Crime is bad, there is no question about that. People do bad things and in theory, the justice system rehabilitates them with punishment and correction but since a while ago, the balance has been thrown off. Criminals are treated mentally and physically as outlaws, which doesn't help with integrating back into society. This is also why recidivism rates in the US are so high, criminals are given only one path in life after release, and that is to return to crime. After all, only sometime recently were drug felony holders able to receive welfare and food stamps. Solitary confinement is another aspect of incarceration that raises many new controversies; it increases violence and mental illnesses in criminals yet is still an unregulated and common practice in US prisons. Not to mention, solitary confinement is sometimes applied unjustly, like in the case of Ke’jorium Mcknight, where a youth was confined to a small room for months in the name of his own safety. 41% of juveniles have been arrested by the time they turn 23, I personally find that number to be shocking; as these statistics are made up of people who have had their lives changed forever by an unfair justice system. 13 year old kids have been sentenced to life in prison with possibility of parole, these kids definitely have done bad things but they do not deserved to be condemned to death in prison. People do bad things, but that doesn't make them bad, they can still do good things and bring meaning to their existence. Sentencing a child to life in prison is taking away their potential without even trying to repair their actions. In these cases, punishment rules with no signs of correction. For the people who do get released from jail, life is not any better. With the aforementioned preconception that people who commit crime are forever criminals and a danger to society, there is no chance of having a stable life. Jobs are nearly impossible to find with a conviction or felony on your record, and many other public support programs are limited to those who steer clear of crime. This is also the reason why criminals often return to crime. The justice system that is meant to correct and deter people away from crime and turned into a one-way ticket to crime. This provides the illusion of security, as being tough on crime makes for a conceptually safer society, but being tough on crime is not the same as being tough on criminals, which USA is. There are many statistics that show how screwed up US’s jailing policies are but the problem with statistics is that they seem distant, it’s hard to realize that each percent is made up of humans with families and friends. So by reading the articles that provide stories, I hope it can relinquish the connection of humans and how show crime is the only true villain.