mercy and justice

Comp 120: Research and Writing – Essay 1 Assignment Sheet Purpose: The primary goal is mastering structure in formal writing. In this essay cycle, you will concentrate on creating strong thesis statements for argumentative essays, writing effective introductions and conclusions, developing clear paragraphs, and creating efficient paragraph transitions. You will also learn the basics of incorporating research into your work, including accurate quoting, summarizing and paraphrasing. Sources: 3 sources – taken from textbook readings, online databases through Hammermill, and at least one academic website. Requirements: 3-4 pages for first draft and final draft. Must be typed in MLA format (refer to your textbook’s handbook at the back). Original argument which begins from inquiry (it should be plain from your thesis what your original question was). Topic: Topic for this essay comes from our ideas of mercy and justice. Use the free writing prompts below to assist you in narrowing down a topic within mercy and justice. Thesis: Should address one of the ideas raised in our readings about the role of mercy and confronting injustice (there are also other unassigned readings in the textbook that can assist you in understanding). Four central topics that may help guide your thesis are as follows: Race and Poverty, Children in Prison, Mass Incarceration, and the Death Penalty. Choose one aspect of the complicated issues of justice, mercy, poverty, and the criminal justice system to explore in your essay. Refine your argument to an issue that you adequately address in 3 pages. Importance: From the history of racial inequality, the current rates of mass incarceration and its connection to poverty, the changes in how children are tried in an adult justice system, the underrepresentation of African Americans on juries, to the current issues of the death penalty, the EJI (Equal Justice Initiative) deals with some of the most pressing and sensitive issues we are negotiating as a country. The EJI website is another beneficial resource for understanding these complex topics