Sydney Pearce

Ms. Gardner

English 10H/Per. 4

14 September 2016

Dear President Elect,

You will be running a very large country with many conflicting ideals within its population, and I

know you will get numerous issues coming your way every day. However, I feel it is important to listen

to some, maybe even mine. My issue is the conditions in modern American prisons, the conditions under

which people suffer, the conditions that will ruin the lives of criminals.Though many may believe a long

prison sentence - as a method to remove criminals from society - is a suitable punishment for committing

a crime, the institutions that we place them in will affect their well being as humans, whether it be mental,

physical, or emotional.

"Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time" is a common statement that many children hear

throughout growing up, warning them against doing anything illegal. Although it is wrong to break any

law set in place for the safety of the population, doing the time might be not the right place for every

criminal. Some, like a loved one of mine, are placed in prisons because they are seen as dangerous due to

the fact they are mentally ill. A better place for those individuals would be a mental institution or a

rehabilitation facility to better fit their mental needs. According to penalreform.com: these individuals are

placed in prisons premature to any crime they might have committed, many will receive harsh and brutal

punishment from workers and fellow inmates, causing them to shatter their self esteem and crawl back to
society on shards of their even further wounded mind. They have been removed from common society,

and common society has been removed from them. The mentally ill should not have to suffer so greatly.

Also, many people are held in prison under insufferable conditions. Take Nelson Mandela as an

example, a man who spent 27 years in a brutal South African prison just for rebelling against the

discriminatory laws of the nation. Although, when he was released, he made the very rare evolution of

being noticed and appreciated by the public, many former inmates are not treated as generously. Regarded

as flies, held like livestock, these humans suffer day to day.

Many inmates leave prison with less than a clear conscience, they leave feeling terrified and exposed

and vulnerable to the pressures of the modern world and society's views against them. Because of the

previous scrutiny they have faced, because of the constant criticism they go through, because of the time

they served, they seem to have suffered enough. The problem is, they will be judged even more harshly

once they exit prison. Most don't get hired, supported, or respected by the communities they enter. Many

are left homeless. they are forced to live life in squalor, and squalor forces them to regret leaving prison.

My loved one had to move into many community homes where he has been kicked out because he is an

ex convict, because the homeowners didn't want him to inflict any danger upon the other tenants. He is

probably the most gentle person I know and it hurts me that he was so wrongly judged by people who

barely even knew him. It breaks my heart.

But why would anyone want to fix a system that isn't broken? This is the view of many Americans

who never had to deal with a loved one or themselves being put through the penal system.a large portion

of the nation rightfully believe that our country's system is high above the standards of others. Many

nations do have worse prison conditions than ours, but that does not elevate ours to be the best. The
problem with our system that many people overlook is the fact that criminals are humans too, not cattle to

be whipped into shape and sent back into the world. Yes, many criminals rightfully deserve their place in

prisons, a large majority do not deserve the retaliation against their human rights, their most basic human

rights. Though we as a country believe in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, how can we grow to

make sure that reaches every person in the union?

I believe the only way we can make change is to acknowledge that there is a change to be made. So,

observe the lives of past inmates, take a chance to get to know them and learn about their experiences,

then we can start taking baby steps toward better standards in our prisons. You need to know that

something needs to be done, that something can be done. I know that we can give jobs to ex convicts,

support them, and give them our respect for the time that they have served, no matter their crime. This is

the best time to evolve as a country, not a time to take steps back. You, your family, your community,

your nation can help to increase the values that we can hold inside our prisons.

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