Which descriptiоn mаtches the telescоpe nаmed SOFIA?
Whаt kind оf аsterоid crоsses into Eаrth’s orbit?
An essentiаl ingredient оf pоetry is
Essаy Prоmpt Reаd Stаnley Andrisse’s article belоw, “I Went frоm Prison to Professor: Here’s Why Criminal Records Should Not Be Used to Keep People Out of College.” Then write a well-developed persuasive essay responding to this question: Do you agree or disagree with Andrisse’s argument that criminal records should not prevent incarcerated or formerly incarcerated people from pursuing higher education? Take a clear position and support your thesis with evidence or quotations from the article and your own reasoning. Important: You must choose one side of the argument. Do not try to argue both sides or write that you both agree and disagree. You may briefly acknowledge an opposing viewpoint, but your essay must clearly defend either agreement or disagreement throughout. Reading Dr. Stanley Andrisse is the executive director of From Prison Cells to PhD, Inc., an organization that helps people with criminal records pursue higher education. He is also a professor of medicine. I Went from Prison to Professor: Here’s Why Criminal Records Should Not Be Used to Keep People Out of College by Stanley Andrisse, 2018 Andrisse explains that the Common Application planned to stop asking applicants about their criminal histories. He supports that change because he believes prior convictions should not automatically prevent people from pursuing higher education. He argues that colleges and financial-aid systems should remove additional barriers as well. His own experience is central to his argument. Andrisse was convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to ten years in prison. A prosecutor once said that he had no hope of changing. Later, however, Andrisse earned an advanced education and became a professor who helps train future doctors. He states, “Education was transformative.” Andrisse says his experience demonstrates that a person’s past does not necessarily determine that person’s future. Someone who once committed crimes may later become a professor, doctor, or productive member of society, but only if that person is given a meaningful opportunity to change. The Transformative Power of Education According to Andrisse, education can help people with criminal records move beyond the penal system and reach their potential. He writes that increased education is connected to higher income and a lower likelihood of returning to prison. He cites a 2013 analysis finding that higher education reduced recidivism, or the rate of returning to prison, by 43 percent. The same analysis found that education was four to five times less expensive than re-incarcerating someone. Andrisse summarizes this point by arguing that education “increases personal income and reduces crime.” He also notes that educational attainment is much lower among people leaving prison than among the general population. Many people released from prison do not have a high-school diploma or GED, and only a small percentage have a college degree. Andrisse presents these differences as evidence that many incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people lack access to educational opportunities. Barriers to College Andrisse describes the difficulty he faced when applying to graduate school. Although he already had a bachelor’s degree, five of the six biomedical graduate programs to which he applied rejected him. The one program that accepted him included a mentor who knew him personally. Andrisse later finished near the top of his graduate-school class, suggesting that he had been academically qualified despite the earlier rejections. Cost is another major barrier. Andrisse explains that when federal Pell Grant funding was removed from prisons in the 1990s, most colleges stopped offering prison courses because students could no longer afford them. He supports programs that allow incarcerated students to use Pell funding for college courses. He argues that the amount spent on these programs represents only a very small share of all Pell Grant funding and may save money by reducing future incarceration. Andrisse also criticizes questions on college and financial-aid applications that ask applicants about drug convictions. He refers to a study finding that many potential students who disclosed a conviction did not finish their applications. He believes such questions discourage applicants and make them feel that colleges see them only as criminals. Andrisse’s Main Argument Andrisse concludes that criminal records should not be used as automatic barriers to higher education. He believes education gives people a realistic chance to change, build careers, support themselves, and contribute to society. He also argues that society benefits when education reduces crime and the likelihood that people will return to prison. Critics may argue that limited financial-aid dollars should go first to people who have not committed crimes. Andrisse responds that prison-education programs use only a small portion of available Pell funding and that their social and financial benefits justify the cost. His final warning is that when people with criminal records are made to feel that they do not belong in college, society may lose their “potential and hidden talents.” Source note: This embedded reading is based on Stanley Andrisse’s 2018 article, “I Went from Prison to Professor: Here’s Why Criminal Records Should Not Be Used to Keep People Out of College.”