Running head: CHANGES IN OVERCROWDED PRISONS 1

Changes in Overcrowded Prisons

Jacqueline I. Garcia

RWS 1302
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Changes in Overcrowded Prisons

Many different changes can be done to avoid having overcrowding jails or prisons but

what The changes include having less dangerous criminals in private prisons or changing the jail

time for drug incarceration penalty, etc. There has been changes. Where some worked, and some

didn’t but in this genre analysis, we’ll be talking about which ideas might have better chances at

succeeding in this situation. In this paper we will be analyzing an article that gives some

examples on how can overcrowded jails can be fixed and what specific changes would be better,

and a video about private prisons and use and the benefits it brought to the inmates and

government.

The article “How to Fix Overcrowded Jails” written by Lee Simmons provides the

audience with enough background information on things that have been done. But also, his

personal opinion and estimates on a certain jail population and how it would benefit that certain

one. The video “Private prisons help with overcrowding, but at what cost?” is published by PBS

NewsHour which provides viewers with an understanding of how private prisons work and how

they are managed

Audience and Purpose

Although these genres are not the same, both are looking at the same problem, changes in

overcrowding prisons. The audience for both either want to learn more about this issue or want

to counter argue why these changes shouldn’t be done because of money. The author of the

article which is Lee Simmons is using actual statistics and numbers from a specific prison to

evaluate and come up with an average of how much would the government have to spend and

benefit from. But most importantly on how much of the population in prisons decrees. On the

other hand, the video published by PBS NewsHour is talking about a change that has always
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been made. Which is moving certain prisoners such as less dangerous ones and ones who have to

serve less time in private prisons; a correctional institute. The purpose of the video is to provide

more knowledge to an audience and for them to have a better understanding on how the issue is

being worked with.

Both the article and video are just trying to inform the audience on how this problem of

overcrowding can be changed. The genres also show examples of how it can change or how it is

already changing in these private prisons. Both audiences can find either article or video on the

internet if they choose to want to learn more about it or also see what negative impacts it can

have as well.

Structure and Delivery

My first genre is considered typography and it is way different than Iconography in many

ways. This article is written and structured in a very eye-catching way. The article starts off with

a very large picture of inmates behind bars. Then it goes on with different paragraphs with bold

titles throughout the article. It also has the same font and form of writing, the only thing that varies

is the size of the wording in certain paragraphs and the location of the pictures. The video starts

off with a quote describing the importance of free speech then goes into countless studies facts and

questions for the audience. The video on the other hand is structured as a televised interview. The

news person is asking questions to the people from this certain facility and then turns into narration

when they are showing statics, documents or picture of the inmates. Both genres are structured

different and have different examples but are trying to solve the same problem.

Ethos
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I believe both the article and video established good credibility. The article establishes

credibility by having different types of information and statistics about this topic. The article is

also published from the Graduate School of Stanford, which gives it a trustworthy credibility.

What adds more credibility is that this author uses the links to each source he uses throughout the

article, enables us to click on it, where it will take you to the official paper being quoted. As for

the video, it establishes its credibility by being posted from a news network called PBS

NewsHour. Also, they are not only quoting the warden from the video and officials but showing

footage when they are asked and what they answered. There is no hearsay at any point of the

video.

Pathos

Both genres established enough pathos throughout their information. The article uses

facts on how In California “In 2011 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that conditions in California’s

teeming prisons constituted cruel and unusual punishment and ordered the state to reduce its

inmate population by 25%.” I believe he sues this to catch his audience attention and see how

they aren't treated fairly as well. The difference in the video is that it's not necessarily fully

presented but it shows how inmates are progressing in this private facility. As well as getting an

education and bettering themselves. This startled an emotion of sympathy at least from my point

of view. But not only that less crime and less violence is happening but that equals to less

inmates being hurt.

Logos

Both genres provided facts and statistics. The article provides studies, research and

stimulations backing up their argument. For example, they say that “For every such permutation,

they ran 1,000 simulations, each replicating a time span of more than five years.” they weren't
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coming up with random numbers and percentages of the actual populaption. The video also

provides documents and statistics, but the stronger factual information is talking to specific

people form this certain facility. For example, they talk to the warden named Craig Apker of this

correctional institute that has been working for them.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both the article and video achieved having their points made and explained

and both the article and video have enough information and background knowledge on this topic,

establishing credibility. I believe the video was more effective in having more proof on how that

change can help because they are showing how positive it was well as negative consequences.

The article was also very good on credibility because of all the research and background

information given but I believe the video was better.

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References

PBS NewsHour (2017, June 24). Private prisons help with overcrowding, but at what
cost? Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOfrk_Km-7k

Simmons, L. (2016, March 16). How to Fix Overcrowded Jails. Retrieved from
https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/how-fix-overcrowded-jails