Page 10 - 2023-bfw-TLC-4e

Conversely, when respondents were rescinded by the agency during the Trump 2
exposed to what are known as “people first” administration and has yet to be reinstated by
terms — alternatives such as “person with a the Biden administration.) Recently, the
felony conviction” or “person with prior criminal-justice-focused Marshall Project
convictions” — they were far more likely to committed to a people-first style guide. We urge
have a more positive association. When looking other journalism organizations to follow its lead.
at mock newspaper headlines and articles Words alone did not make and will not
that used either dehumanizing or people-first unmake mass incarceration and mass crimi-
language (but were otherwise identical), nalization. But they do make a difference. Over
75 percent of those who read these stories were the past 15 months we’ve witnessed the pan- Section 1 / Understanding and Analyzing Evidence
less likely to support reform or to empathize demic rage through prisons, turning even
with the people discussed when dehumanizing more jail stays and prison terms into death
labels were used. sentences. We’ve asked again and again what it
Across the study, respondents age 50 or would really take to defend Black lives from
older were as much as twice as likely as other policing. And through it all, we have been
groups to change their views depending on the reminded of a statement by Eddie Ellis, a
terminology used. This matters beyond how formerly incarcerated advocate and founder
language skews individual views on crime and of the Center for NuLeadership on Urban
punishment, because this age group — one Solutions. In “An Open Letter to Our Friends
whose members are more likely to be White, on the Question of Language,” composed in
rural and conservative — has outsize influence 2006, he wrote, “Calling me inmate, convict,
in shaping, enacting and implementing prisoner, felon or offender indicates a lack of
criminal justice laws. As we note in our report, understanding of who I am, but more impor-
people over age 50 make up only 36 percent tantly what I can be.”
of the U.S. population but 82 percent of state Our new research proves Ellis’s point. We 10
governors and 74 percent of members of hope it will inspire a commitment from the
Congress. Fifty is the average age at which news media and the general public to adopt
federal judges are appointed. more responsible and humane language. If we
The movement calling for people-first lan- truly want to rethink the way safety and justice
guage isn’t new. In 2016, under the administra- are pursued in this country, we must all recog-
tion of President Barack Obama, the Office of nize that the tens of millions of individuals and
Justice Programs announced it would scrub families who come into contact with the system
harmful carceral terms from its website, grant are people, first.
solicitations and speeches. (The policy was 2021

Understanding and Analyzing Evidence

Once a writer has established a claim, the next step is to defend it with sufficient
evidence and effective reasoning. What does it mean to provide sufficient evidence for
a claim? Both quantity and quality matter: basically, there must be enough evidence,
and it has to provide solid support for your claim. This is why it’s important to choose
67

Uncorrected proofs have been used in this sample. Copyright © Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers.
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers.
For review purposes only. Not for redistribution.
03_sheatlc4e_40925_ch02_058_111_4pp.indd 67 8/9/22 2:54 PM