Daniel Hanek

Speech 1100
Speech # 3 Persuasive speech

INTRODUCTION:
I. Attention Getter: While we dont see it in our day to day lives, a growing problem in the US today is
how unbalanced our prison system is.
II. This is a problem because taxpayers like us are the ones paying for this mess, when there can clearly
be a more efficient way to handle crime and incarceration in the US. How? By focusing on
rehabilitation of non-violent inmates rather than on punishing of them.
III. Propositions and reasons: Today Im going to go over what I feel is the two main reasons US prisons
need reform, and what I believe is the best solution for that problem, which is

A. The expense of incarcerating prisoners in the US.

B. A high recidivism rate because felons cannot reintegrate back into society.
C. Focusing on education of non-violent prisoners, rather than punishing them.
BODY:
IV. Its expensive to incarcerate someone.

A. The cost to incarcerate someone in the US today has increased more and more. And with over
half of the prisoners being rearrested its a vicious cycle that costs taxpayers more money.

1. Prisons have become overcrowded. According to the Illinois Department of Corrections in

2012 (Accessed in November of 2017), the 25 adult correctional facilities operated by the
state of Illinois are supposed to have a capacity of roughly 32,075 inmates. But, they have
are currently holding around 48,887 inmates. Thats 16,812 inmates over the capacity. So,
state prisons are operating at almost 150% capacity.

2. Overcrowded prisons mean expenses go up. Needing to provide food and basic necessities
for prisoners can become more and more expensive, things like healthcare and bedding add
to the list.

3. More contact between prisoners increases risk as well. Violent inmates might be put in the
same room with old enemies and cause fights to break out, so additional security and
background checks are needed to prevent fights inside the facility.

B. Secondly, the cost per inmate is increasing

1. With more people being arrested, more people are getting sucked into the prison system.

2. According to the Illinois Department of Corrections in 2012 (Accessed in November of 2017),

it costs roughly $21,000 a year to incarcerate a person in Illinois. But that doesnt include
employee healthcare, employee benefits, pensions and capital expenses when that is
added into the expenses the cost goes up to $38,268 per inmate.
3. With the burden of already overcrowded prisons, the cost per inmate is steadily increasing
per year, making it harder and harder to keep a system like this stable.
TRANSITION: So why are prisons becoming overcrowded? The answer is because most people who go to prison,
end up coming back to prison.

V. Recidivism rate in the US is high because felons cannot reintegrate back into society properly.

- Before I go on I should explain what exactly the recidivism rate is, which is: a person's relapse
into criminal behavior, often after the person receives sanctions or undergoes intervention for a
previous crime.

A. The first reason why recidivism is high in the US is because you lose many rights once you
become a felon.

1. According to J. Hirby, a reporter investigating felons rights in 2013 (accessed November of

2017), some of the most common rights lost or severely reduced by a felony record include:
Traveling abroad, the right to bear arms or own a firearm, jury service, employment in
certain fields, public social benefits and housing, and parental benefits.

B. Another reason felons cannot reintegrate back into society is because its hard for them to find
a job, especially a career.

1. Research has shown that having a history of incarceration reduces a workers chance of
being hired by 15 to 30%. With already reduced odds compared to non-convicts, a 15 to 30%
drop makes it exceptionally hard for ex-felons to find work.

TRANSITION: So how can we fix this? How can we make it easier for ex-inmates to reintegrate back into society
and get out of this vicious cycle? I believe a solution can be found by focusing on education while in prison,
rather than purely on punishment.
 VI. Education Over Punishment
A. A great example of this that is currently happening in New York with a program known as
Hudson Link.

1. Hudson Link is an organization that provides college education, life skills and re-entry
support to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated men and women to help them make a
positive impact on their own lives, their families and communities. Their actions result in
lower rates of recidivism, incarceration and poverty.

2. According to Hudson Link in 2011 (accessed in November of 2017), at the cost of $60,000
per year to incarcerate a single person compared to the $5,000 in annual tuition fees to
educate them, Hudson Links programs have saved New York State taxpayers over $21
million per year.

3. Not only does educating ex-convicts save money, it also helps keep crime down by giving
them ligament jobs instead of having to revert back to crime to make a living.

B. Hudson Link gives access to college education and helps graduates find a job afterwards as well.

1. According to Cyril Josh Barker, a reporter investigating the Hudson Link program in 2011
(accessed November of 2017) he said, In its 13 years of operation, Hudson Link has granted
over 240 associate and bachelor degrees to inmates in New York State alone.

2. Also, according to Barker in 2011 (accessed November of 2017), Hudson Link has also
assisted more than 60 alumni upon their release in finding employment, and graduates have
a 0% recidivism rate.

3. Its clear that more programs like this are needed throughout the country. Although, if
prisoners do not cooperate with the education program or do not put forth effort, it can be a
waste of time and money. So, making sure the inmates chosen for the program stick with it is
important.
CONCLUSION:
VII. So to recap on what I have discussed today:
A. My first point was that it is becoming more and more expensive to incarcerate someone in the US
today.
B. My second point was that recidivism rates in the US are high because felons cannot reintegrate
back into society properly.
C. And my third reason was prisons need to focus on education and rehabilitation of non-violent
inmates rather than purely punishing them.

VIII. Closing Statement: Clearly, programs like Hudson Link work. They are effective at highly rehabilitating
prisoners back into society. A 0% recidivism rate is way better than a 60% recidivism rate, which is what the
US averages today. Its clear to me, and hopefully to all of you after listening to my presentation that US
prison systems need reformation in the next decade to better handle the influx of prisoners, and to spend
way less of our tax dollars. Thank you.
 Work Cited

Barker, Cyril Josh. "Hudson Link Cutting Down on Recidivism." New York Amsterdam News,

vol. 102, no. 45, 10 Nov. 2011, pp. 33-40. EBSCOhost

Drum, Vance L. "The Faith Factor: Prison Culture Transformation through Religious

Efforts." Corrections Today, vol. 79, no. 6, Nov/Dec2017, pp. 11-90. EBSCOhost.

Hawkins, David. "An Educational Pipeline for Inmates." Journal of College Admission, no. 237,

Fall2017, pp. 17-18. EBSCOhost

Hirby J. What Rights Do Convicted Felons Lose? The Law Dictionary, 2013.

Jackson-Green, Bryant. Crowded House: Illinois Costly Prison Problem. Illinois Policy,

criminal justice, Jul. 2015.