The United States has five percent of the world 's population, yet holds twenty-five percent of the world 's prisoners. In 2013, there were 1.57 million inmates who had sentences longer than a year, and there were enough inmates to produce a GDP equivalent to 133 nations. With those statistics in mind, do you think there should be a change? Today I am here to protect those Americans in prison who are in need for reformation. There 're many reasons for a reformed prison, one being to protect human rights. Once incarcerated, prisoners are deprived of one basic human right, liberty. They are bound in a 4x4 cell, with little to no daylight and are considered slaves to their state. Depending on the type of crime committed, some are stripped of …show more content…
Do I want my family member 's life to be limited by the law? Do I want to do something about it? Once incarcerated, the time between being arrested and being placed in trial, a person is placed in pre-trial detention. Pre-trial detention is the time period when a person is most likely subjected to abuse, rather it me mentally or physically. A person who is in pre-trial detention is and should be considered innocent until proven guilty. Some people who are in low-income families do not have the proper lawyer to guide them and will not be given a fair trial, which would congest prisons even more. Finally, with the prisons being so congested, we have to pay taxes for every inmate. The average American tax payer will spend around $20,000 to $30,000 dollars a year, that is equivalent or more than some people 's yearly income. What are we going to do about this? Well, there are more people in prison for non-violent crimes, than those who committed an act of violence. Yes, selling drugs, fraud, stealing, and gambling are against the law, but are they worth a person going to prison for more than a …show more content…
Ladies and gentleman, I will make sure that anyone in prison, or detention is treated as a human being. America was founded as a safe place for those in need of a fresh start, and it shall remain that way. Prison is not a garbage can for the people we feel that need help, and no one, no mater what crime they have committed should treated unfairly. For every dollar we spend on inmates, that’s less more going to schools. For every mother or father in prison, that 's one less parent-teacher meeting, birthday, or holiday not spent with their family. Think about who 's lives we are changing. On this day, I will protect those American 's in prison who need