Between Life and Death | Understanding Capital Punishment and Life Imprisonment

PUBLIC SPEAKING & DEBATE | SENIOR CLASS LEVEL 1

BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH UNDERSTANDING CAPITAL PUNISHMENT AND LIFE IMPRISONMENT

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CLASS INTRODUCTION

Welcoming Remarks Welcome back to class, everyone! If this is your first class, we’re very excited to meet you! Before moving on to our lesson, let’s all introduce ourselves.

Tell us your:

Name

Age

Favourite subject in school

Fantastic! Now that we all know each other, we are ready to embark on an exciting journey of learning.

Along the way, you will discover new ideas, practice thinking on your feet, build your confidence when speaking in front of an audience, and develop your critical thinking skills.

Expectations

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Thrilling activities awaits The activities will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Give awesome speeches!

We'll have a chance to speak up and get helpful feedback!

Active participation I'll call on your wacky ideas to make this class extra special.

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Reminder: Class Rules Now that we all know each other, let’s make this class into a proper classroom!

Here are some rules that we will all follow together:

Before Class 1. Make sure that you’ve eaten breakfast/lunch and have gone to the bathroom 2. Join the Zoom call a few minutes before class starts so we can get started right away!

At the Start of Class 1. Turn your camera on so we can see your lovely smile!

2. Let your coach know if you need to leave class early

During Class 1. Keep your camera on unless you are preparing during an activity 2. Put your hand up if you want to say something 3. Do not leave your computer during class - if you need to go to the bathroom, put your hand up and ask your coach before you go 4. Immediately unmute yourself and reply when you are called on

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CLASS INTRODUCTION

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INTRODUCTION In today's thought-provoking lesson, we enter into the complex issue of capital punishment and life imprisonment. We will examine the contrasting paths of punishment for serious crimes, from capital punishment to life imprisonment. By the end of this class, we will understand the reasoning behind these sentences and the ongoing debates that surround them. As we navigate through the intricacies of justice, we'll ponder the profound impact these decisions have on individuals' lives and our society as a whole.

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CLASS RO

PART 1

PAR

Underst differen of crim senten

Are you Batman?

Warm-up Activity

Understanding how a criminal justice system works

Crash Takin the O Argu

Fair or Not?

Skill B

Group Discussion

SYMBOL OB

Key takeaway

Question

Speaki

OADMAP

RT 2

PART 3

tanding nt types mes and ncing

The Morality of Criminal Sentencing

h & Burn: ng Down Opponent’s ument

Your Day at the Supreme Court Main Exercise

Based Training

BJECTIVES:

ing Activity

Fact

Dictionary

CLASS INTRODUCTION

Overview

By the end of today’s class, you’ll learn:

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s

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How does criminal sentencing work?

The different levels of crime and punishment The morality issues with sentencing How to attack the premise of an argument

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CLASS INTRODUCTION

Are you

Warm-up Ac

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Batman?

ctivity Time

3 mins: Prep 1 min: Speak

Rules Batman’s enemies are some of the most terrible people in Gotham. He has a principle of not killing his enemies because he does not want to be a killer like his rivals.

Do you agree with Batman’s philosophy?

The speech structure will look like this: Yes/No, I agree/ don’t agree with Batman’s philosophy because

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CLASS RO

PART 1

PAR

Underst differen of crim senten

Are you Batman?

Warm-up Activity

Understanding how a criminal justice system works

Crash Takin the O Argu

Fair or Not?

Skill B

Group Discussion

SYMBOL OB

Key takeaway

Question

Speaki

OADMAP

RT 2

PART 3

tanding nt types mes and ncing

The Morality of Criminal Sentencing

h & Burn: ng Down Opponent’s ument

Your Day at the Supreme Court Main Exercise

Based Training

BJECTIVES:

ing Activity

Fact

Dictionary

CLASS RO

PART 1

PAR

Underst differen of crim senten

Are you Batman?

Warm-up Activity

Understanding how a criminal justice system works

Crash Takin the O Argu

Fair or Not?

Skill B

Group Discussion

SYMBOL OB

Key takeaway

Question

Speaki

OADMAP

RT 2

PART 3

tanding nt types mes and ncing

The Morality of Criminal Sentencing

h & Burn: ng Down Opponent’s ument

Your Day at the Supreme Court Main Exercise

Based Training

BJECTIVES:

ing Activity

Fact

Dictionary

PAR UNDERSTAN CRIMINAL JUS

RT 1 NDING THE STICE SYSTEM

PART 1: UNDERSTANDING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

WHAT IS A CRIME? A crime is considered an act against the legal system or laws of a country. Crimes can range from things such as littering to taking away someone’s life.

Did you know?

Legal systems and laws differ from country to country, so the same action is a crime in one country but is perfectly legal in others. An example is civilians owning guns

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PART 1: UNDERSTANDING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

WHY DO PEOPLE COMMIT CRIMES? Pure evil

Some people are just genuinely evil and want to h others for their satisfaction.

Examples: Serial killers, terrorists, mass shooters

Economic:

Crimes of Passion

Stealing because of poverty, to feed themselves or the family.

Example: Stealing food from a bakery, taking someone wallet

Seeking revenge on someone because they felt wrong that particular person.

Example: Hurting the person your partner cheated on with

Discrimination and irrational hate towards someone le people to attack or confront them.

Racism:

Carelessness:

Example: American-Asians were subject to various typ harassment after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic because many irrational individuals blamed them for c the virus.

Crimes are often committed simply because people ar careless about what they are doing or are unaware of Example: Drunk driving or littering

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?

hurt

eir

e's

ged by

you

eads

pes of

creating

re the law.

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PART 1: UNDERSTANDING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

SHORT STORY: THE PR AND CONVICTIN

Reporting a crime Jack wakes up and finds his car has a broken window. He goes to the police and files a report about the crime.

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Reporting a crime Police show up at Jack’s house and start collecting evidence, looking at CCTV cameras and DNA prints.

Arres

After gat evidence, p convinced t neighbor M person who window. Pol an arrest w Mark from court ju

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ROCESS OF CATCHING NG A CRIMINAL

st

thering police are that Jack’s Mark is the o broke the lice collect warrant for the local udge.

Court trial Mark is then taken to court for his trial. During the trial, Mark’s lawyer will argue against the prosecution’s lawyer to prove his innocence. Both of them will present arguments and evidence to convince the judge of their side of the story.

Lawyers are also allowed to call witnesses and experts for their testimonies.

Verdict and Sentencing guilty by the judge and has been sentenced to 1 month in jail and a 10,000 USD fine.

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PART 1: UNDERSTANDING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

SHORT STORY: THE PROCESS OF CATCHING AND CONVICTING A CRIMINAL Note on Sentencing: An individual should only be found guilty by the court when there is overwhelming proof that the person has committed the crime.

This is known as “Guilty Beyond Reasonable Doubt.”

A reasonable doubt is a doubt that would cause a reasonable person to hesitate or be uncertain about a decision.

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Police cannot arrest someone at will. They need to collect evidence, show it to a judge, and then the judge will issue an arrest warrant.

Arrest warrant: An arrest warrant is a legal document issued by a court or a judge that authorizes law enforcement officials to arrest and detain an individual.

Testimony: A spoken or written statement issued in a court either by a witness or an expert

Fun Fact Singapore has the lowest crime rate in the entire Asian continent.

Did you know?

Court systems across the world employ the belief of innocence until proven guilty. This means that unless someone is found guilty by the court they are considered innocent.

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PART 1: UNDERSTANDING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE A miscarriage of justice refers to a situation in which a person is wrongly convicted or punished for a crime they did not commit due to errors, misconduct, or other flaws in the legal process.

Did you know?

The Central Park Five: In 1989, five teenagers of color were wrongfully convicted of the assault of a female jogger in Central Park, New York City. They spent several years in jail wrongfully until the actual criminal came forward and confessed. It is known as one of the worst miscarriages of justice in US history.

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An error by witness Eyewitnesses may make mistakes identifying a criminal’s appearance or may lie to get attention.

Police errors Often police may make mistakes while investigating or collecting evidence.

For example: Sometimes the police are so convinced of a criminal’s guilt that they fail to collaborate with other agencies leading to them missing out on vital evidence.

Police incentives There is often huge pressure on the police to make an arrest right after a crime has been committed. Many times the police try to rush a conviction to get the media off their backs.

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PART 1: UNDERSTANDING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

Racial Profili ng It is easier to blame a nd convict m inorities o f crimes bec ause of th e unfair ster eotypes against th em.

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MISCARRIAGE

Fals

Often su tremend and psyc law en during leads the they

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E OF JUSTICE

se confessions

uspects are put under dous physical, mental, chological pressure by nforcement officials interrogation, which em to confess crimes y might not have committed.

Jury Bias Jury members are part of society and like others, are prone to be influenced by factors of racism, media coverage, and social attitudes.

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PART 1: UNDERSTANDING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

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Fair or Not? Activity

Time

2 mins: Prep 1 min: Speak

Rules Do you think the punishment handed down to Mark of one month in jail and a 10,000 USD fine for breaking John’s car window is fair or unfair?

Was it fair, too harsh or should it have been harsher?

If you think it was fair, please explain why.

If you think it wasn’t fair, what is the alternative punishment you had in mind? Justify your new sentence.

Guidelines: You may follow this structure below: I think the punishment was fair/ too harsh/ too lenient The reason why I think it’s fair/ harsh/ lenient is because ___________________ I think a fairer sentence would have been __________ .

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PAR UNDERSTANDIN TYPES OF CRIMES

RT 2 NG DIFFERENT S & SENTENCING

PART 2: UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRIMES & SENTENCING

FIGURING OUT SENTENCING

Littering or jaywalking is a crime, and so is killing an individual. But they are d crimes and hence will have different levels of punishments as well.

Crimes are categorized into three different levels based on the severity of th impact that it has on the victims.

FELONY

MISDEMEANOR

How serious?

Most serious types of crimes involving the most serious actions

These are less serious offenses compared to felonies

Punishment

Significant fines and imprisonment for at least a year and more

Shorter jail sentences and smaller fines

Degree of crime

Felonies have different degrees based on the seriousness of the crime

Misdemeanors are also classified into different levels based on the seriousness of the crime.

Victims

Impacted by immense amounts of physical or mental trauma.

May need emergency medical aid to overcome injuries.

Examples

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murder, robbery, assault

Compared to felonies, victims are less distressed but still may need minor care to overcome the trauma.

IN

Le

Ve tim oth c

The ca Ther

Varies from individual to individual. petty theft, simple assault

Traf

different levels of

he action and the

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Did you know?

Some legal systems also classify crimes such as “capital offenses” to refer to crimes that are punishable by death. These are referred to as Class A felonies in the US Justice System.

NFRACTION OR VIOLATION

east serious type of criminal offense.

ery rarely leads to jail me. Mostly fines and her penalties such as community service.

ese are what you may all victimless crimes. re is no direct harm to someone else.

ffic violations, littering

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PART 2: UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRIMES & SENTENCING

WHO DECIDES ON THE SENTENCING OF CRIMINALS? Different legal systems have different factors they take into account before deciding a sentence for a criminal but in the majority of countries, it is the judge who decides the sentencing.

Fun Fact: 87 % of all state court judges in the USA need to win an election to get the position.

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PART 2: UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRIMES & SENTENCING

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE A JUDGE BEFORE DECIDING A SENTENCE 1. THE SEVERITY OF THE CRIME If the crime is very severe, you are likely to see longer sentences being handed out.

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2. PRE-SENTENCE REPORTS Judges are often given reports about the criminal and their background and history to help them determine why the criminal committed the crime and if they are likely to commit this crime again.

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PART 2: UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRIMES & SENTENCING

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE A JUDGE BEFORE DECIDING A SENTENCE 3. VICTIM STATEMENTS Victims get to state how much the crime has impacted them on a physical and mental level in front of the court.

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4. RECOMMENDATIONS FROM PROSECUTION AND DEFENSE Lawyers from both sides of the case can recommend the judge hand out a specific sentence while in court. They are expected to justify why their recommendation is fair.

5. PRE-EXISTING SENTENCING GUIDELINES Many courts and legal systems have guidelines set up to recommend a length of punishment to the Judges based on the crimes.

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PART 2: UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRIMES & SENTENCING

THE DIFFERENT TYP

Some punishments do

Fines A type of punishment where you pay a certain amount of money

Community service A type of punishment where you are forced to participate in tasks that benefit the community (cleaning, planting trees, etc.)

Fun Fact: Courts in China fined a tech company $2.8 billion for breaching the laws.

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Proba

A situation criminal is remain outsid meet certain like staying known co regular chec offic

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PES OF PUNISHMENT

o not require jail time

ation

n where the allowed to de jail if they n conditions g away from onvicts or ck-in with an cer.

Restitution

Rehabilitation

A situation where the criminal is willing to compensate the victims financially for damages caused.

Some punishments require you to attend a treatment program, such as Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatments.

Pick your poison: Would you rather pay a $3000 fine or do 30 hours of community service?

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PART 2: UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRIMES & SENTENCING

PUNISHMENTS THAT INVOLVE PRISON SENTENCES

Imprisonment The offender is going to be locked up in jail for a specific amount of time depending on the severity of the crime.

Sometimes people are released ahead of their full length because of good behavior in jail.

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Life Imprisonm

This is a type of senten convicted individual has t of their life in jail. This maximum amount of available in many justice the world and is given to the most serious offenses cases, some people who h life imprisonment are le early if they exhibit goo authorities are convinced a threat to society

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Fun Fact: 1. 100+ years of imprisonment: Even though courts know criminals will die much before, sentences are handed out to reflect the severity of the crime committed.

2. Criminals are granted a final meal request of their choosing before they are executed. The most common last meal requests in the USA are cheeseburgers.

ment

nce where the to spend the rest is usually the punishment systems across o criminals with s. In exceptional have been given et out of prison od behavior and d that they aren’t anymore.

Capital Punishment This is the legal process in which a convicted criminal is sentenced to die.

This punishment is given for the most serious crimes such as cold-blooded murder. Different countries use different versions of capital punishment. Methods such as hanging, electrocution, and lethal injection are the most commonly used.

People handed capital punishment are allowed to appeal the verdict in which case their case will again be heard by a new judge.

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PART 2: UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRIMES & SENTENCING

SUMMARY: LIFE IMPRISONMENT VS. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT Type of punishment

Life Imprisonment

Capita

How serious?

Sentenced to spend a lifetime in prison

Sente by

Punishment

Highest level of punishment in countries that don’t have capital punishment

The h punishm

Degree of crime

The most serious level of a criminal offense

The mo of a cr

Victims

Almost always results in loss of life

R l

Examples

Yes, you can appeal but it will not be given special consideration

Early release

Under exceptional circumstances, good behavior results in early release

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Yes, you c

will be giv

No senten

al Punishment

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Did you know?

Most of the Western world (such as the entire European Union, Scandinavia, and the UK) has abolished capital punishment except in the United States of America (in certain states).

enced to death y execution

highest level of ment anywhere

ost serious level riminal offense

Results in loss of life

can appeal and the case ven urgent priority

ot a chance, nced to death

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PART 2: UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRIMES & SENTENCING

Crash & Burn: Taking Down an Argument Skill-based Training What is it?

The premise of an argument is the logical foundation on which the argument is built. The premise is used to give logical support to the outcome of the argument. In short, if you take the premise away from the argument it will not make any sense.

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Imagine you want to build the tallest skyscraper possible. But the taller it gets, the harder it becomes to keep it standing.

That's why you have to build the strongest possible foundation for the building to stand tall. The argument is the skyscraper and the premise is the foundation. A skyscraper will collapse without a foundation and an argument will collapse without a strong premise.

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PART 2: UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRIMES & SENTENCING

Crash & Burn: Taking Down an Argument

Skill-based Training Example Poor people should receive reduced punishment for non-violent crimes such as theft.

Argument Assertion: Poor people do not have enough opportunities Premise: If you are poor, you are most likely not sufficiently educated because you couldn’t afford it. Without sufficient education, you can not earn enough.

Conclusion: This leads to poorer individuals not having enough opportunities to earn.

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How to structure rebuttals while attacking the premise: 1. Identify the assertion 2. Figure out and attack the premise 3. A summary of the rebuttal

How to structure rebuttals while attacking the premise: The argument asserts that early contracts make children irresponsible. The premise of the argument is that the moment kids make money they become irresponsible. This is untrue because we don’t think all kids are reckless. They also have parents, managers, and coaches who can guide them through this phase. Because we have broken the premise of the argument, the conclusion is no longer valid.

The premise is the analysis that links the assertion and the conclusion. If you can attack the premise, you break the foundation of the argument and therefore it becomes invalid.

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PART 2: UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRIMES & SENTENCING

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Class Discussion Topic This house believes that crime documentaries do more good than harm Argument In this argument, we will prove why crime documentaries help victims. These shows will tell the world about what the victim faced and this will allow the victim to share their story to the rest of the world and this is what most victims want. As a result, we feel this will help victims.

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PART 2: UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRIMES & SENTENCING

Class Discussion Topic This house believes that crime documentaries do more good than harm

Answers Assertion: Helpful for victims Premise: Victim’s story will be publicized and this is what the victim would have wanted Conclusion: As a result, victims are helped

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How do we attack this argument?

“The premise of the argument is that victims are helped by these documentaries. The premise is that victims want their stories to be told. This is untrue because most victims will not want to constantly relive the trauma over and over again. This only dehumanizes them even more in the eyes of the public. As a result, we have proven why the premise of the argument is faulty and should not stand.”

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PART 2: UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRIMES & SENTENCING

The Arguments Topic: This house would allow lawyers to use evidence that was obtained illegally in court Argument: We would like to prove why evidence obtained illegally helps us catch criminals effectively.

Police will only obtain evidence illegally when there is no other way for them to catch and convict a criminal.

As a result, we think this will be used fairly and effectively.

Topic: This house believes that the media should report on the mental illness of those accused of crimes Argument: With this argument, we will prove why media reporting on the mental illness of the accused will lead to more awareness. More focus on the mental health of criminals will give us better information about their behavioral patterns and lead to the prevention of crimes in the future.

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Attacking the Premise of an Argument Activity Time

5 mins: Prep 2 mins: Speak

Rules You will be given two arguments below. Pick one of them and use the examples discussed above to break the premise of each of the arguments.

Guidelines: 1. Identify the assertion 2. Figure out and attack the premise 3. Small summary Structure your speech like this: The assertion for the argument is __________.

The Premise of the argument is ____ and the reason why it does not make sense is because _______.

Because I have broken the premise the argument has no foundation anymore.

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PART 2: UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRIMES & SENTENCING

FEEDBACK Now I will be giving you feedback on your speech.

Feedback will focus on two things: 1. Were you able to correctly identify the assertion?

2. Were you able to point out and attack the premise?

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PART 2: UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRIMES & SENTENCING

CONGRATULATIO COMPLETING THE

Here is a demonstration of how you c Topic 1 The assertion for this argument is that this will help police catch criminals effectively.

The premise for this argument is that the police will only use this to catch criminals when there is no other way. This premise is extremely risky as it assumes that the police will only use this in a fair way. Certain policemen may be racist or just look for an easy conviction and abuse this law.

Now that I have broken the premise, this argument can not stand.

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UNLEASHING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

ONS ON E ACTIVITY!

could have completed this activity:

Topic 2 The assertion for this reporting on the mental health of criminals leads to good awareness.

The premise for the argument is that this reporting leads to people being more understanding of mental health problems.

This is not accurate because reporting about the mental health of criminals will only increase the stigma that an average individual with mental health problems faces. People will start tagging anyone with mental health issues as a potential criminal.

This logic breaks the premise of the argument and hence the argument falls.

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PAR THE MORA CRIMINAL SE

RT 3 ALITY OF ENTENCING

PART 3: THE MORALITY OF CRIMINAL SENTENCING

THE MORALITY BEHIND SENTENCING Have you ever wondered why we send people to jail?

1. DETERRENCE: It's a way of discouraging crime by making people believe that the costs(punishments) outweigh the potential benefits.

2. PROTECTION: This is the principle that society needs to be protected from individuals who are capable of causing harm. In jail, criminals can’t harm society because they are locked up.

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3. RETRIBUTION: Someone who harmed others should face punishment. This is society’s way of expressing anger towards the crime and seeking a sense of justice.

However, retribution should never be more extreme than the severity of the crime committed.

4. REHABILITATION: We jail people to try and fix them and mend the behavior that led to them committing the crime. We want to give people a second chance at life, recognizing that people can learn from their mistakes.

Out of the 4 reasons discussed, which one do you feel is the most important aspect of jailing people?

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PART 3: THE MORALITY OF CRIMINAL SENTENCING

THE IMPORTANCE OF REHABILITATION With Life imprisonment and Capital punishment, you either die or stay in jail till you die. However, many prisoners will be released from jail at some point. For those individuals, jails have a rehabilitation system. The goal is to better prepare these criminals for the world outside when they are released so that they can earn an honest living and not fall back on crime.

1. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS Someone who harmed others should face punishment.

This is society’s way of expressing anger towards the crime and seeking a sense of justice. However, retribution should never be more extreme than the severity of the crime committed.

2. SUBSTANC TREATMENT

This includes things l therapy to help inma substance abuse issu alcohol

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3. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES These help inmates deal with the trauma and the depression of being locked away from society. It also addresses anger issues some prisoners may have that led to them committing crimes

CE ABUSE

like counseling and ates recover from ues such as drug and

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PART 3: THE MORALITY OF CRIMINAL SENTENCING

THE IMPORTANCE OF REHABILITATION 4. RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PROGRAMS This focuses on the ability of the criminal to try and connect back to the community. It includes things such as allowing the criminal to go out for community service.

Sometimes jails also facilitate or encourage conversations between criminals and the victim/victim families so that the criminal can repent/ask for forgiveness and also truly understand the consequences of their actions on the family.

5. RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL SERVICES Providing inmates with an opportunity for religious learning and spiritual healing.

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Why do you think the justice system does not allow victims to choose the punishment for their offenders?

Hint: 1. Are victims likely to be objective or emotional?

2. Will they choose an appropriate punishment?

3. Are they likely to completely forgive the criminal?

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PART 3: THE MORALITY OF CRIMINAL SENTENCING

LET'S LOOK AT SOME ARGUMENTS AND AGAINST CAPITAL PUNISHM For 1. Deterrence: This is the most serious form of deterrence possible. Even with life imprisonment, you can still access some basic things like food, shelter, etc. but with capital punishment, your life ends right there.

2. Retribution: Some crimes are just so terrible that the only way to give justice to the victim and their family is to sentence the criminal to death.

3. Permanently erase bad elements from society: Some people being alive, even in jail, is a risk in and of itself. It's preferable we eliminate them and not risk further harm.

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Against

1. Wrongful conviction: Som was convicted might be pr innocent if some new evid turns up years later. Execu means we end up killing an human being. The death p irreversible.

2. Ethical considerations: Kil goes against the entire co human dignity and the mo to life. States should maint moral standard than crimin 3. Ineffective deterrent: Stat that crime rates have noth the fear of the death pena to show that it is not an ac and we should not use this to execute people. If peop on committing a crime, the regardless of the punishm

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S FOR MENT

meone who roven dence/ witness uting them n innocent penalty is

lling someone oncept of ost basic right tain a higher nals. tistics show hing to do with alty. This goes ctual deterrent s as an excuse ple are intent ey will do it ment involved.

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PART 3: THE MORALITY OF CRIMINAL SENTENCING

LET'S LOOK AT SOME ARGUMENT AND AGAINST LIFE IMPRISONME For 1. Deterrent: This is a good deterrent for a lot of criminals, especially if there is no possibility of early release. You are alive but trapped in a cell forever.

2. Human Rights: Even though you may be trapped in a cell, you can still access basic human rights such as the right to food, right to education, shelter, etc.

3. The state should not execute another human being: If the state kills a criminal, then there is no difference between the state and the criminal. States should have moral integrity.

Do you think criminals are deterred by capital punishment or life imprisonment?

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Again

1. Focusing too heav punishment: Instea punishment, we sh change the root ca these crimes and fo rehabilitation.

2. Waste of human li prisoners rot in jail their lives, they bec society. We are tak hope, purpose, and 3. Rehabilitation mig imprisonment assu criminals can never need to be open-m give criminals the c rehabilitate and be citizens.

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TS FOR ENT

nst

vily on ad of focusing on hould try to auses that lead to ocus more on

ife: By making l for the rest of come burdens on king away their d dignity. ght work: Life umes that r change. We minded. We must chance to ecome good

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PART 3: THE MORALITY OF CRIMINAL SENTENCING

Your Day at the Supreme Court Activity Time

5 mins: Prep 2-3 mins: Speak

Rules Please read the arguments by the prosecution lawyer carefully and respond to them: 1st argument: 1. Assertion: Capital punishment protects human dignity 2. Premise: The government must take away the life of a convicted murderer because they disrespected human dignity 3. Conclusion: Thus we protect human dignity 2nd argument: 1. Assertion: Not giving the death penalty encourages criminals.

2. Premise: Criminals fear the death penalty and won’t commit crimes 3. Conclusion: The death penalty equals fewer crimes

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Guidelines: Use this structure to respond to the arguments: The argument asserts that capital punishment protects human dignity.

The premise is that the government should execute a murderer because they don’t respect human dignity. I disagree with this because _____________ (hint: refer to the ethical considerations of capital punishment).

I have broken the premise and thus the argument falls.

This argument asserts that the death penalty reduces crime.

The premise is that criminals fear the death penalty and hence commit fewer crimes. I disagree with the premise because ________________ (hint: refer to the link between crime rate and the death penalty).

A broken premise means a broken argument and hence it falls.

BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH

PART 2: UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRIMES & SENTENCING

FEEDBACK Now it's time for me to give some feedback on your speech: 1. Style: Your pace, eye contact, hand gestures, and overall tone.

2. Analytical: How to make the responses against the premise even more persuasive.

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BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH

BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH

RECAP

1. A crime is an act committed against the legal system of a state 2. A miscarriage of justice occurs when a person has been wrongly convicted.

Errors by witnesses, police, and racial profiling are just some of how a miscarriage of justice takes place.

3. Judges usually sentence the criminal and they take into consideration various factors before deciding the sentence. The factors are: a. The severity of the crime b. Victim statement c. Sentencing guidelines 4. There are 3 levels of crime: felony, misdemeanors, and infractions.

5. Life imprisonment and capital punishment are the highest levels of punishment possible in the legal system.

6. Jails offer a series of rehabilitation services to reintegrate criminals back into society.

7. Attacking the premise is the most effective strategy to break an argument.

PUBLIC SPEAKING & DEBATE | SENIOR CLASS LEVEL 1

THANK YOU EXCITED TO SEE YOU ALL NEXT WEEK!

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