Tyler Olpin

Prison
The article When Prisoners Protest was written by Wilber Rideau, a
former prison inmate who spent forty-four years in prison for manslaughter.
He was released from prison, he has written and book and writes many
articles. This article was published in The New York Times in the opinion
pages on July 16, 2013. When Rideau wrote this article there were protests
going on in a prison in California. Inmates were going on a hunger strike for
improved conditions. The author wrote this article using these protest and
examples of other prisons to show people that something needs to be done.
He wrote this article so the educated readers of The New York Times would
see it, the general public, prison authorities, and people who can make a
difference.
Rideau starts his article by explaining some of the situations that
inmates face in prison. Then he talks about the protest that was currently
going on in the California Department of Corrections and how a large portion
of the inmates involved arent even affected by the issue that they were
protesting. He then talks of his time in prison and solitary confinement and
how awful it was. He explains how protests could be simply prevented and
gives examples of a prison in Louisiana that functions this way. He concludes
his article by explaining his concerns about inmates because often times
after they experience the harsh conditions of prison they are not stable
enough to function properly in society among us and our loved ones.

When Prisoners Protest appeals to the readers emotions as it

explains the unethical situations and processes that occur in prison. The
author also effectively uses logos and ethos to support his ideas. The way
the author explains his claim and makes supporting points is overall very
effective. The organization was very smooth and his voice works in his favor,
but his position of being a former inmate for a majority of his life may cause
some readers to question his credibility.
The author appeals using pathos in many ways. First he talks about his
experience along with some others in prison and how solitary confinement
drove him mad and how nobody should have to go through that. He stated
that solitary confinement is the cruelest thing you can do to a person, it
made him paranoid, depressed, and sleepless. Rideau recalls in his article
how one year when he was in prison he counted the 358 rivets that held his
steel cell together, over and over again just giving his mind something to do;
the walls felt like they were closing in on him. Anyone that reads that, even if
they dont feel sorry for him, can at least understand how trapped and how
he must have felt and how more that forty years of that kind of treatment
would just be so miserable that its almost impossible to comprehend it
unless you have experienced it. He also talked about how the prison
authorities would never listen to any of the inmates even though the
demands of the inmates were often reasonable ones.

Then Rideau appeals to logos as he describes a prison in Louisiana that

functions very well where they allow responsible inmates to partner in
managing prison problems. It has gone from being one of the bloodiest to
one of the safest maximum security prisons in America. This is where Rideau
actually served most of his time at this prison so he has first-hand
experience of the operations and how effective they are.
Towards the end of his article, Rideau makes an important appeal to
ethos. In the last paragraph he explains why readers should be concerned
about the inhumane conditions of prolonged solitary confinement. He states
that solitary confinement deteriorates the social, emotional, and mental
conditions of the inmates and every year they are released directly from the
vacuum of their cells into free society, to live and work among you and your
loved ones. He concludes his article with this statement: As a matter of
self-preservation, maybe we should all join the prisoners request for
rehabilitative opportunities that will improve the mental health of those in
solitary displaying his serious concern on the issue. He has credibility
because he experienced prison himself for over forty years and didnt only
see the effects of prison treatment on him, but he witnessed everybody
around him.
The organization of the article was very effective for persuading the
readers, it flows from subject to subject and they all connect very well. He
first plays on your emotions and almost in a slightly threatening way he

warns you about inmates being released who might not be stable enough to
function in society. Rideau uses a very serious and concerned voice
throughout the article that is also very effective especially since he has
experienced it all first hand and knows what prisoners face every day. The
authors position may also work against him for some readers understanding
that he has been in prison before and may be perceived as offering a biased
opinion. But I think his voice and position will be effective for a large majority
of the intended audience, considering that he has already been released
from prison and that he writes on this issue for the benefit of everybody and
the preservation of the general public.