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Corey Dunn

Professor Bowley

English 123

31 March 2018

Research Proposal: Prison Reform

Introduction

Mass incarceration in the United States has become the highest rate of imprisonment in

the entire world. Currently today the number of men and women imprisoned top over 2.2 million

in prison, jail, or on probation. As the number of people incarcerated continues to grow, the

prisons that hold them have reached maximum capacity and now are becoming overcrowded. As

overcrowding continues, the concern now facing prisons include higher rates of violence, lack of

substantial health care, and inhumane living conditions. Additionally, the cost to care for

prisoners has become a problem that has demanded the attention of lawmakers to implement

reform policies to reduce budget spending and take a more humane approach to how America

treats it prisoners.

Solutions to Mass incarceration

The implementation of prison reform has allowed bipartisan alliances to create solutions

for remediation to the ever-growing problem of mass incarceration. I propose to examine these

policy solutions being presented to congress on prison reform, and how these policies will affect

the justice system by introducing alternative methods to incarceration and strategies on reducing

recidivism. Through this proposal, I will explain the sources used, a history of mass incarceration

and reform, concluding with my thesis and design for the research project. The research I found

was very informative and vast relating to the current problem of incarceration. I utilized several
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forms of searching from Google scholar, to the Annie Gabriel library one source and database,

which I was able to find journals relating to mass incarceration as well as reform. Of those

scholarly articles, I found Todd Clear and James Austin journal titled Reducing Mass

Incarceration: Implications of the Iron Law of Prison Populations Confronting the Cost of

Incarceration which was a very informative and well put together research article about mass

incarceration. I was also able to find newspaper articles through sites like National Affairs, The

Washington Examiner and The Economist. National Public Radio was another great news source

however, was not current with the happenings in prison reform, yet can be useful in the history

area of my research project. Every article touched on the topic of African American incarceration

and its excessiveness however, best seller The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander gave a

more descriptive idea of the severity of the justice system as it relates to the bias presumed

within it.

History and Resources

I will start the history in the 1970’s which is where the initial surge of incarceration

began. During this time, the notion of rehabilitation shifted to long sentences and isolation from

society. Prior to 1970 the rate of incarceration remained stable and at an average of 314,000 as of

1979. It was during this time that the “tough on crime” objective became the pivotal point in

incarceration rate increase. With increases in policing and longer sentences, prisons began to

overflow with offenders (Lehrer 19). The surge of prisoners grew even larger during the 1980’s

with President Ronald Regan’s introduction of the “War on Drugs” created an influx of offenders

being incarcerated at an alarming rate and sentencing began implementing life terms. The idea

was to incapacitate the criminals so that they do not prey on society (Lehrer 22). Eli Lehrer was a

useful source of historical information as well as explaining the increase in incarceration rates.
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Additionally, Michelle Alexander’s New York best-seller, The New Jim Crow was able to give

many historical facts regarding the initial start of the “tough on crime” laws and the “war on

drugs” of which catapulted incarceration by nearly 500 percent in a 20-year span. Furthermore, I

researched a scholarly article by Lila Keizeman and Jeremy Travis titled Forgotten Prisoners

which gave additional historical information as well as statistics on incarceration increases

throughout the last 20 years. While Keizeman and Travis’s main objective is to discuss Life

sentenced prisoners, the journal has many key studies and statistics. The articles and Journals

collected will allow for me to follow a history account of how mass incarceration began and the

different reforms through history that were implemented to restructure the prison system.

Another key point to mention is the failures of some reform policies that had no effect on

recidivism.

Effects of Mass Incarceration

The history of reform has changed countless times and shown promise in some instances.

With the many problems facing the prison system, there is a need for many different areas of

reform needed. One policy reform that was of importance was the Prison Rape Elimination Act

of 2003. While the Act initially was ineffective, it made the Prison Rape Commission propose

zero tolerance and clear reporting guidelines for inmates. As a result, the rate of rape began to go

down. Lehrer suggests this Act to be implemented throughout the prison system to remedy the

severe problem of rape. The PREA has been effective in reducing the rape problem. I feel that

this act should be implemented nationwide as a measure to potentially eliminate the occurrence

of rape crimes in prison. California, who has one of the nations highest rates of incarceration in

2011 approved Proposition 47 which re-classified low-level felonies to misdemeanors releasing

some 3,000 prisoners (NPR). Reform has allowed for Republicans and Democrats to come
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together to repair the dismayed system. Democrat Dick Durbin and Republican Mike Lee

Proposed the Smarter Sentencing Act of 2013 which would give judges more discretion to

sentence non-violent criminals below the so-called mandatory minimums (NPR). In my

evaluation of this reform, I feel that certain sentences need change based on the severity of the

crime. Mandatory minimums and three strikes laws have been unjust in the sentencing process

for crimes like minor drug charges and petty theft. By allowing the judges to make

determinations on these crimes can reduce the possibility of such harsh sentences.

Policy Solutions

Today, the current issues of policy are being restructured and argued in congress from

two different perspectives. One key area that needs a better structure is the problem of

recidivism. Too often, many criminals released from prison return to crime which results in them

being taken back into the prison system. Billionaire industrialist brothers Charles and David

Koch are investing millions of dollars to research how to help former prisoners re-enter society

in Texas and three other states (Svitek, n.d.). The Koch brothers plan to overhaul the criminal

justice reform and to work with the Trump administration in getting their policies to the national

level. Their Safe Streets and Second Chances initiative is designed to help former prisoners re-

enter society and reduce recidivism. The program’s partners include the Texas Public Policy

Foundation, the Austin based conservative think tank that has been working to advance criminal

justice reform through its “Right on Crime” project (Svitek, n.d.). Chuck Grassley the senate

judiciary committee chairmen, Senate Minority Democrat Dick Durbin and Utah Republican

Mike Lee helped to create legislation for the sentencing reform bill that would reduce the

mandatory sentencing for non-violent repeat drug offenders and eliminate the three strikes
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mandatory life in prison provision that critics say increased the nations prison population

(Cohen).

Opposing Arguments

It is important to know that there are opposing arguments on the topic of justice reform.

Attorney general Jeff Sessions who while senator of Alabama displayed a tough-on-crime image

who opposed reductions in mandatory minimum sentences. As attorney general, Sessions has

ordered federal prosecutors to pursue the most serious charges against criminal suspects.

Sessions also was on record arguing that Grassley’s reform legislation was a “grave error given

that would lighten the sentences for highly dangerous cohort of criminals including repeat

dangerous drug traffickers and those who use firearms” (Cohen). While Sessions appears to

disagree with the notion of minimizing sentencing, Donald Trump appears to be in agreeance

with the measure to create a better system with the hopes of reducing recidivism and helping

former prisoners productive, law abiding members of society (Svitek, n.d.). I refute the idea of

creating harsher sentencing given the fact that it does not help in the rehabilitation aspect of the

prison system. This idea only furthers the overcrowding problem and raises the cost to care for

an already stretched budget on prison expense. The criteria will focus on causation of mass

incarceration and the need for reform to reduce the severe problem of overcrowding and violence

within the prison system. Though a vast amount of information regarding mass incarceration

and prison reform has been obtained. Further current affairs relating to the subject matter are still

needed. Continued research to fill in the gaps of information will be pertinent to the project.

Thesis

With the problem of over-crowding and the consequences that result from this problem to

include violence and rape which are all direct results of the tough on crime mentality in the
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justice system I will argue the need for responsible prison reform in the justice system that

relates to the problem of mass incarceration and how it has become a severe problem on a

national scale. I will analyze the history of the prison system and the reasons incarceration grew

to nearly 2.2 million offenders in over three decades. I will argue the severity of the problems

plaguing the prison system that relate to the surge of incarceration and the violence within the

prisons that is due to overpopulation. Additionally, I will argue the policies being proposed on

alternative measures that can be implemented to reduce the volume of offenders incarcerated for

non-violent crimes and focus on logical rehabilitation and reduction of recidivism for ex-

prisoners re-entering society.

The purpose of this argument is based on the policies that have torn families and

communities apart and have resorted to harsh and inhumane practices with no intention for actual

rehabilitation and reduction of recidivism. Although attorney general Jeff Sessions view of

stricter laws on criminals can possibly reduce the crime and drug problem in America, it is

important to realize that the continued incarceration rates will increase the states budgets and

funding to provide care for the prisoners. Conversely, By Implementing reform that not only

reduces the degradation inmates are subjected to, it can also help in the reduction of violence by

creating zero tolerance regulations on problems such as rape which has been proven to reduce

the rate of rape crimes in the prison system. Additionally, eliminating mandatory minimums and

three strikes life in prison laws will have the greatest impact in the reduction of prison over-

crowding.

Project Design

The design that will be used in the multimodal project will possibly be in the form of a

news radio style report or a news article in the likeness of a CQ research report. Given my
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background in voiceover, I think that creating a news report will be a highly effective and

persuasive platform for the audience. I also contemplated a video in the form of a show like the

Late show with John Oliver, minus the comical aspect. I have the potential to create either of the

two given that I have software readily available to have these platforms created. I will also

attempt to gather interviews with lawmakers if time permits this ability and they themselves have

the time to lend, which I think will add an additional level of persuasive argument on the project.
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Works Cited

Alexander, Michelle, and Cornel West. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of

Colorblindness. New York: New Press, 2012. Print. Accessed 15 March 2018

"A Win for Dignity" The Economist. 26 May. 2011 33-34. web. Accessed 23 March 25, 2018

Clear, Todd R.; Austin, James. "Reducing Mass Incarceration: Implications of the Iron Law of

Prison Populations," Harvard Law & Policy Review vol. 3, no. (Summer 2009): p. 307-

324.

Johnson, Carrie. "With Holder In The Lead, Sentencing Reform Gains Momentum" npr.org

Morning Edition, 7 Aug. 2013. Web. 23 March 2018.

Kaizeman, L. Travis, J. Forgotten Prisoners: "Imperative for Inclusion of Long Termers and
Lifers in Research and Policy" Criminology and Public Policy 14.2 (2015): 355-395

Print. 25 March 2018

Lehrer, E. "Responsible Prison Reform." National Affairs 35. (2013): 19-35. Web. 23 March

2018

National Research Council. 2014. The Growth of Incarceration in the United States: Exploring

Causes and Consequences. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. web. 24

March 2018

Prison Reform: "Are too many nonviolent criminals being incarcerated?" CQ Researcer by CQ

Press (2007): Web Accessed 24 March 2018. http://library.cqpress.com?cqresrre2000704

600

Svitek,P. 2018 Koch network targets Texas in push for prison reform in Trump era: Texas

Tribune. (2018) Web. Accessed 31 March 2018. https://www.texastribune.org/

2018/02/01/koch-network-targets-push-prison-reform-trump-era
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