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Alexis Price Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1102 21 January, 201 Topic Proposal: Prison Systems do More Harm than Good Introduction/Overview As a psychology ma!or, I am extremely intereste" in ho# en$ironment e%%ects our actions an" ho# "i%%erent people "e$elop "i%%erent beha$iors& I "eci"e" to narro# my interests "o#n to ho# the criminal system repro"uces crime an" is a constant rein%orcement o% stereotypes an" po$erty& In the criminal system, many in"i$i"uals that shoul" be place" in a mental health institutes, are sent to prison, gang members are groupe" together un"er one roo% an" a recor" causes the con$icte" to be out o% luc' #ith %in"ing a !ob& (hen you enter the prison system, you are automatically put on the )blac'list* #hen applying %or any !ob& +usinesses "on,t #ant criminals& It "oesn,t matter i% you #ent to !ail %or "rugs or i% you #ent to !ail %or manslaughter, a recor" is a recor"& -his hin"ers criminals %rom becoming upstan"ing citi.ens& (hen they can,t ma'e money %rom a real !ob, they start selling "rugs or stealing to %ee" their %amily, so the cycle continues& A ne# stu"y "one in 201/ has come out #ith statistics that pro$e that the number o% mentally ill 0me"icate" an" not1me"icate"2 prisoners, currently in a "etention center, has 3ua"ruple" o$er the years& (e are no# starting to see ho# being in prison4!ail is causing mental illnesses, as #ell, such as anxiety an" "epression& 5ang acti$ity is e$ery#here in our countries an" in others& -hrough the prison system, the #orst o% the #orst members are !oine" together an" they recruit ne#comers that enter !ail&

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(atching sho#s such as )6oc'"o#n*, a t$ sho# about all o% the happenings insi"e o% "i%%erent prisons across the country, has sho#n $ie#ers that aren,t 'no#le"geable in gang li%estyle, !ust ho# serious the gangsters are& In prisons, they smuggle "rugs, or"er 'illings, an" expan" their group& I% you #eren,t part o% a gang #hen you #al' into prison, you #ill be in one #hen you #al' out& -he gangs are the only real %orm o% protection against other prisoners %or the gangsters& (ith the gangs, the stereotypes an" "iscrimination4separation continues, as #ell& 5angs are split up base" o%% o% color, such as, (hites, Mexicans, Asians, etc& -o learn about my topic be%ore #riting this proposal, I ha$e rea" textboo's, ta'en a corrections class, an" #atche" "ocumentaries on the prison systems& I ha$e rea" articles online about the "i%%erent #ays #e can re%orm the system an" opinion blogs %rom people on i% it is actually possible& I ha$e al#ays ha" an interest in this topic, #hen I %irst came to Charlotte, I #as a pre1criminal !ustice ma!or, but I ha$e no# s#itche" to psychology& +eha$ior an" en$ironment are so important in un"erstan"ing people an" situations so this topic %ascinates me& I also "iscusse" "i%%erent topic i"eas #ith some %rien"s an" %amily members an" they all agree" that I shoul" stic' #ith this topic& -his topic is al#ays "ebateable an" is easy to ta'e an opinion on& Many people belie$e that prisoners "eser$e e$erything they get in !ail an" #e shoul" gi$e them less rights& 7ome, li'e me, belie$e that some )prisoners* are punishe" entirely too harshly an" in other cases such as rape an" mur"er, the punishment shoul" be harsher& 8$erall, most people agree that society,s tax money going to#ar"s prisons an" paying %or prisoners is outrageous but ho# to re%orm the system is a topic that many people ha$e many "i%%erent $ie#s on& A lot o% people !ust aren,t a#are o% ho# the system really is !ust a $icious crime cycle an" some belie$e po$erty has a huge

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role in that& 7ome belie$e that you are )born ba"*, i% youre a 'iller, youre e$il& 8thers belie$e that nurture an" en$ironment an" sometimes mental illness can change someone into a )'iller&* http:44###&hu%%ingtonpost&com4201/40240 4mental1illness1prisons1!ails1 inmates9n92:100:2&html http:44###&uno"c&org4uno"c4en4!ustice1an"1prison1re%orm4prison1re%orm1an"1 alternati$es1to1imprisonment&html ;et%lix

Initial Inquiry Question s! <o# can #e change the prison system in or"er to ma'e it more rehabilitating, rather than a recurrent crime cycle= <o# "oes the prison system cause more harm than goo"= Is there a #ay to %ix the system or #ill it al#ays be a $icious cycle o% learne" beha$ior an" po$erty=

My Interest in this Topic I am extremely intereste" in this topic& I use" to #ant to be a criminal psychologist an" #or' in the prison systems #ith criminals& I #ante" to 'no# #hat ma'es their brains tic' an" ho# they got to #here they are& -hrough my initial curiosity in the sub!ect, I "isco$ere" a lot o% t$ sho#s an" articles about all o% the many problems o% the prison system& I am all about psychology an" beha$iors o% people so I %eel that I ha$e a "i%%erent ta'e on prison than most people& I belie$e that prisons are the #orst places to sen" real har"ene" criminals, all it "oes is pro"uce more o% these type o% people& I 'no# about all o% the stu%% I put in my intro"uction o% my

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topic& I hope to learn more about each o% the things I put in my intro"uction& I 'no# the basics o% the chaos o% prison an" I #oul" li'e to learn all about it an" become an expert& "e#t Steps I #ill continue to #atch the t$ sho#, 6oc'"o#n, to hear real prison stories %rom real prisoners an" get a better %eel %or #hat they go through an" ho# their pre$ious li%e #as& I am going to rea" more articles online about the "i%%erent re%orms possible an" people,s opinions on each type o% re%orm I #ill rea" blogs an" real accounts o% people #ho ha$e been through the prison system an" see ho# it has change" them, %or better or %or #orse&