Includes bibliographical references and index.

Prisons reduce crime / David Muhlhausen -- Prisons do not reduce crime / Jim Holt -- Prisons should rehabilitate inmates / Ralph A. Rossum and Constance Rossum -- Prisons should punish inmates / Charles Murray -- Three-strikes laws have led to excessive imprisonment / Vincent Schiraldi and Geri Silva -- Three-strikes laws have not led to excessive imprisonment / Chuck Poochigian -- Model essays and exercises. The five-paragraph essay. The cause-and-effect essay -- Unjust laws cause unnecessary imprisonment -- Exercise 1: create an outline from an existing essay -- Essay two: heavy sentences help america -- Exercise 1: create an outline from an existing essay -- Exercise 2: create an outline for an opposing cause-and-effect essay -- Essay three: imprisoning juveniles reduces crime -- Exercise 1: examining introductions and conclusions -- Exercise 2: using quotations to enliven your essay -- Final writing challenge : write your own five-paragraph essay.