point out . . . Give ideas for support
details
Just Mercy novel? PG #
Article?
Conclusion
Works Cited (Example)
Rakoff, Jed S. “Guilty Before Innocent.”
Nation, vol. 315, no. 10, Nov. 2022, pp. 36–40.
EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=159884887&site=ehost-live.
The Perceived Role of the Criminal Justice System
The criminal justice system aims to acknowledge, identify, educate, and punish for the well-being of the greater community. Criminal law serves as a guide to limit human actions and protect them from illegal behaviors. The central perception of the criminal justice system is that it is designed to deliver justice to all without discrimination. Author of
Just Mercy Bryan Stevenson argues that “[p]resumptions of guilt, poverty, racial bias, and a host of other social, structural, and political dynamics have created a system that is defined by error (WHAT ERRORS?), a system in which thousands of innocent people now suffer in prison” (20). I agree with this argument because it is true that our current criminal justice system fails to maintain justice and equality. Today, our criminal justice system fails to meet its perception of fairness. People hope that if they bring their case to the criminal justice system, their cases will be fairly judged. Nevertheless, in reality, these decisions are being made based on the racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and political statuses of individuals. The criminal justice system fails to play its perceived role because presumptions of social, economic, and political differences exist across society. – PEOPLE ARE ARRESTED UNFAIRLY, WHY? DELVE INTO REASONS
FOCUS ON RACIAL REASONS. ADD QUOTE FROM BOOK. Social presumptions which are affecting the role of the criminal justice system in protecting human rights include poverty, racial and ethnic bias, and the social status of individuals. (INCLUDE QUOTE FROM BOOK ABOUT RACIAL DISCRIMINATION). In our criminal justice system, white Americans are getting priority over black Americans regardless of who is guilty. Courts decide to favor the white majority, leaving millions of innocent black people in jails. Black people are wrongfully convicted because their race is being used as a discriminative factor. Poor people also suffer in prisons because they cannot fight for justice. Poor people usually get involved in drug offences to fulfil their needs. Although these people are doing offensive behavior, rehabilitation and education in prisons and government support to give them jobs could help. A quote from the book, Political–“We have given up on rehabilitation, education, and services for the imprisoned because assisting the incarcerated is too kind and compassionate” (Stevenson 19). (Injustice, reason for arrest, conditions in prison, lastly, lack or rehabilitation). This means that the criminal justice system will not provide rehabilitation, education, and services for the imprisoned. How could such people become a part of society after ending their sentence? Poor people who are involved in crimes need counselling and rehabilitation to get out of it. The death sentence is not a solution, even when there is a way in between. Sentencing and not hearing their claims is inequality in the justice system. The criminal justice system is perceived as a transparent and equality-based system in which everyone is equal. However, the system is separate for the majority rich and minority poor.
FOCUS ON SOCIOECONOMIC REASONS. ADD QUOTE FROM BOOK. Economic presumptions affecting the criminal justice system’s role in protecting justice include unemployment, income inequality, human capital, and inflation. People in a community are stratified based on their income status. Lower classes face considerable societal challenges compared to the elite (McDonald et al.). For example, a poor man cannot stand steady in court to fight for justice because the process is too expensive to afford. A system is created in which value is for money and power. Humans and their rightfulness are not considered in the criminal justice system. Rich and elite people can control judges and lawyers in the court, which results in prisons for the poor. Millions of poor people are suffering in prisons despite their crimes not being proven. Our prisons are holding millions of innocent people who are trying to get out of poverty and unemployment. There is a reverse relationship between economic and crime rates. Under good economic conditions, the crime rate falls, showing that most people commit crimes to fulfil their economic needs. Through guidance and community services, the crime rate could be reduced; wrongful conviction is not the only solution. Our criminal justice system should focus on flaws and gaps which cause an increase in crime rate. Providing employment and basic needs to citizens would be a good and sustainable move instead of spending on prisons. According to a quote from the book, $good for business”Private prison builders and prison service companies have spent millions of dollars to persuade state and local governments to create new crimes, impose harsher sentences, and keep more people locked up so that they can earn more profits” (Stevenson 20). What if this money could be spent providing food and houses to citizens who are financially stuggling? The criminal justice should be aware of such intentions to maintain justice in society because focusing on public services, housing, education, and health could minimize the crime rate in society.
Politics and the criminal justice system are interlinked at many points. The structure of political institutions in a society shapes the performance of the criminal justice system. The involvement of politics is also negatively affecting the criminal justice system—for example, racial politics design policies and norms supporting majority races and degrading minorities in society. Norms and policies created under racial politics will control and punish the black population without reason. This is how politics of fear and pressure come into existence and affect public perception of the criminal justice system. Politicians pressure lawmakers and judges to make their desired decisions by using their position as a reference. This is how our criminal justice system fails to meet public perceptions and maintain a just and equal social system (Stevenson). It is a system created by an error in which innocent people are suffering in prisons and criminals are free.
–REBUTTAL—opposite of thesis: REBUTTAL MISSING
To conclude, I agree with the argument from the book that the current system is created by an error in which there is no concept of equality and rightfulness. The criminal justice system is perceived as a distributor of justice, equality, protection, and well-being for the community. However, based on the current system, it is evident that the criminal justice system fails to meet its perceived role. There are social, economic, and political presumptions that affect criminal justice’s role in our society.
Works Cited
McDonald, Kris, et al. “Reducing Justice System Inequality.”
The Future of Children, vol. 28, no. 1, 2018, pp. 10–65. Accessed 18 January 2023.
Stevenson, Bryan.
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption. Random House Publishing Group, 2014. Accessed 18 January 2023.
Outline
I.
Thesis: The criminal justice system not being able to play its perceived role, existence of presumptions of social, economic, and political differences across society
II.
Body Paragraph 1:
Social presumptions affecting the role of the criminal justice system in protecting human rights include poverty, racial and ethnic bias and social status of individuals, the very same presumptions affecting decisions by the criminal justice system (McDonald et al.)
III.
Body Paragraph 2:
Economic presumptions affecting the role of the criminal justice system in the protection of justice include unemployment, income inequality, human capital, and inflation; stratification of people based on their income status (McDonald et al.)
IV.
Body Paragraph 3:
Interlinking of politics and the criminal justice system are interlinked; the structure of political institutions in a society shaping the performance of the criminal justice system; political involvement affecting the criminal justice system negatively (Stevenson 20)
V.
Conclusion
I strongly agree with the argument that the current system is created by error; absence of equality and rightfulness
VI.
Work Cited