We affirm the resolution that In the United States criminal justice system, only people convicted

of violent crimes should be sentenced to prison.

Definitions:
Convicted: according to the Oxford dictionaries is Having been declared guilty of a criminal
offence by the verdict of a jury or the decision of a judge
Violent Crimes: as according to the National Institute of Justice is defined as a crime in which a
victim is harmed by or threatened with violence
Prison: according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, prisons are run by the state or federal
government and typically hold people with sentences of more than one year. In contrast, jails are
locally operated and hold inmates for less than one year

Framework:
As the main purpose of the criminal justice system is to instill justice, not just to the victims but
the criminals as well, the consequences cannot only be considered from the victim’s point of
view. Thus if we prove that by only sending violent criminals to prison is more morally justified
for both the victim and the criminal not only in the short term but also in the long term, then we
should win this debate.

Observation:
As the resolution only states that ONLY people convicted of violent crimes should be sentenced
to prison, it only means that criminals who have committed nonviolent offenses cannot be
sentenced to prison, not that all violent criminals MUST be sentenced to prison.

Contention 1: Nonviolent criminals being sent to prison is not morally justified

Subpoint A: Not morally justified for most nonviolent criminals
According to a study done by the Brookings Institute, out of all ex-prisoners upon their release,
only 55 percent reported any earnings, with the median earnings being $10,090. Of those with
earnings, 4 percent earned less than $500, 32 percent earned between $500 and $15,000, and
only 20 percent earned more than $15,000. While a very small portion of nonviolent criminals
may have committed sever crimes, that is not the majority. The majority of nonviolent crimes,
for example theft, are not as severe as they do not put the physical wellbeing of anyone in
danger. Though it may seem completely morally correct to detain a thief in prison, the
consequences that follow the convict are not morally justified. A prison sentence is meant to be
morally equivalent to the crime committed by the criminal, and while that may be true, the
consequences which follow, such as societal discrimination and the inability to support
themselves if far from morally justified and may even cause them to turn to crime again.

Subpoint B: Prison sentences are immoral for victims

When considering what is morally correct for victims, we must not only consider the losses of
the original victim, but future victims as well. As most nonviolent crimes are less severe than
violent crimes and can have a connection to the economic standings of the criminal, the problem
can be solved. In the United States, Within three years of release, about two-thirds (67.8 percent)
of released prisoners were rearrested. And Within five years of release, about three-quarters
(76.6 percent) of released prisoners were rearrested. While during time of detainment, the
prisoner cannot afflict any harm to any more victims. However, as prisoners are not detained
forever, when they are released back into society, more than 76.6% will cause future victims.

Contention 2: Prison is ineffective at dealing with nonviolent criminals

Subpoint A: Alternative methods
As we can already see in out subpoint b of contention 1, the rate of recidivism upon release is
extremely high, while being able to contain prisoners for the duration they are detained, they
would go out and violate the social contract further upon release. One of the largest reasons for
this is due to the fact that there is no moral “role model” in prison. Those sent to prison do not
have someone to look towards as a socially correct and just character, they are only exposed to
others who have committed crimes as they have. Other methods such as retribution and
rehabilitation facilities can demand retribution from prisoners and give them a chance to reform
and contribute to society instead of continuing down the road of crime.

Subpoint B: Prison is a waste of resources

In the United States, due to prison overpopulation among other factors, billions of dollars are
wasted every year. According to the Brennan Center report from 2016, “of the 1.46 million state
and federal prisoners, an estimated 39 percent are incarcerated with little public safety rationale.
If these prisoners were released, it would result in cost savings of nearly $20 billion per year. (This
sum is enough to employ 270,000 new police officers, 360,000 probation officers, or 327,000
school teachers).” 12 Prisons are expensive, and the U.S. criminal justice system could use this money to do far more to help prevent and
control crime with these resources. Also according to the Brookings Institute, Growing up in poverty
dramatically increases the likelihood of incarceration. Boys who grew up in families in the
bottom 10 percent of the income distribution were 20 times more likely to be in prison on a given
day in their early 30s than children born in top ten percent of families. Almost one in ten children
born to families in the bottom 10 percent were therefore incarcerated at age 30. At the extremes
of the family income distribution, the differences are larger: Boys from the poorest families were
40 times more likely to end up in prison compared to boys from the richest families.