Beth I really liked your article. I think it is great how you didn’t just focus on the moral reasons that we should pay prisoners minimum wages, but you also convinced me as the reader that it is the smart thing to do. It was interesting to me how prisoners are potentially a threat to non prisoners, because they are taking their jobs and working them for much less money.

Hello Beth, Let me say I really love this article. I have never even thought of a topic like this. I learned so much from reading this article. Also I did not know that they were doing such a thing in Texas, making prisoner’s work unpaid. Also you included so many websites. Well done!

Beth!! Such a good article, this topic is so crucial to discuss especially in America today. It baffles me that this “loophole” is completely legal in the US. The US prison system as well as private companies profiting from prison labor need to start treating prisoners as humans again in order to find a compromise within this issue. I watched a documentary called 13th that completely showed me how terrifying this problem is. Take a look! : http://www.avaduvernay.com/13th/

Beth, I really enjoyed reading your piece. I don’t know very much about the criminal justice system in the United States and now i feel like everyone should know this. I agree that we need to fix this problem, it’s not okay for so many people to be in prison not learning or bettering themselves. I loved the evidence you used to support your claim. Great job!

Beth,
This was a really interesting essay that you have written. I knew there were problems within our prison system, but wasn’t sure how bad they truly were. I agree that there needs to be a difference made, but I’m not sure where to start in that process. I am providing you with an article that has 10 ways to change the prison system. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/jessica-s-henry/top-10-ways-to-fix-the-cr_b_6362274.html
Great job, I am excited to hear more.

Beth,
this is a really important issue, and I’m glad you chose it. I agree that there are too many people imprisoned in the US. We are too focused on punitive measures, and like you said, rehabilitation becomes an after thought. While prisons are a necessary part of society, they are clearly not doing their job. However, tangible solutions are hard to come by. Here is a link that can help with that brainstorming process: https://www.aclu.org/other/solutions

Hi Beth, I am fascinated by your topic because it is so disturbing about American culture. We focus on treatment rather than prevention, in many areas of life. Your comment about how most inmates are mentally ill is something that caught my attention, because if anything those people need more attention and more qualified people taking care of them and teaching them how to be rehabilitated. This article is titled, America’s prisons are failing, here’s how to make them work, and will be beneficial I think to you, https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21722642-lot-known-about-how-reform-prisoners-far-too-little-done-americas-prisons-are.

Beth, I have to disagree with your claim that people don’t receive these rights, the US prison system mat not be first class seating but it does meet the basic rights. Thats a prisoner gets is the basic rights, they don’t get more thats why it’s prison. If you read, https://www.marketplace.org/2017/05/15/world/how-much-does-it-cost-send-someone-prison, you’ll notice that our tax money is going into our prisons and I don’t think many people are happy they’re paying to keep others locked up. The real problem, I think, we need to address is the hoe people get punished. There are so many problems with unjust punishment, and if we can fix that then we can lower the amount of those in prison, therefore lowers costs on people to help us take care of those who are justly in prison. Can’t wait to hear more from you.

Beth, in religion class we learned about the cruelty of the US prison system but they did not focus much on the treatment of women in prisons. its interesting to see the ways in which sexism impact lives even at the most fundamental level. I’m doing my project on drug use and I’m learning all about how unfairly the US prison system targets the poor and minority under the veil of being hard on drugs. the system results in trapping users in a cycle of repeat offenses without ever getting treatment for addiction. heres a site that details the difference between crack Vs. cocaine prison times. https://www.aclu.org/other/cracks-system-20-years-unjust-federal-crack-cocaine-law. thanks for the great post!

Hey Beth,
I really liked the idea behind your post and how passionate you were about the issue. I like how you included others viewpoints as well as providing insight to your own as well as how you felt about these other peoples viewpoints. I found an article about foster care in Utah that talks about how people are able to get involved and what can be done to help.

Foster Care

All in all, I really liked the work you put behind your viewpoints as well as providing insight and supporting evidence towards the issue. I hope you continue writing.

Dear Beth,
Really nice write up. This is an issue that is overlooked quite often, but is highly capable of leaving lasting effects on kids who get caught up in the foster care system. The quotes from others work really well to drive your point home. This is a hard problem to dissolve because of the scale and the lack of attention, however focusing on it could change so many lives.

Here’s an article discussing the problem that highlights a campaign to rework the foster care system in America:

A national campaign to improve foster care

Really great post,
Ed

Beth, great post! I enjoyed how you added statistics to back up your claim. I think people often overlook the foster care system because they don’t know enough information about it. They quickly look to adoption instead of fostering a child. I also liked Pamela Campbells quote when she compared the foster care system to an asthma attack- that really seemed to put it in perspective for me and other readers. I think another thing that steers people away from foster care is the fact that they are not paid actual pocket money to foster a child. It is expensive to raise a child, but it is also selfish to overlook children who need a loving home. Heres an article I found discussing the monetary aspect of foster care. https://adoption.com/how-much-do-foster-parents-get-paid

Beth, I really enjoyed your post. I agree that we tend to overlook the foster system and it’s ever growing numbers of family-less children. Your use of statistics to back up your claim was also well thought out but you made it seem more then just numbers, which it is, and that is important when writing about articles like this. I do wonder, though, why do you think the foster care children numbers are so high and are still increasing? I think finding a way to raise awareness is most beneficial because the more people know the more likely it is for a child to be adopted. If you read this article from the Spruce,https://www.thespruce.com/help-children-in-foster-care-27113, It gives more ways people can help lower rates in foster homes. Hope to see more from you in the future.

This is a very interesting post. I like that you brought up the loss of sleep, and how addiction to social media can effect depression, and anxiety. Your facts are well layed out, and sourced well. I think it would be interesting if next time you looked at both sides. Like, connecting to other people around the world through social media can help you feel less isolated and alone. It can also help you keep distracted through hard situations. https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/buildingselfesteem/2016/01/how-to-use-social-media-to-build-self-esteem/