Should Prison Be Punished For A Crime - 2383 Words

Individuals are sent to prison be punished for a crime committed and to be kept away from society. While some criminals are violent sociopaths, and may never be rehabilitated, many criminals can be corrected and taught to improve themselves. A variety of programs are designed to help inmates learn from their mistakes and prepare for release. These programs require funding, and with an imperfect penal system, there are certain elements of prison which may exacerbate criminal behavior. Ideally, when individuals are sent to prison, they would learn how to improve themselves and better understand the consequences of their crime. Upon completion of their sentence, inmates would be ready to become productive members of society. Inmates who must serve life sentences would still find a sense of peace, even though they must remain in prison. Unfortunately, this perfect system of punishment and redemption does not exist. The amount of rehabilitation an inmate undergoes often depends on the prison in which they are incarcerated. While some prisons provide programs that help inmates improve, other prisons are brutal facilities designed solely to retain inmates and keep them away from society. Prison can be a brutal atmosphere for many reasons. The shock of being incarcerated and knowing that one’s basic freedoms are obliterated can be psychologically jarring. Being in prison can wreak havoc on the psyche and many inmates may require some form of therapy to help them toShow MoreRelatedControversy On Luxuries On Prisons1615 Words   |  7 Pagesin Prisons In today s prison system of the United States, over 75% of the prisoners have the right to many luxuries while incarcerated instead of getting punished for the crimes committed. In fact, many inmates receive better health care than most people in the United States. Certainly, inmates have more luxuries than the citizens who work hard for them. With that in mind, inmates may consider jail better than the real world. No doubt inmates deserve treatment of an adult for the crimes theyRead MoreJuvenile Delinquency in the United States1585 Words   |  6 PagesJuvenile Crime Statistics Wendy R Swartz Keiser University Abstract: In this document, the topic of juvenile delinquency in the United States is thoroughly examined. Approximately 1.5 million minors (those are citizens who are under the age of 18) are arrested for criminal activity each year in the US. These juveniles are arrested for a variety of crimes; everything from petty vandalism and loitering to prostitution, drug dealing, and even murder. Of these, 70% of offenders will be tried andRead MoreEssay on Level of Punishment Does Not Fit the Crime1008 Words   |  5 Pagesof serious crimes that the justice system fails to make sure that criminals pay the price for the devastation that they cause. For example, Johannes Mehserl only served 2 years in prison for the killing of innocent member of public, Oscar Grant. At the same time, there are examples of 5 years prison sentences for the possession of marijuana. This is enormously unfair, as someone who can take the life of another human being should receive a far harsher punishment than someone whos e crime only effectsRead MoreWhy Are Prisons Still Successful For Helping Prevent Crime?1180 Words   |  5 Pages In the UK, the prison population has more than doubled in less than 20 years. The cost to keep someone in prison for a year is  £36,808. The UK spends a higher percentage of the countries GDP on public order per year than any other EU country and even the US. Why are our prisons still highly unsuccessful in helping prevent crime? Prisons have barbaric beginnings from the medieval dungeon and torture chamber in the late 18th century. They have always combined punishment with rehabilitation. The onlyRead MoreRadical Criminologists Believe That Crime Is Caused By Social And Economic Forces Of A Society1670 Words   |  7 PagesRadical criminologists believe that crime is caused by social and economic forces of a society. They believe that people of higher class rule everything and function is terms of general interest instead of focusing on the general interest of society as a whole. The statement given to me basically states that by looking at our prison system you can see that those who have power and money can basically get away with anything and that they use our prison system in order to make money for themselvesRead MoreSummary Of Bring Back Flogging By Jeff Jacoby795 Words   |  4 PagesIn â€Å"Bring Back Flogging†, the author, Jeff Jacoby suggests that people should adopt some of the Puritans tactics to punish criminals instead of putting them in prison. In order to present his claim, Jacoby is based in the use of irony, logos, and ethos. According to Jeff Jacoby a moment of humiliation is better than a couple of years behind the bars. I do not agree with Jeff Jacoby’s argument because the examples he gives and the way he refers to the topic incite to violence, also during the developmentRead MorePersuasive Essay On The Death Penalty833 Words   |  4 Pages The death penalty may seem harsh, but its more than necessary in our country. This punishment deters other criminals and other crimes from happening. Innocent lives will be saved if we execute vile criminals with this punishment since they can no longer hurt or terrorize others. Criminals deserve to have their life taken since theyve taken others and their rights. The death penalty is necessary since it deters criminals, save others, and make criminals pay for what theyve done. Seeing otherRead MorePrison Population Around The World1313 Words   |  6 PagesSamantha Talmo Professor Wisz 8 August 2016 Research Paper Prison populations around the world are continuing to grow every single day.â€Å" The nation s jail population flows like a torrential river with upwards of 12 million individuals moving in and out of institutions annually† (Lyman, 167). The population is continuing to grow in jails because of the growth in the crime itself. It is debated whether or not nonviolent criminals should be given jail time. There are other punishments that could beRead MoreA Child With Adult Consequences Essay1688 Words   |  7 Pagesimprisonment. Today, some children face these exact consequences depending on their actions. Certain children are held accountable for their actions and punished as adults in an adult courtroom depending on the offense and the jurisdiction. According to Youth Justice (2012), â€Å"On any given day, approximately 2,700 young people are locked up in adult prisons† (p. 4). This is hard to understand, because the United States has a juvenile justice system that is centered on rehabilitation and reforming youthRead MoreCapital Punishment Should Not Be Abolished750 Words   |  3 PagesCapital Punishment Should Not be Abolished There are many reasons why the United States of America keeps capital punishment. These reasons include the deterrence theory, the idea of retribution, cost of prisons, and general safety of the public. First of all, I’m sure that you have heard of the deterrence theory. Deterrence is basically the fear of punishment; and even though it doesn’t prevent all crimes, the results are still undeniable. The deterrence theory is when criminals think

Hopeless Love Act Of Worship - 1083 Words

Hopeless love: Act of Worship â€Å"When the coffee came, she held out the silver sugar bowl for him to help himself from first, and as he took it their fingertips came into brief contact. She apologized immediately, but a suspicion plagued her that he had seen the contact as premeditated on her part. It continued to plague her in the maddening heat on the train, so that every time the steady waving of the professor’s fan suddenly stopped her heart seemed to stop with it. She had never reacted in this way before. Perhaps the sense of responsibility she’d felt ever since the train had left Tokyo Station had made her oversensitive? The incident, for which there was no way of apologizing naturally, continued to weigh on her till, combining with the heat, it made it impossible for her to enjoy the scenery outside.† In Yukio Mishima’s short story Act of Worship we see Tsuneko, a housekeeper of Professor Fujimiya, accompanying him on a pilgrimage to the Kumano s hrines in the professor’s hometown. Along the way she begins to feel uneasy towards everything. There could possibly be a more hidden meaning behind why Tsuneko is anxious. This paper argues the possibility the Tsuneko is possibly falling for the Professor. Let’s start at the beginning, Tsuneko admits that the only relationship between the Professor and herself is strictly business. However, we’re all human and life, or in this case love, will always find a way. In this passage, nothing really is happening if you look at itShow MoreRelatedThe Apostle Paul s Writing884 Words   |  4 Pagesa biblical outlook of creation, he also states that humanity’s identity originated in God, and that God made man in His own image. Paul also expounds on man’s relationship with God as well as with other creations, and on culture. Paul reveals God’s love for mankind, man’s sinful condition, resulting in him rightly deserving the penalty of death, God ’s amazing grace and his plan of redemption. The Natural World 150-200 In Genesis 1:1-25, the natural world was spoken into being by God the FatherRead MoreMonotheism Is The Most Important And Foundational Concept971 Words   |  4 Pageseverything he creates, and his greatness cannot be compared to anything he created. â€Å"You worship one other than God who has no power to help or to harm you. It is God Who is all-hearing and Who knows the state of all of creation (Mobeen 112). Muslims often refer to God as Allah. His name is related to the Aramaic and Hebrew names for God, Allah and Elohim. Muslims believe in angels, unseen beings who worship God and carry out God s orders throughout the universe. The angel Gabriel brought theRead MoreThe Shah of Bratpur in Players Piano1601 Words   |  7 Pagesthat is better because of its reliance on machines, the Shah instead observes that the people of Ilium have become slaves to their machines instead. Instead of observing a society that worships a religious God and looks to him for inspiration and guidance, the Shah sees that Proteus’ world instead ridiculously worships and obeys the dictates of the giant computer brain EPICAC. Instead of admiring Paul Proteus’ society for granting worth based solely on intelligence, status, and education, the Shah recognizesRead MoreHelen of Troy Does Countertop Dancing1488 Words   |  6 Pagesas a command more than an offer. ‘Helen’ also is able to have men worship and love her: ‘my beery worshippers! That, or a bleary hopeless love.’ (33-34) .This idea of worshipping is again tied back to Helen of Troy who was worshipped however, under these circumstances they do not worship her how Helen of Troy was worshipped but rather as a person of beauty who is entertaining them for sexual arousal. Although they worship her they still undermine her as a woman. They see her and treat her asRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Twelfth Night Essay2147 Words   |  9 Pagesphrase â€Å"I love you† is a staple of the human vocabulary. Defined as â€Å"a passionate affection for another person,† love takes on many forms throughout life and literature (Merriam-Webster). Through its passionate drama and witty repartee, Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare, explores the intricate, and often complicated, realm of interpersonal love. By tracing the intertwining storylines of four unique c haracters, Shakespeare communicates the futility of self-love, the desperation of hopeless love, andRead MoreHelen of Troy Does Countertop Dancing1480 Words   |  6 Pagessaid as a command more than an offer. ‘Helen’ also is able to have men worship and love her: ‘my beery worshippers! That, or a bleary hopeless love.’ (33-34) .This idea of worshipping is again tied back to Helen of Troy who was worshipped however, under these circumstances they do not worship her how Helen of Troy was worshipped but rather as a person of beauty who is entertaining them for sexual arousal. Although they worship her they still undermine her as a woman. They see her and treat her asRead MoreEssay on Peace Child Reflection918 Words   |  4 PagesDeborah Brown Feb. 20. 2012 BBST 306/Acts M. 6-8 PM Reflection Paper Peace Child I never imagined that people such as the Sawi actually exist. I heard stories about them but in the book, Peace Child, written by Don Richardson, the issue has never been more personal. A question that kept arising as I read through the books, was why is treachery so valued? The people were obviously affected and each act of revenge or violence just stimulated more fear among the people. Yet, it was obviousRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1320 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Montagues and Capulets detesting one another and their teen children loving one another, it’s about so much more. Throughout the play, Shakespeare starts off with a simple explanation of love through Romeo’s eyes yet as the play proceeds on, it’s obvious that Shakespeare actually had another meaning of love in mind for Romeo. As confusing as this seems, it’s rather simple for one to wrap their mind around when reading the complex words of Shakespeare. Written no less that 400 years ago, the wordsRead MoreMy Love Of Christ Through One Act Of Kindness Essay999 Words   |  4 Pagesme the love of Christ through one act of kindness. I was a shy sixteen year old boy at that time who played the Christian â€Å"game† to fit in at my Christian School. A typical Wednesday sermon at my school would be the catalyst that lead to a decision that changed my life. The sermon lead me to try out a youth group called fusion where my life would be saved. I am eternally thankful for the kindness I was shown and will forever be changed all because one girl decided she would do what loves doesRead MoreEducation Through a Biblical Worldview1046 Words   |  5 Pagesthan those that lived in Paul’s day. In Romans 1; 20, man is told that even creation speaks to God’s qualities and divine nature. This verse warns that there will be no accepted excuse for denying God as their creator. People live in the flesh and worship everything except God. In Paulâ⠂¬â„¢s time, he struggled with seeing the same abominations (Romans 1; 18-2; 3). People in Paul’s day, just like today, were divided by their beliefs on false gods or in some cases, no gods at all. Paul warns about God’s

Domestic Violence A Part Of Culture - 1498 Words

To this day, domestic violence is seen to be a part of culture in many countries. Some people view domestic violence as unjust and cruel, yet many see it as a form of power and control over another. Domestic violence plays a key role in different societies around the world as it is becoming a social norm. Domestic violence frequently begins when one partner feels the need to control the other. This feeling is sprouted from several factors such as jealousy, low self-esteem, and difficulties in regulating one’s emotions and anger, or when one feels inferior because of his or her education or socioeconomic background (Goldsmith). Researchers state that men with tradition beliefs tend to think they have power over women and that they are inferior to men, which is followed by many stereotypes today. Stereotypes about the â€Å"proper† roles in society differ between men and women due to the cultural beliefs that men are superior which is evident in many family structures aro und the world. These stereotypes â€Å"reinforce the view that the family is a self-contained unit, deserving privacy at the expense of other rights and freedoms† (Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights). Traditionally, women are downgraded to inferior positions in this family structure; however, for victims of domestic violence, this idea of family privacy interferes with operative police involvement and prosecutorial decisions in domestic violence cases. In many countries, people who are interviewed report that theShow MoreRelatedConsequences of Popular Culture1060 Words   |  5 PagesConsequences of Popular Culture A Consequence can be defined as, Something that logically or naturally follows from an action or condition. In this matter we are referring to the consequences of Pop Culture towards violence. Violence in general has one meaning, an act of aggression. We will be examining three types of violence in our culture, Domestic violence, Youth violence, and of course Gun violence. We feel that all three of these types of violence have increased in today s society asRead MoreDomestic Violence : South Africa1709 Words   |  7 PagesDomestic Violence in South Africa Love is looked upon as a beautiful thing but within beauty lies darkness in South Africa. There is an unspoken violence against women going on within the communities of south Africa that is now coming to light; domestic violence. Husbands, not strangers or men with guns, are now the biggest threat to women in post-conflict South Africa, according to a report by the International Rescue Committee. Attacked beaten, abused, killed these are sometimes words to describeRead MoreThe Effects Of Domestic Violence On The United States1634 Words   |  7 Pageshuman culture provides us with a look into other cultures from an up-close and distinct perspective, which allows us to better understand their culture and way of life. Taking an objective look at another culture without being somewhat biased can be a difficult task. This being the case, we must examine culture by using emic and etic perspectives. An emic perspective is an insider views; observing the culture from within the culture it self. An etic perspective is an outsider’s view of a culture; evaluatingRead MoreDomestic Violence And Sexual Violence Essay1624 Words   |  7 PagesDomestic violence, also labeled as family violence and intimate-partner violence, is psychological, physical and sexual violence that takes place within home environment. Adults and children can both be victims. Domestic violence is a major human rights issue across the world, and one of New Zealand’s most serious social issues. One in three women in Aotearoa will experience an abusive relationship, with many more coming dangerously close. Reason Domestic violences occurs when the abuser wantingRead MoreThe Connection Between Culture And Violent Behavior1360 Words   |  6 PagesUnit 8 DB 1 Introduction Women all over the world tend to fall victims to domestic violence especially women from other cultures who now find themselves in a world where domestic violence is not ever excepted as the norm. This can cause issues with in the family unit, especially if the women, or girls decide to conform to the American ways. Some cultures allow for their women to be beaten, stone, or raped and the women are at a lost, because there is no help, but by reading the below articles oneRead MoreIntimate Partner Violence And Sexual Relationships1379 Words   |  6 PagesIntimate Partner Violence One of the biggest problems that have been happening in some households over the last numbers of years is intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV has been identified as a world-wide public health concern (Kulwicki and Miller, 1999). The term intimate partner violence has been defined as the physical, emotional, verbal, or sexual abuse between a person and their spouse, this includes cohabitation and marriage. This type of violence will usually involve harm/control from oneRead MoreThe Problem Of Domestic Violence860 Words   |  4 PagesThis research paper is design to help us understand how much of a problem that domestic violence is. This data used in this research was gather from numerous sources including journals, articles and a book. The purpose of using this data from the resources breakdown the components how the police culture and domestic violence operate on the same level on independence without any repercussions or interference the research also looks the responses of Honol ulu Police department and how its policies andRead MoreDomestic Violence : The United States Department Of Justice1741 Words   |  7 PagesDomestic violence is a single act or a pattern of cruel acts in any relationship that a partner uses to get or keep power and control over another partner. The violence can be sexual, physical, economic, emotional, or psychological actions or threats of actions that impacts another person. Any actions that manipulate, intimidate, isolate, humiliate, terrorize, frighten, threaten, coerce, hurt, blame, wound, or injure someone can be domestic violence (The United States Department of Justice). OtherRead MoreViolence Theory And Gender Role Theory942 Words   |  4 PagesThe violence that surrounds homes can be summarized in the culture of violence theory and gender-role theory. The culture of violence theory looks at the broad acceptance of violence in our society and concludes that its acceptance is the foundation for violence within the family. Gender-role theory blames the traditional socialization of children into gender roles. Domestic violence plays a huge part in which parent will have custody of minor children. The culture of violence that is presentedRead MoreThe Violence And Its Effects On The Lives Of Contemporary Native Generations Essay1400 Words   |  6 Pages At the center of Indigenous discourse lies the worrisome subject of suicide. Deeply embedded in Native culture, suicide has come to represent a reminder of a cruel past tainted by violent colonialism. Via inhumane assimilation practices colonialists both directly and indirectly scarred and continue to scar members of the Indigenous community. Trough post traumatic stress mechanism many trauma survivors have and continue to pass their traumatic experiences to subsequent generations. Unintentionally

Creative Writing †My Baby Free Essays

I was walking in the thick white snow, my cheeks pale pink, and my eyes wet, from the cold, razor-sharp wind that seemed to blow across my face. My hands in my pocket, and my head down prevented me from seeing my way, so I raised my head. All of a sudden, my eyes met his across the street; he was tall, with sea blue eyes and long strawberry blond hair, which made him look ugly. We will write a custom essay sample on Creative Writing – My Baby or any similar topic only for you Order Now But his eyes distracted me from seeing his flaws. His small white teeth showing in a smile, when he returned my stare. I was warm; my cheeks grew bright red, my eyes flooded with admiration for his looks. â€Å"Was it love or lust†? I thought as, I continued to stare at him. He was so kind, loving and caring, with a great personality that always made me smile, while I slept. He constantly made me feel good, and I loved him so much; that I could stay awake just to hear him breathing. Due to the fact that we were so young, we couldn’t consummate our love for one another. I was 17, and he was 18, when we both decided that we should take our love to the next level. We wanted it to be special, so we could treasure the moment for the rest of our lives, therefore we lied to our parents about where we were going. We stayed in a cottage, which had a fire place. We made love in front of the fire place. The fire made our body, so hot, and sweaty. I smiled, keeping the pleasure from showing in my eyes. I wish could spend the rest of my life in this sweet surrender. After we made love I felt, like I have never felt before; I was far away dreaming, I was in ecstasy. The art of making love was new to me, but was exhilarating. Satisfaction drowned my body. Our body became one; and we shared deep love and feelings. I have no recollection of being this happy before, but we made one mistake. We forgot to use protection-condom. At school we were never taught sex education. Anytime I asked my mum, about sex she would make me wash my mouth out with soap, then take me to church and tell the priest he should pray for me, because I was turning to sin. I always laughed when she did it. So I did it often just to watch her reaction. Three months later I found out I was pregnant. I knew I was pregnant because I had missed my period for three months; also I got fat, and had morning sickness. I did not tell the father that I was pregnant. I didn’t want to, he wouldn’t have stayed anyway. But every moment I spent with him I treasured. I didn’t want to have the baby, I was too young. I thought of many ways of getting rid of the baby with out killing it. I didn’t know what to do, or who to tell. It was too much for me to handle. So I decided to tell my mum. Telling my mum was the worst. When I told, her normally blue-gray eyes grew green with hatred. Then her lips tightened against her reply â€Å"ok darling†. She did not shout, scream nor sob. I felt as if in her reply there was a plan. Six months later. I was ready to give birth. I preferred making the baby, than  giving birth to it, as I dreamt far away of the night it happened. It was as if my scream of pain, triggered the baby. My baby was born; he was small, and breathtaking. My breath was taken away when my mum said â€Å"you can’t keep him†. There was no way I could speak; my voice had gone with shock. She took my baby away from me. I turned away so she could not see the expressions in my eyes. It took a moment for the shock-wave of pain to travel down my body, to my brain. The agony was so intense that a scream involuntarily tore its way from my throat. I hated her for what she did. My mum and I lived in silence, in a house where the love had been stolen. Although I stayed to take care of her, because she was ill with Alzheimer. Since my baby was gone I had no love to give, I had put a brick wall around my heart, which was guarded by my hatred for the world. At home in the sitting room drinking my daily caffeine shot, while watching DR PHIL, and my mum rambling incoherent words to the T.V. The phone called for me. The voice came through the telephone, echoing through a corridor 12 months long. â€Å"We have an address†, said the voice on the phone, my heart started to beat loud; it got so loud it made the voice the inaudible. 314 maple road, Leicester, could be where  my son lives.  I hesitated when I got to the door. I didn’t want to ruin his happiness, in his new  life. â€Å"But my happiness has already been ruined,† I said selfishly. My finger trembled as  I rang the bell twice. A little boy answered the door. Many questions argued in my mind all at once; could he be my son? Could this be my baby? I felt happy when he spoke; â€Å"hello â€Å"said the soft voice. I could stay lost in this moment forever. How to cite Creative Writing – My Baby, Papers

Down syndrome and Spina Bifida cause, effects an Essay Example For Students

Down syndrome and Spina Bifida cause, effects an Essay d treatment Many individuals are born with defects due to genetic factors. Some such defects occur because the child inherits a defective gene, or genes from the parents. Others are caused through mutations- spontaneous changes that occur to a gene or chromosome. Environmental factors affecting the foetus during the uterine development may also cause defects. If, during pregnancy, a woman smokes, consumes alcohol or other drugs, or suffers dietary deficiencies, the developing foetus may be adversely affected. About one in every seven hundred births is Down syndrome baby. Down syndrome is now more frequently referred to as trisomy- 21, as new individuals with the disorder have three of the chromosome numbers twenty-one. Characteristics of a baby with Downs Syndrome include a small, round head with a large tongue and a broad skull; a short stature and stubby fingers; malformation of the heart, ears, hands and feet; and mental retardation. Sexual maturity is rarely attained. The risk of having a child with Down syndrome increases sharply if a woman is reaching the end of her child-bearing period. For women aged over 45 or over the risk is around one in fifty, whereas for women in their middle reproductive years- around 20-35 years- the risk is only about one in a hundred. Down syndrome can be detected in cells taken from the amniotic fluid of a pregnant woman, in a procedure called amniocentesis. Women having children late in life are strongly advised to have such a test. If the condition is detected early in the pregnancy, the parents have the option of a therapeutic abortion, whereas such practices are legal. About two in every thousand babies born in Australia have a neural tube defect and about half of these have spina bifida. Spina bifida occurs when the vertebrae of the spinal column fail to form a complete bony arch around the spinal cord. In about fifty percent of cases it is the lower back region of the spine that is affected. In serious cases, the coverings of the spinal cord and the wall of the spinal cavity itself may protrude, resulting in the opening of the neural canal to the exterior. Surgery to repair this is condition often results in paralysis of the lower limbs and associated lack of control of bowel and bladder functions. In less severe cases the spinal deformity may be small, and when it is repaired the child is able to walk and function normally. The incidence of spina bifida varies considerably between countries. Researchers have been led to believe that there is a strong environmental influence in spina bifida. In recent years a link has been established between inadequate intake of folic acid before and during pregnancy and the incidence of neural tube defects like spina bifida. A genetic link to spina bifida is also likely. All women who have a history of neural defects or spina bifida in the family are at an increased risk of themselves producing a baby with a neural tube defect. However, over ninety five percent of neural tube defects occur in families where there has never been an infected child. In some cases, the factor with the greater effect can be identified; whether it be environmental factors or heredity, but never the factor that is most important. Many of the characteristics displayed by humans are due to the interaction of both heredity and environment. The height to which an individual grows for example, is a case where heredity plays a role in the determination of the end result. If a person has tall parents, it is more likely that he or she too, will also be tall. In addition, growth is affected by environmental factors like nutrition. The question of that of the two factors- heredity or environment is the more important has no simple answer. .

Rising Textbook Prices Essay Example

Rising Textbook Prices Essay Our group has conducted valid research and all agree that the high price and ever-rising cost of textbooks in the state of New Mexico has become an issue. Luis Argon Castro, Catherine Ponce, Mathew Hagman, Saul Velez, and Hannes Harmon have conducted thorough research to bring this problem to the forefront of issues in New Mexico. We wish to open the public’s eyes to the knowledge and information produced by us on this matter. It feels as if commercial companies, publishers, and authors are taking advantage of students statewide in order to collect high profits, which happen to be increasing yearly. The prices have been substantially climbing every year since 1994 and have now surpassed the rise of inflation. Higher education is becoming more and more expensive for students. Not only is tuition continuing to increase in cost, college textbook prices are drastically increasing as well. We as students are curious as to why the prices of textbooks are so high, and why they increase at the rate they do. It is becoming more difficult for students to pay for college along with their everyday living expenses. Students are concerned as to if New Mexico colleges and universities have the students’ best interest in mind, or are they simply interested in profit. We have identified what is behind the price of textbooks as far as their actual worth, and how much is profited by the companies providing the books. Moreover, we have explored alternative solutions for students when purchasing textbooks. We are presenting fellow students all the different alternatives, both legal and illegal; they currently have in order to save money on textbooks. Our objective is to significantly impact the way students and government look at textbook’s rising prices. We will write a custom essay sample on Rising Textbook Prices specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Rising Textbook Prices specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Rising Textbook Prices specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The desired outcome would be to drive down the price of textbooks required for college students in the state of New Mexico. We have presented rules/legislation that would benefit the students. Among the major steps in our solution, we intend on exposing those responsible for absurd prices on textbooks, which are used to form tomorrow’s leaders and fellow citizens. By exploring and analyzing the facts, we have proven that the rising cost of books has no correlation with inflation or rising tuition. Higher cost textbooks are definitely an issue that affects not only the state of New Mexico, but also the whole nation. A vast amount of students are reaping the high expenses of these textbooks prices. Here in New Mexico more and more students are complaining about the high priced textbooks. Even more complain of the small amount of money refunded to them when the â€Å"buy-back† begins. It does not make sense that a student makes less than half of what was paid at the end of a semester when re-selling a book. It especially doesn’t make sense when the book is then put up for sale the next semester for more money than the student made back. This is a serious problem, and is unfair. Who is really benefiting from this? Obviously someone other than the students is. Students already pay an average amount of five to six thousand a year before purchasing textbooks. Students who do not receive scholarships resort to taking out large unsubsidized and subsidized loans to pay for tuition, and at least $900 out of these loans goes to purchasing textbooks every year. Additionally, if a student does not drop out due to financial problems, they could potentially resort to working long hours, thus detrimentally affecting their grades and performance. This is most definitely not beneficial to the state, let alone the university or the student. If a student is forced to drop out due to their financial needs, how does that reflect on the University. This is a financial factor that definitely can be controlled by the University to prevent drop out rates. We firmly believe that action must be taken before the prices continue to get out of hand. Textbook prices are raising four times the rate of inflation. Since 1994 the cost have jumped 62 percent. The most common textbooks for college students are republished every 3 years. The cost is then raised 45 percent more than the previous textbook at a used price, and 12 percent more expensive than the previous new text. The availability of the used textbook is limited for following years. Studies showed that this new release of the textbook was only justified half the time, mostly because of a bundle wrap with a textbook, CD-ROM disc, and additional information. Publishers also charge the American student more for the textbook than students outside the states. A calculus textbook that cost 100 dollars in the United States goes for 38 dollars in the United Kingdom. A chemical principles textbook priced at 185 US dollars cost 88 dollars in the United Kingdom. An increasing amount of students and faculty are becoming more aware of this issue, and some are standing up to question the motives of publishers and ect. As well as seeing the impact high priced textbooks are having on student here in New Mexico. From a poll taken here at New Mexico State University 75 percent of student felt that textbooks were to expensive while 15 percent said they were acceptable. Over the past 25 years, the overall price of textbooks used by college students has dramatically increased throughout the United States. Aside from the statistics, the consensus about this matter is overwhelming not only by students, but also by professors and parents. It is no secret that higher education in the nation is becoming more and more exclusive as the amount of money required for it skyrockets. According to the website Inflationdata. com from 1984 to 2008 the overall inflation was 78. 47%. Contrastingly, a 2005 report from the GAO, the Government Accountability Office, showed that for the period from 1986 to 2004 the cost of tuition increased 240%. ttp://www. gao. gov/new. items/d05806. pdf Alarming enough as this is, the issue that concerns and affects us the most as â€Å"mid-way† college students, is the rate at which the price of textbooks required for classes is voraciously increasing. Additional findings, like the ones made by Charles Pekow, illustrate how due to auxiliary products accompanying the books such as: CD-ROMs, solution manuals, website passkeys, and others; the price of textbooks is actually increasing faster than tuition. (http://diverseeducation. om/article/4852/) A study by the California Student Public Interest Research Group states that the practice of â€Å"bundling† books with non-required materials rose 21 percent between consecutive editions. (http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/articles/A30151-2004Sep17. html) In 2004, the textbook industry accounted for more than $6 billion in the United States alone (National Assoc. of College Stores). The students who suffer the most due to the rising cost, are often community college and public universities Associate Degree seeking ones. This is because they tend to be from a low-income sphere and therefore attend schools with the lowest tuition. According to James V. Koch, a professor of economics and president emeritus at Old Dominium University, most professors do not know the cost of the textbook they recommend or require, thus causing the demand for such to be â€Å"price inelastic†. Furthermore, he argues how universities become passive accomplices to high book prices, as they tend to earn more money as students spend more on textbooks; thanks to their bookstore contracts. After discussing several factors on how companies drive the prices of textbooks up in his article, he finishes by adding: â€Å"If that doesn’t work, they’ll bring out a new edition and with the help of bookstores, render obsolete the old copies. † Which leads us to the ultimate gimmick, a highly obnoxious one, and common nowadays among the industry. A 2004 study by the California Student Public Interest Research Group found that textbook publishers release new editions every 3. 8 years on average, regardless of changes in information and/or problems with the textbooks context. Furthermore, of the textbooks surveyed in such study, it was found that new editions cost $58. 00 more than the older version. This puzzles us as students as we find it absurd that books on well-established, centuries-old disciplines such as calculus, electricity/ magnetism, history and such; need to be updated every 40 or so months. When we talked about the high price of textbooks with people, whether 5 or 20 years older than us, they all had the same view. They agreed that what we pay currently for a textbook is â€Å"insane†. So evidence suggests that textbook publishers are simply pursuing greater profit margins now than they did in the past. Several decades ago, the market used to be dominated by reasonable textbook companies that we assume, really cared about scholarly texts, and not so much about being uncontrollably profitable. Naturally they would seek some line of profit, but in the past, such line could be comfortable and modest thus satisfying the owners/directors. However, today’s market is significantly different. Now, traditional textbook companies have been bought up by gigantic conglomerates, which are plainly concerned about obtaining massive profits. This is dangerous and needs to be acted upon, otherwise textbooks will continue to turn into â€Å"one more† product line, just like toilet paper or tires or shoes, on which to profit out of. An additional remark that can be make is the fact that many formerly independent textbook companies are being bought up and merged under the same corporate umbrella, which in turn reduces competition, therefore hindering Adam Smith’s â€Å"invisible hand†. We created and conducted a survey and gave it to college students, we asked them various questions about their opinions on the current state of textbook pricing. When we asked students what is the most you have spent on an individual textbook to date 59. 1% of those surveyed said the textbook cost them over 200 dollars. Additionally we asked how much money they had spent on textbooks this semester and 45. 5% of the student surveyed said they have spent 400 to 500+ dollars plus in textbooks (Figure1). Over a student’s college career this could add up to around 4000 dollars, which could be two extra semesters worth of tuition at a school like New Mexico State University. When this money for textbooks is paid for with student loans at the current federal subsidized rate of 5. 6% according to the U. S. Department of Education’s web site (2010) this 4000 dollars in books will earn roughly around an additional 900 dollars in interest at the end of 4 years. Figure 1: Amount Spent on Textbooks Survey Results: How do students typically pay for their books. Our survey found that about 59. % pay for books with their own personal savings and additionally 27. 3% use a combination of personal savings and federal and private loans to pay for textbooks. With this we then asked students if they thought their textbooks came with unnecessary supplemental materials such as cd-roms, online access codes, etc and an astonishing 85. 7% of those surveyed said yes. The Government Accountabil ity Office (2005) report found this to be true as well. Regulators working for the Government Accountability Office spoke with publishers who said prices have increased due to the additional supplemental materials. With this in mind students may become more apt to get jobs and or take out more loans to pay for college. With loans and the cost of both books and college tuition exceeding the rate of inflation every year students are faced with more and more debt every year which contribute to drop out rates and low grades. A study by the Government Accountability Office (2005) found that the costs of textbooks exceeded the rate of inflation two times and prices of textbooks have been rising at about six percent a year ( para. 1 p. ) There may be relief to the problem of increasing textbook prices according to an article in Diverse Issues in Higher Education (July 2010) the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act which took effect July 1, 2010 would make publishers provide more information to colleges about pricing before book selection and would put restrictions on bundling books with the additional supplemental materials. This in effect would help students find alternatives to the exploitation of the textbook market. A solution that has been increasingly popular has been textbook rentals. For example the book Technical Communication Today (3rd Edition) is available from the New Mexico State University Book store (Barnes Noble) new for $77. 15 or used for $55. 55. You can purchase this book for as low as $49. 00 on amazon. com. This same book is available from chegg. com for $33. 59 a semester, and from campusbookrentals. com for $36. 24 per semester. These rental sites may be a good alternative to buying pricy textbooks but for some websites various editions and selection can be somewhat limited. According to (Salazar, 2010) despite solutions and legislation that has been enacted to help curb the prices and give students more choices, the selection of books is decided ultimately by college faculty and the prices are set by the publishers. There are possible solutions that could be implemented by New Mexico community colleges and universities to help make textbooks more affordable to students. Faculty should consider possible alternatives available such as custom editions of books tailored to universities and unbundled books as well as digital editions. Universities should consider book trading events and swaps as possibilities and alternatives to buying books. Universities and colleges should also consider the use of â€Å"older† editions of books for fields and classes that do not change much between editions such as mathematics, chemistry and physics. It must be ultimately realized that the most up to date information can be taught from the use of peer reviewed academic journals to show latest discoveries and findings in certain fields rather than relying on information condensed in these pricy textbooks. There may be relief to the problem of increasing textbook prices according to an article in Diverse Issues in Higher Education (July 2010) the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act which took effect July 1, 2010 would make publishers provide more information to colleges about pricing before book selection and would put restrictions on bundling books with the additional supplemental materials. This in effect would help students find alternatives to the exploitation of the textbook market. Five companies publish nearly 80% of college textbooks (Thomson, McGraw-Hill, Houghton-Mifflin, Wiley, and Pearson). There are four major wholesalers that dominate the market and own or operate some college bookstores: Follet, Barnes and Noble, Nebraska Book Company, and College Bookstores of America. These companies are very active with unused and used books. For example, they can typically buy unneeded new books from bookstores for 15%-25% of the original cost and resell them for about 50% of the original cost In December of 2008, the NMSU bookstore was sold to Barnes N Noble. The store is a privately owned company that has locations across universities around the United States, as well as an online store. Luckily, the students of New Mexico State University have a second option, witch is an off campus bookstore and has a lower prices for textbooks to compete with Barnes Noble’s prices. â€Å"A book that the bookstore is selling for $180, I would normally sell for $120,† said Miller, who is a general manager at the off campus bookstore. Textbook sales are profited by more than just the retailer store supplying them even though they take 40% of each sale. Publishers take between 45%-55% plus the author’s royalty’s, which is 8% to 15%, and then the distributor gains 10% off sales. So on a book that cost $27. 95, the retailer would make $12. 58(45%) author royalties make $4. 19(15%) the wholesaler would make $2. 80(10%). Publishing breaks down to pre-production at $3. 55(12. 7%) printing at $2. 83(10. 125%) and marketing at $2(7. 15%), which totals $8. 38 and a total of 30%. Now considering that a textbook cost much more than $28. 00 and sells more than one textbook, these profiteers make a significant amount. In 2008, college book sales reached 4. 3 billion dollars, meaning the people who profit off textbooks aren’t doing so badly. Obviously, it cost money to create a book, but one reason these book prices are raising is because of quality of paper and illustrations used. Hard back or soft back books makes a difference in cost. Considering that books are reprinted every 3 to 4 years, it seems that making a less quality book could work perfectly fine. The feeling of cracking a new book open is one of the many pleasures enjoyed by students who still buy paper books. Paper book buyers are becoming a dying breed. The book industry, like the movie and music industries, has changed greatly with the advent of new technologies like the Kindle, and the iPad. Applications that make electronic digitized versions of almost any book available at your fingertips. The e-book is lighter and cheaper, and since it is paperless, it is also awfully environmentally sociable. For students in particular, more and more textbooks are being made available in this electronic format, and at times saves students as much as 70% off the price of the textbook. One downside of this is that you cant re-sell e-books. However, being cheaper and not taking up shelf space, you may not be so desperate to get rid of them. One thing that cannot be overlooked is e-book piracy. This is likely to increase exponentially as more students buy e-readers, and look for the cheapest way to up load textbooks. The music industrys history with piracy will be repeated as piracy is becoming more widespread with students. Book publishing houses are forced to come up with better models of distribution, like cheaper prices for textbooks. One Web site, Textbook Torrents, promises more than 5,000 textbooks for download in PDF format, complete with the original books layouts and full-color illustrations. Users must simply set up a free account and download a free software program that uses a popular peer-to-peer system called Bit Torrent. Other book-download sites are even easier to use, offering digital books at the click of a mouse. In the article On the Web, a Textbook Proliferation of Piracy the author Young consults a creator of a piracy textbook website â€Å"The founder of the site, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of legal action against him, said in an interview that he considers his actions civil disobedience against the monopolistic business practices of textbook publishers. He said he views the 64,000 registered users of his textbook-download site as votes against a system that charges students too much and continually raises prices. †(Young 2008)Whatever they come up with, it needs to be done soon so students can avoid high prices without having to become an internet pirate and repeat of the ridiculous litigation. Students also are sharing textbooks with classmates to save money on textbooks. All a student needs to do is establish a study group, total the amount of money needed for textbooks for one student, and have everyone in the study group pitch in the same amount of money needed for the books, and procure one copy of each required book. The next step would be to distribute the book in a way so that everyone in the study group gets a copy of the textbook. Electronic version of textbooks can also be purchased, copied and then emailed to classmates. Some digital photographs of physical textbooks have even been found on the internet, then made copies of those files and electronically transfer the scans or photographs to classmates. Sharing textbooks is a very straightforward approach to solve the problem. Just like prescription medicine is cheaper internationally, textbooks are much cheaper internationally than in the US. An International Edition Textbook is simply the international counterpart to a US Edition. Most international editions have slightly different covers and many have different ISBNs on the outside covers (although some have the same ISBN as the US edition on the nside), but are still printed on high-quality paper. Renting is a tempting option for the reason that many textbooks depreciate quickly or become difficult to sell after professors discontinue using them or publishers release new editions. In the article, Renting can cut textbook costs, it gives a valuable percentage, â€Å"With the annual cost of buying college textbooks averaging $1,000, a growing number of college bookstores, publishers and online providers are offering students the chance to rent out their books at a savings of as much as 70%, according to The Wall Street Journal. (Diverse Issues in Higher Education 2009) Renting textbooks is a way for students to obtain the book they require at cheaper price, and without the negative possibility of their textbooks becoming worthless by the end of the semester. In the last few years there has been an increase in online businesses that have started to rent out textbooks, this makes it very convenient and also cost efficient for students at any university. Piracy of e-books, sharing textbooks with classmates, students buying international books and renting textbooks, are several of the tactics being used by students to try and combat unreasonable textbook prices. With our economy today students are usually living from pay check to pay check, money is tight which in turn causes the tendencies of students trying to save as much money as they can, and if that means pirating a textbook, sharing, renting or buying internationally, is cheaper then students don’t hesitate. Textbooks enclose numerous positive effects on the academic lives of students. Unfortunately, this may affect the student’s life finically as well. The ease in finding information relevant to studies is its primary benefit to readers. Along with this, the ability to add side notes or highlight key points makes textbooks a great study guide. For students who are self-motivated and wish to integrate textbook work with other sources, the companion websites, DVDs, workbooks and other supplements offered in addition to most textbooks give students additional methods to learn the same information. Furthermore, the ability to review what is learned in any course using the textbook in conjunction with other course materials makes this an invaluable tool in any educational setting. While often seen as a one-time-only tool, textbooks also provide an acceptable reference for most academic writing (for instance, term papers, essays, and thesis), and may be resold online or at the campus bookstore. Some textbooks can also be returned without charge if borrowed from the campus library. All these benefits are negated if it is unaffordable to the student. Why should the student have to immediately sell the textbook back to the bookstore just to make ends meet? Especially, when those books could later help the students in other classes and even after college. Textbooks should be a pleasant item, not something most college students perceive to be unaffordable. Textbooks are supposed to be a tool to help students succeed. They should not to be a deciding factor in some poor college student’s career because of their ability to purchase required textbooks. New Mexico, being such a poor state should place as a very high priority to safeguard and regulate the state’s educational institution and ensure college students do not have to pay an unreasonable amount for their books just so a bookstore can make a 25% profit. Instructors and textbooks work together to enhance student comprehension of course materials. The difficulty level of the information provided inside a textbook increases gradually, making retention of key points easier. Since chapters from the book are usually presented as course topics, textbooks also make it easier for instructors to organize tests and structure lectures and classroom activities. As new editions are published, new insight to old topics is provided, in order to keep readers current with new technologies and other findings related to the subject matter. The more students understand about a subject, the more effective lectures and other course-related activities tend to be. College administrators should work closely with instructors to ensure that students have access to all necessary textbooks. If New Mexico can make it easier for a student to afford textbooks, students will not find as many obstacles as they currently do to graduate college and succeed. New Mexico State provides many benefits to the city of Las Cruces. When there are more students enrolled at NMSU it has a positive affect on the cities economy. For instance, the students who decide to live off campus are beneficial to the real estate market. Apartment owners are more likely to fill their complexes when more students attend the university. Homeowners also are more prone to rent out their houses during the academic school year. Coldwell Banker reality found that more parents are buying homes instead of paying rent fees for their student. More then half of their realtors are seeing purchases coming from student parents. The hotel and tourism market also is reaping the benefits provided by New Mexico State University students. When families and friends come to visit the student, hotels are able to reserve rooms for these guests. Furthermore, the restaurant industry makes a profit, from the visitors eating out for their meals. It is economically in the cities best interest to keep student enrollment high at NMSU. When NMSU loses students due to dropping out, Las Cruces essentially loses money. If students are unable to pay for college expenses, drop out rates will increase. New Mexico State University and other New Mexico colleges will see a negative affect financially. It is very simple, less students’ equals less money for the university. Universities should be working to keep students, and increase enrollment; by doing so the university will obviously be making more money. Lowering the cost of textbooks will make college more affordable for students, benefitting the students, city, and university. Below is a table that displays the expenses for an out of state student, and an in state student. Undergraduate In-State Budget For NMSU DescriptionCost Tuition and Fees$5,400 Room and Board$8,038 Books and Supply$1,038 Personal Expenses $2,253 Transportation Expenses$1,734 Total$18,463 Undergraduate Out-of- State Budget for NMSU DescriptionCost Tuition and Fees$16,680 Room and Board$8,038 Books and Supply$1,038 Personal Expenses $2,253 Transportation Expenses$1,734 Total$29,743 The high cost of textbooks is an extensively deliberated problem without a popular solution. To ease the burden of textbook prices on students, we propose firm requirements for colleges and publishers to have regulations and legislation concerning the cost of textbooks. Textbooks are a significant piece of the overall expense in higher education and must be regulated. When it comes to education we cannot let profit be a factor in obtaining an education at a public University. Publishers should have to promote conventional textbooks, which are repeatedly economical, and unbundle materials like workbooks and CD’s that are normally wrapped up with textbooks, which increase the cost, even more. They should have to make their textbooks wholesale prices. Make transparent the revision dates of earlier editions, and a summary of the significant content revisions. Make available supplementary formats, such as e-books, paperback books or unbound books in which products are available in all. There is a National Higher Education Opportunity Act that was put into action July 1, 2010 that does implementing a few of this regulation on colleges and publishers. In the article Results for Students may see some gains through new textbook rules: rules provide greater transparency on pricing and restrict publishers from bundling books with supplemental materials. The author Dervarics writes â€Å"With college textbooks costing an estimated average of $900 a year, student and consumer groups say new federal rules taking effect this summer could generate savings for low-income students in the years ahead. †(Dervarics 2010) the article information on the act is a good start to the solution to this problem. Colleges should have to include lists of the necessary and recommended materials for each course in their published catalogs. Also Professors should be required to make reading lists available in time for students to shop around and find the most affable price. In addition the institute should set up advisory committees focusing on textbook expenses to try and create campus specific solutions and publicize heavily on the options that student have in finding textbooks. Students if educated and informed properly would then have plenty of options in finding the proper textbook materials needed to do well. If Publishers and Colleges can give their target consumer (College Students) what they want which is affordable and reasonable priced textbooks, it would help to create a more attainable cost for higher education, affording more students the ability to attend, become more successful in class and obtaining a college degree. In conclusion there are many solutions to the problem of rising textbook costs. Some obvious solutions to the rising prices are the elimination of supplemental materials such as CD-ROMS and access codes which have been deemed unessential by many college students. More can be done in the way of regulating industry practices, like making edits and â€Å"new† material in books more transparent to the consumer. Regulations must be put in place to control prices of books to improve fair profits. We would like colleges and universities to consider options like custom editions priced lower, and things like non-profit bookstores introduced to campuses to insure fair pricing. By lowering textbook prices public institutions become more attractive to both parents and students. More options such as rental websites and rental facilities at college bookstores should be available to students. Regulation must be made to insure that bookstores do not put profits in front of educational success. By making these books more affordable we may be able to lower college dropout rates and help reduce student loan debt for college students. By doing this we may be able to help stimulate the economy by reducing graduate debts and enabling these students to secure credit to buy homes, vehicles, and other property. This will bring the state more money in taxes and improve the lives of students. We must lower textbook costs and regulate the money hungry practices of the publishing industry.

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