In "Parental Incarceration is a Silent American Epidemic More Common Than Childhood Asthma," criminal justice reform advocate Joshua Martoma argues that the United States must do more to prevent the harmful effects of parental imprisonment on the country's children.
Pair “Immigrants in Our Own Land” with “Parental Incarceration Is a Silent American Epidemic More Common Than Childhood Asthma” and ask students to consider the goal of incarceration within the U.S. criminal justice system. In “Immigrants in Our Own Land,” what does the speaker ultimately believe to be the purpose of prison in the United States? According to the speaker, how does the purpose of prison as he comes to understand it differ from what he and other young inmates hoped for when they arrived? In “Parental Incarceration Is a Silent American Epidemic More Common Than Childhood Asthma,” the author claims that “too often, criminal sentences prioritize punishment and incapacitation over deterrence and rehabilitation” (Paragraph 4). What is the difference between these two possible approaches? Which does the author prefer? Based on your knowledge of both authors, how did their personal experiences likely impact their views on the purpose and effects of prison?