Zuckerman Ethos In The Criminal Justice System

Rhetorical Analysis

Mortimer B. Zuckerman argues that we need to change the way our criminal justice system operates. He explains that there are more prisoners in a cell than the amount it was originally created for. Zuckerman also acknowledges the fact that incarceration rates are extremely high and that the vast majority of prisoners are nonviolent. The author believes that the way nonviolent criminals are dealt with today brings about negative consequences that could easily be avoided (Zuckerman). Zuckerman successfully convinces the reader that reform is needed in the criminal justice system by using several tactics such as eradicating common myths about incarceration, talking about the problem and solution while using logos, and appealing

Zuckerman abolishes some of the myths that most people believe to get the reader to better understand his argument. He refutes the argument that prisons correct behavior by using the statistic that about 60% of people that have been released from prison will return (Zuckerman). It is important to refute preconceived thoughts in order to get the reader to accept new ideas. People tend to have an “if isn’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality. After hearing this statistic, the reader can be made aware that the criminal justice system is broken. Zuckerman reveals the imperfections in the criminal justice system and allows for the audience to be more open to a different solution to the problem. Zuckerman uses this statistic to highlight the weaknesses in opposing arguments. Another argument Zukerman refutes is that putting everyone in prison is the best way to ensure safety. He contests this statement by saying that the prison environment makes them more harmful to society than when they went in, due to the many psychological

Zuckerman uses the persuasive technique of logos to show the validity of his position. In order to convince the reader that reform is necessary, Zuckerman has to convince them that there is a problem to begin with. He says that the prison population has grown about 800% since the 1980s and nonviolent offenders account for 90% of those federal prisoners (Zuckerman). Because of these statistics, the reader gets a picture of what exactly the problem is. Many people, before reading this article, might not have been aware of the rapid increase of incarceration rates and the overcrowding issue. This appeals to the reader’s sense of logic by stating that the vast majority of them are nonviolent because it shows them that that is where the overcrowding issue resides. This gets the readers thinking that alternative ways of dealing with nonviolent offenders might be necessary to solving the issue in the criminal justice system. Zuckerman makes the reader understand that reforming the prison system is a reasonable solution to the many problems generated by non-violent offenders being imprisoned. Not only does the author make the reader aware of the issue, but he provides a logical solution for it. Zuckerman explains how the governor of Texas provided treatment for nonviolent offenders