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Final Draft The Meaning of Life Without Parole

The document is a summary of an article that argues prisoners should have more opportunities to receive parole. The article uses descriptive language to create frightening and hopeless images of prison life. It also uses logical appeals, citing a Supreme Court ruling that juveniles serving life sentences should have a chance at parole. Additionally, the article tells the story of one prisoner to elicit sympathy and show how he has been rehabilitated. Overall, the author makes a persuasive case for giving prisoners more chances at parole through descriptive writing, facts, and emotional storytelling.

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1K views4 pages

Final Draft The Meaning of Life Without Parole

The document is a summary of an article that argues prisoners should have more opportunities to receive parole. The article uses descriptive language to create frightening and hopeless images of prison life. It also uses logical appeals, citing a Supreme Court ruling that juveniles serving life sentences should have a chance at parole. Additionally, the article tells the story of one prisoner to elicit sympathy and show how he has been rehabilitated. Overall, the author makes a persuasive case for giving prisoners more chances at parole through descriptive writing, facts, and emotional storytelling.

Uploaded by

api-504174556
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Fisher 1

Bryce Fisher

English 111- 970

Mrs. Carroll

December 6, 2020

Should Prisoners Have More Opportunities to Receive Parole?

What is parole and how do prisoners receive parole? Parole is the release of a

prisoner before the completion of their sentence. Prisoners can receive parole on the

promise of good behavior in the prison. In the article “The Meaning of Life Without

Parole” Clint Smith writes an argument to support prisoners to have more opportunities

to receive parole. Smith establishes a strong argument through using a descriptive word

choice, logical appeals, and emotional appeals to establish a persuasive, yet

informative argument for prisoners to have more opportunities to receive parole.

Smith uses word choice to his advantage to create a frightening, worthless, and

hopeless image and tone inside the audience’s mind. “To look around—at the guards,

their black uniforms juxtaposed against the gray halls they patrol, at the perches from

which they watch everyone beneath them, at the intercom that informs you when and

where you are allowed to move—is to be reminded that this is a space in which the

state has made it a policy to strip people of agency over their bodies” (Smith). The way

Smith describes the prison creates an eerie atmosphere. Smith describes how the

guards were sitting at the perches watching everyone below them. This relates to a
Fisher 2

predator sitting and waiting for its prey to make a move. Smith describes how the state

has made its duty to strip people of their worthiness and make them feel separated from

society.

Smith uses logical appeals to provide support from the audience for more

prisoners to receive parole. “The Supreme Court ruled, in ​Montgomery v. Louisiana​, that

those serving life sentences for crimes committed as juveniles would make the case for

a chance at a second hearing” (Smith). Smith brings this along with many others to

inform the audience that the government has attempted to give more prisoners the

chance to receive parole. Many of these prisoners are serving life sentences for crimes

they committed while they were teenagers. Is it just to make a criminal serving a life

sentence for something they did 30 or 40 years ago? Smith does not think so. Smith’s

audience is mostly adults, so he knows that he can relate the prisoners to his audience

by describing something they did as teenagers. As teenagers most people acted

carefree and did not think about the consequences, they would have to pay. However,

most people do not think one stupid thing they do will cost them many years of their life.

Smith is able to tap into the audience’s emotions by describing the life story of

one prisoner he teaches. Smith creates a feeling of sympathy and pity for Neal, which

supports Smith’s overall purpose to have more prisoners receive the opportunity to be

granted parole. “Neal’s story of abuse reflects how those who have witnessed or been

on the receiving end of physical violence are often those more likely to engage in violent

behavior later in life” (Smith). Smith tells the story of Neal to allow the audience to

actually connect with one prisoner. Neal’s story allows the audience to perceive him as
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an actual human being rather than a nuisance in society. It creates a tone of sympathy

and sorrow for Neal and how he was treated as a child. Neal’s story helps Smith further

support his argument for prisoners to receive parole because the audience can see how

Neal has been rehabilitated and no longer a threat to society.

Throughout his article, Smith uses descriptive word choice, logical facts, and

emotional stories to establish a persuasive and informative argument for prisoners have

more opportunities to receive parole. Smith writes this article to support the prisoners,

but he also writes it because he knows many of these prisoners personally. He wants to

see them regain their lives and be able to become a part of society again. Overall,

Smith does an excellent job of using different strategies to present his argument to the

audience. His argument alone is very thought out and supportive. There is no doubt that

the audience will think about supporting prisoners to have more opportunities to receive

parole.
Fisher 4

Works Cited

Smith, Clint. “The Meaning of Life Without Parole.” The New Yorker, The New

Yorker, 19 June 2017,

www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-meaning-of-life-without-parole.

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