Should prisons focus more on rehabilitation instead of retribution
Order Instructions:
Select a topic on which your persuasive writing paper will be focused.
Write a one to two (1-2) page research proposal in which you:
1. Identify the topic you selected and explain two (2) reasons for using it.
2. Include a defensible, relevant thesis statement in the first paragraph.
3. Describe three (3) major characteristics of your audience (official position, decision-making power, current view on topic, other important characteristic).
4. Describe the paper’s scope and outline the major sections.
5. Identify and explain the questions to be answered.
6. Explain your research plan, including the methods of researching and organizing research.
7. Document at least three (3) primary sources and three (3) secondary sources. Use credible, academic sources available through Strayer University’s Resource Center. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting guidelines:
• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
• Recognize the elements and correct use of a thesis statement.
• Write a research proposal that states the claim and scope of the research project.
• Outline the main sections of the research project.
• Devise an ordered research plan to obtain appropriate resources.
• Write clearly and concisely about selected topics using proper writing mechanics.
• Use technology and information resources to research selected issues for this course.
Click here to view the grading rubric for this assignment.
SAMPLE ANSWER
Should prisons focus more on rehabilitation instead of retribution
The research will focus on investigating whether prisons should shift their focus more from punishing prisoners to rehabilitating them instead. The reasons for selecting this topic are as follows: first, over 70% of prisoners re-offend within a period of just 3 years after they have left jail, usually with a more serious and cruel crime (Kane, 2013). Secondly, over 90% of prisoners go back to the community after just a few years and therefore it is crucial how they are treated whilst they are imprisoned (Opperman, 2014). Thesis statement: prisons should focus more on rehabilitating the inmates rather than focusing more on punishing them.
The main characteristics of my audience include the following: (i) political leaders in the United States – they can make laws and legislations which mandate prison facilities to rehabilitate inmates instead of punishing them. (ii) Prison leadership and officials: these are the individuals who run prison facilities across the country. While some are government employees running federal or state prisons, others are actually business people who operate private prisons. (iii) Current viewpoints on the subject/topic: while some members of the audience are in support of rehabilitating convicts instead of punishing them, some audience members think that prisoners should be punished for their deeds, not rehabilitated. At the moment, heads of prison facilities in the country are generally more in support of punishment and not rehabilitation of convicts. Many of these officials maintain that it is not possible to rehabilitate some inmates for instance serious criminals like child molesters, rapists, and serial killers. They believe that criminals should go to prison to be punished and that if they are taken to prison for rehabilitation, then the facility would not be a prison anymore, but a rehabilitation centre (Lawson, 2015). According to prison officials, offenders have to be punished and prisons serve this purpose of punishing them.
Regarding the scope of the paper, the research paper would be inclined toward supporting the view that prisons should focus more on rehabilitating convicts and not focus more on punishing them for their deeds. Even so, arguments from various parties against rehabilitating convicts and which support punishing them would also be presented objectively. The main sections of the research paper are as follows:
1.0 Introduction,
2.0 Significance of Research
3.0 Review of Literature
4.0 Research question and objective
5.0 Research methodology
6.0 Results and discussion
6.1 Views that prisons should focus more on rehabilitating prisoners rather than punishing them
6.2 Views that prisons should focus more on punishing convicts rather than rehabilitating them
7.0 Conclusion.
In the proposed research, the following research question would be answered?
- Should prisons focus more on rehabilitation of convicts than retribution?
This research question will help to determine the thoughts and viewpoints of members of public regarding this topic. Their perspectives may be helpful in reform efforts aimed at reducing the high rates of recidivism. Prisoners are typically individuals that have been overlooked or even discarded from youth onwards, have had little education or encouragement, have been told many dismissing words by other people, and putting them in jail where all their moves and words are monitored may be regarded as punishment enough (Kane, 2013). By punishing them in this manner, there is likelihood that they would still return to prison after their release since they have not been rehabilitated.
With regard to research plan, this would be a mixed research study in which both quantitative and qualitative methods would be employed. Quantitative questionnaire surveys with closed-ended questions and qualitative interviews with open-ended questions would be utilized in data collection. A total 210 participants would be enlisted and the questionnaires would be sent to 200 of them online to complete. The remaining 10 participants would be interviewed. Furthermore, focus groups would be used to collect data. Secondary sources of data would include journal articles from electronic online databases, previous research on the subject matter, and government reports.
References
Kane, S. (2013). An Interview with the Most Rehabilitated Prisoner in America. Litigation, 39(3), 16-23.
Lawson, C. (2015). Does Imprisonment Work?. Legaldate, 27(2), 9-11.
Opperman, G. (2014). Change Your Prison, Change Your Outcomes, Change Your Community. Economic Affairs, 34(2), 224-234. https://www.doi:10.1111/ecaf.12068
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