Week 9 RJA

Week 9 RJA

Argumentative Paper Thesis:

Research Question: Are kids who go to jail more likely to re-offend than those who get probation?

Precise Claim: Kids who go to jail are more likely to re-offend than those who get probation. 

Reasons/Blueprint: 

·        Jail is a punishment but, it doesn't teach any lessons.

·        Probation gives you more "real life" experience with resisting temptations.

·        Probation officers can also serve as counselors.

·        Once juveniles are in the system they may never get out.

·        People who are in jail often get out and don't know how to function in the real world; this could be very detrimental for a child.

Thesis: Juveniles who do jail time are more likely to not re-offend than those who are given the alternative sentence of probation because once juveniles are in the system they may never get out and after being in jail people often get out and don't know how to function in the real world; this could be very detrimental for a child. 

Argument:

Research Question: Are kids who receive probation more likely to re-offend than those who go to jail?

Thesis: Juveniles who receive probation are more likely to re-offend than those who are given the alternative sentence of jail time because 

4 Reasons:

·        Probation isn't really a punishment; jail is,

·        Many kids offend because of  a lack of structure in their lives; jail teaches structure.

·        Jail is often the punishment for a second or third time offender for whom probation was not successful.

·       If jail were the standard punishment it may scare some kids aware from offending at all.

3 Objections/Counterarguments:

·        Probation also teaches structure. It requires very intensive monitoring and surveillance which can teach responsibility and accountability. 

·        Some kids make once in a life time mistake that they will never make again. These types of offenders will not benefit from jail therefore, it should not be the "standard" punishment. 

·        Historically the juvenile justice program in the United States was meant to serve as a rehabilitation program rather than a program geared towards incarceration. We shouldn't try to fix something that isn't broken.