The Samples of Essay about the Incarceration Cover Up

The Samples of Essay about the Incarceration Cover Up Cost-free Incarceration essay samples are offered on FreeEssayHelp with no payment or registration. With FreeEssayHelp you'll find hundreds of Incarceration essay topics in a matter of many seconds. Study them and find that one you'd be interested in. This isn't an instance of the work generated by our Essay Writing Service. That's the death penalty. The records also demonstrate that the variety of incarceration is in the upswing. Incarceration is among the legal types of punishment for offenses including felony in the USA of America. The way an offender is punished for a crime can differ based on age or the sort of crime committed. Where to Find Samples of Essay about the Incarceration Based on the Prison Violence Prison violence is something which has been an ongoing issue and can be viewed in many distinctive forms. The offenders that are mentally ill need to be provided the care that will improve their normal fun ctioning in order to fit in the exact same environment with the other offenders. It's reported that a large part of the mentally ill individuals are observed in prisons rather than individuals leading their regular lives freely in the society. Whenever these inmates are facing the outside realities all at one time, they simply return to their old ways. The Number One Question You Must Ask for Samples of Essay about the Incarceration It is possible to place an order much like this with us. The dearth of adequate treatment for them means they are extremely very likely to resume substance abuse when they are done serving their terms. In the majority of instances, it cannot enhance the behavior of an individual. The last stage was dubbed by some advocates as the length of the invisible punishment. A cause and effect essay is the kind of paper that the writer is using to analyze the causes and effects of a specific action or event. You ought to be proficient in the topic, have an overall idea about the chosen issue and figure out how to get the best arguments to show your thesis. To get started writing your assignment you would want to run into an interesting and promising topic. You should opt for an essay topic which you are acquainted with and that appeals to the reader's emotions. Pay attention that the subject of your paper is supposed to be exhausted enough to demonstrate the readers what they are likely to meet inside. Your ideas have the extreme price but they ought to be supported by the factual data. Together with the topics, you'd come across loads of papers at no cost. Samples of Essay about the Incarceration and Samples of Essay about the Incarceration - The Perfect Combination Everybody has a responsibility in taking the initiative to market health and well-being because it is going to provide you a quality of life. Eliminating health inequality among individuals ought to be the primary goal of a country's health policy. This information is essential for showing that very frequently, it's essential to isolate some individuals from the society. There's little awareness concerning the link between both. The Rise of Samples of Essay about the Incarceration Hiring someone to write a college essay is such a superior approach to acquire an exempl ary result when you speak about a personalized essay. The essay isn't the simplest task to master. They soon nominated Tudor among the authors who were sabotaging the entire modernist school. If you wish to try to return to college, you can't secure financial aid to cover school. Nevertheless, there are circumstances when incarceration is the sole option readily available to the state. It's therefore seen that parental incarceration is the thing that makes some individuals to be deemed as social outcasts. Accordingly, under such conditions, incarceration may be the only solution readily available to policy-makers. Inside my opinion, Mass incarceration should end once and for all. Therefore, among the most effective arguments for reducing youth incarceration is to conserve taxpayer money. Recidivism may also lead to childhood trauma on account of the cycle of incarceration and release. The remedy to this racial inequity isn't to incarcerate more whites, but lower using prison for low-level drug offenders and to improve the access to substance abuse therapy. To some level, the developing incarceration rates can be explained by the emphasis on punishment that's supposed to avoid somebody from acting illegally later on. Samples of Essay about the Incarceration The requirements to be a correctional officer is to supply security and to enforce the rules, not to donate to the chaos! In addition, these professionals discuss if it's possibly only to incarcerate men and women in order to boost the security locally. It can be hard to understand how to compose a persuasive essay involving prison. The majority of the misunderstanding about the words is that probat ion officers might also be called parole officers.

Human And Behavior Health Service - 870 Words

The outpatient ambulatory service I will examine is Children s National Medical Center located in Rockville, Maryland. This office was open four years ago and offers a wide range of services to the pediatric population. It includes full service imaging department, offering MRI, CAT scan, Ultra Sound, and Diagnostic X-ray. In addition, there is: †¢ Diabetic Clinic †¢ Orthopedic surgery and clinic †¢ Pulmonary specialist †¢ Mental and behavior health service †¢ Gastroenterologist †¢ Genetics †¢ ENT †¢ Allergist †¢ Rehabilitation services †¢ Rheumatologists †¢ Hematology and Oncologists †¢ Endocrinologist Children s National Medical Center have a name brand that is recognized and having this free standing ambulatory service help the organization capitalized on a market previously not services. At this facility, the patient population from as far as Hagerstown, Pennsylvania and Virginia is service. This is so because the organization have identified and addressed barriers to efficient and customer focused ambulatory care services and operations. This include, long wait times to schedule an appointment, high occupancy rates in the hospital settings, ease of access not to exclude parking availability. Johnson, T. K. (2010) stated that as hospitals prepare for healthcare reform, ambulatory care would become even more important to their missions and bottom lines. He added that Providers should broaden their strategic focus beyond traditional inpatient services and deliver increasinglyShow MoreRelatedOrganizational Behavior Of Texas Health And Human Services Commissi on2687 Words   |  11 PagesOrganizational behavior is the investigation of the behavioral factors that affect modern organizations and their management at the individual, group, and organization-wide levels (Baack, 2012). It is an important aspect in an organization for supervisors because they are responsible for creating a good environment for their employees. There has to be an understanding of employee behavior, organizational culture, good communication, and the ability to enforce any changes without any resistance. ItRead MoreAn Exploration Of The Behavioral Management Aide Career Essay1135 Words   |  5 PagesAbstract This paper is a brief exploration of the Behavioral Management Aide career in the Social and Human Service Assistant field. It is a sometimes difficult yet rewarding job in which the professional works with clients to assess them and help them solve any issues they are having which hinders them from living a fulfilling, happy life. It is a career that is expected to grow over the next few years and it only requires a high school education, but a college degree and previous experience isRead MoreDepartment of Human Services Code of Conduct1115 Words   |  5 PagesDepartment of Human Services Code of Ethics Rebecca Metz PHL/323 October 17, 2012 Eric Landis Department of Human Services Code of Ethics In this paper the Code of Ethics from the Department of Human Services will be discussed. General information about the company, the company’s mission statement, the type of ethical system used by the company and how and when the company uses it will be talked about. Thoughts of why the company may need to modify their existing code of ethics will be includedRead MorePsychological First Aid ( Pfa )758 Words   |  4 Pages2011). Steps in PFA include contact and engagement; safety and comfort; stabilization; information gathering of current needs and concerns; practical assistance; connection with social supports; information on coping; and linkage with collaborative services (Forbes, et al., 2011). Through these possible steps, the counselor can assist the client in feeling safe, calm, connected, empowered, and hopeful (Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, n.d.). In order to calm and establish rapport with MaryRead MoreMental Health Worksheet Essay examples628 Words    |  3 Pages Mental Health Worksheet Watch the Films on Demand video, â€Å"Wounded Platoon,† located in this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. Write at least 175-word responses to each of the following instructions. Your responses must be in complete sentences and use correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar. |Describe in detail the types of mental health problems experienced by those who serve in the military, as illustrated in the video. | |The most common types of mental health problemsRead MoreEssay on Nurses Promoting Mental Health1102 Words   |  5 PagesPromoting Mental Health Introduction The World Health Organization defines health as â€Å"a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity† and that the â€Å"enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition.† (World Health Organization. 2006) As nurses, health and health promotion are fundamentalRead MoreBehaviral Tools926 Words   |  4 PagesBehavioral tools are used by human service workers to assist individuals in developing, organizing, and maintaining changes to improve a quality of life. There are approaches service workers may find helpful when working with various clients and working in different situations. To focus on creating healthy behaviors, this report on behavioral tools looks at effective methods of implementing change through the following: client centered approaches, grounding techniques, and operant conditioning throughRead MoreTaking a Look at Foster Care1072 Words   |  4 Pagesand adolescents are taken from their parents and primary caregivers and placed in out-of-home care situations due to issues in their homes and family lives which contribute to unsafe living conditions. These children and adolescents often face many health, behavioral, developmental, and psychological issues. According to the Federal Definition of Foster Care and Related Terms, when a child is placed in foster care, the state removes the child from their parents or primary caregivers and places themRead MoreA Brief Note On Canada s Health Care System Essay947 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction: Canada s health care system is a group of socialized health insurance plans that provides coverage to all Canadian citizens. It is publicly funded and administered on a provincial or territorial basis, within guidelines set by the federal government. Under the health care system, individual citizens are provided preventative care and medical treatments from primary care physicians as well as access to hospitals, dental surgery and additional medical services. With a few exceptions,Read MoreHealth Benefits Of Owning A Dog1504 Words   |  7 PagesHumans Need Dogs Most people know that pets are good companions, but they can also be therapists, teachers, and healers. â€Å"Sixty-two percent of American households include pets,† said the Humane Society of United States (Casciotti Zuckerman, 2016). When people hear about dogs helping humans, one of the first things that might come to mind, are the dogs that help the blind or disabled. Another thought might be the dog that saves a family from their burning home. Today, there are dogs that help with

Lower The Drinking Age In The United free essay sample

States Essay, Research Paper The Torahs for intoxicant ingestion and usage in the United States have changed several times over the past century. The United States has tried prohibition every bit good as Torahs necessitating a specific age for legal intoxicant ingestion. None of these steps have had a important impact on the intents for which they were designed. For this ground, it would do sense to take down the legal age for intoxicant ingestion back to the age of 18. One of the major grounds it makes sense to take down the legal age for intoxicant ingestion is because kids at the age of 18 are considered grownups. The duty given to eighteen twelvemonth olds includes many chances to do determinations that will impact the remainder of their lives. Registration for the bill of exchange is one of the demands for all citizens at age 18. Even if a individual is non really drafted, the thought that an person is responsible plenty to travel to war, carry a piece, or launch atomic arms implies that an 18 twelvemonth old is doing the same determinations as any other grownup. We will write a custom essay sample on Lower The Drinking Age In The United or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Another right extended to eighteen twelvemonth olds is the chance to vote. The thought that this right is given at the age of 18 demonstrates trust in the ability to do determinations reserved for grownups. Other illustrations of determinations that can be made at 18 include smoke, organic structure piercing, and acquiring tattoos. All of these picks trade with determinations that could impact the organic structure for a life-time. Smoke is besides habit-forming in the same manner as intoxicant. Why is smoking a legal pick at 18, but non imbibing intoxicant? If kids are trusted at the age of 18 to travel off to college and do their ain determinations as? grownups, ? why are they non responsible plenty to travel to a saloon or travel to the spirits shop? These so called? grownups? are responsible to be trusted in serious determinations, but are non allowed the right to devour or buy intoxicant until the age of 21. A 2nd ground that the legal age for intoxicant ingestion should be lowered is based on the success of other civilizations in covering with this issue. In many states around the universe there is no legal age bound in topographic point. Children every bit immature as five are allowed to imbibe vino and it is non uncommon to see alcohol served daily as a portion of the dinner bill of fare. It is the norm to see kids imbibe vino at a Communion service, at a particular event, or even in a public event. Several surveies show that these civilizations have had a significantly little figure of jobs with alcohol addiction and imbibing and driving incidents. It is my belief that if imbibing wasn? T considered such a? tabu? behaviour and was merely a manner of life, the preoccupation with intoxicant would lose its entreaty. The concluding ground that the age bound for intoxicant ingestion should be lowered is because their is virtually no difference between an 18 twelvemonth old and a 21 twelvemonth old. The lone thing a 21 twelvemonth old can make that an 18 twelvemonth old can non make is imbibe and buy intoxicant. What important alterations are made when you turn 21? There are besides many people under 21 that consume intoxicant regardless of the jurisprudence. Research shows that the figure of imbibing and drive misdemeanors is the same between people over 21 old ages old as in people under the age of 21. If the issue is imbibing and driving so we need to alter or implement driving Torahs alternatively of imbibing Torahs. Peoples decidedly need to presume duty for their picks and their actions. Eighteen twelvemonth olds should be treated as grownups in all state of affairss. Lowering the age for intoxicant ingestion would enable 18 twelvemonth olds to do appropriate picks for their lives. They should be given the chance to do these determinations in the same manner they are allowed to do other serious picks on a regular footing.

The Massacre on Saint Bartholomew’s Day Essay Example

The Massacre on Saint Bartholomew’s Day Paper If religion had separated itself from the ambitious intent of its leaders, the history books wouldn’t be as colorful as it is today. Religion has taught us to fear the wrath of a sovereign power for our misdeeds yet used its influence over monarchs, heads of states and war leaders to subjugate its foe. Unknowingly, the guileless citizens and eager zealots commit allegiance and fight a mindless battle for God and kingdom without an idea of the underlying reasons behind such atrocities. Unnecessary blood is drawn and shed that is in stark contrast to the moral teachings of love and brotherhood to mankind. If man we’re left to see behind the cruel reasons for bringing everyone to war, man would see the evil and self-serving interests of its leaders.The massacre of the Protestants during St. Bartholomew’s day occurred on the 24th of August, 1572 according to Nogueres. Ironically this coincides with the feast of a known apostle to Jesus Christ and martyr, St. Bartholo mew. This happened in the provinces of France and has currently been revived to criticize the Catholic religion in employing brutal means to subjugate a rival religion for control over Christendom. Nogueres believed that the exact figure is unknown but is estimated that three thousand were laid victim to this massacre. It was considered as one of the worst massacres of the century which served as the crux of a series of events that heavily affected the French monarchy according to Davies.Historical interpretations are divided however over the premeditative extent of the massacre while the Protestant groups blamed the Catholic Church as a likely accomplice to the outrage. Politics and power however played the biggest role as the French considered the Huguenots rebellious to the kingdom’s fight against the Turks according to Davies. The principles of 16th century politics were heavily affected by social norms and Christianity that proclaimed the right of the strong and the craf ty as provided in Davies. Charles IX, who was also fearful of a Protestant uprising upon the insistence of his mother, Catherine de Medici believed that an existing threat of a Huguenot mass action was planned to avenge the attempted attack made on its leader, Admiral Coligny in Nogueres. To recall, a peace treaty had been signed between court and the Protestants to reestablish order in Nogueres. Admiral Coligny and Charles IX had joined hands to fight against Spain and Philip II. Phillip II however insisted that the Christian Majesty of Charles IX’s enemies were the Huguenots in Davies. This suggestion became the groundwork according to Nogueres for an assassination plot against Coligny by Catherine de Medici and others that left him physically disabled instead. Fearing a religious war as the Catholics were preparing to defend themselves, a decisive blow against the Protestant group was reached.The belief that the Holy See was instrumental in the plans to exterminate the Pro testants must have arise from Catherine’s plans to have the marriage of her daughter Margaret to the Protestant prince Henry of Navarre solemnized in Paris to bring the Protestant leaders there for the purpose of murdering them in Davies. In reality, a royal marriage between a Catholic and a Protestant was arranged to cement the original peace treaty signed by both parties. However the same marriage faced heavy opposition by diehard Catholics, Phillip II of Spain and the pope.   It was further believed that the Catholic advisers along with Catherine de Medici forced the weak king. Others believed that France’s hatred of the Huguenots was exploited to put pressure to the king and his mother to curb any possibility of a riot in Davies. Catherine’s actions were actually impelled by a belief that his son would be acting powerlessly alone after her divisive masterminding of Coligny’s attempted murder and to repair whatever damage she had done beforehand.The Catholic Church’s involvement in the plot to massacre the Protestants in Paris was further enhanced in letters written to Rome by the papal nuncio in Paris and a relative to Catherine, Salviati. Salviati had written to Rome that the â€Å"Queen will rap the Admirals knuckles if he goes too far† (French: donnera à   lAdmiral sur les ongles in Nogueres). His next letter to the Vatican though belied any knowledge and his utter disbelief of the massacre. Pope Gregory XIII who ordered jubilation after the massacre and Vasari to paint the Vatican apartments to commemorate the fall of the Huguenots as related in Davies equally proved their involvement. â€Å"Hugonottorum strages† in Nogueres described in a medal how the conspirators were slaughtered. Regardless of explanation, such behavior is unacceptable despite claims that jubilation was held to rejoice on the safety of the French Catholics in the kingdom. The prince of the Catholic Church as instigator of goodwill and peace should proclaim whatever is right despite denominational differences.Gregory XIII’s judgment on Maurevel, Coligny’s assassin and his refusal to accept him established the Holy See’s eagerness to rectify itself from its previous behavior. Fair judgment based on spiritual morals however can no longer assume the innocent claims of jubilation over the massacre. This goes to explain that any church for that matter as it is controlled by humans can be subjected to the human behavior of greed and power which has been the root of all religious conflicts.

GOL essays

GOL essays The first step in setting out criteria for evaluating Government Online (GOL) is to know what GOL basically is. GOL or e-government brings the services offered traditionally by phone, over the counter or mail; online to create seamless, responsive and citizen focused government for the benefit of all citizens, stake holders, and government agencies. The five criterions for evaluating GOL are as follows: [The citizen as customer idea was first articulated as far back as 1993, in the words of then United States Vice president Al Gore, we are going to make the federal government customer friendly. A lot of people dont realize that the federal government has customers. We have customers; the American people]i. This statement brings about an approach in which focus is put onto creating agencies and services keeping in mind the citizen needs and requirements Once we have decided that citizens, stakeholders and agencies internally are our customers; we can use the following techniques (accenture report) to find out how capable GOL is in building its relationship with its customers and satisfying their requirements: Insight: Whether GOL remembers the customers Interactivity of the portal: How many related sites can the customer access through one site? Organization: Whether the site is made around the customer needs and requirements? Customer offering: Does the site provide help to the customer in regard with their needs? Accessibility: Can it help the customer access non-governmental sites through GOL? Feedback: The level of satisfaction for which survey and feedback are the best tools to get client responsiveness. There should be a mechanism to inquire about the customer relation with GOL. Stated below are some of the provisions to be used to make the site technology efficient: ...

Base Definition in Chemistry

Base Definition in Chemistry In chemistry, a base is a chemical species that donates electrons, accepts protons, or releases hydroxide (OHs of bases include alkali metal hydroxides, alkaline earth metal hydroxides, and soap. Key Takeaways: Base Definition A base is a substance that reacts with an acid in an acid-base reaction.The mechanism through which a base works has been argued throughout history. Generally, a base either accepts a proton, releases a hydroxide anion when dissolved in water, or donates an electron.Examples of bases include hydroxides and soap. Word Origin The word base came into use in 1717 by French chemist Louis Là ©mery. Là ©mery used the word as a synonym for Paracelsus alchemical concept of a matrix in alchemy. Paracelsus proposed natural salts grew as a result of a universal acid mixing with a matrix. While Là ©mery may have used the word base first, its modern usage is generally attributed to French chemist Guillaumes of Rouelles bases included alkalis, metals, oils, or absorbent earth. In the 18th century, salts were solid crystals, while acids were liquids. So, it made sense to early chemists that the material that neutralized the acid somehow destroyed its spirit and allowed it to take solid form. Properties of a Base A base displays several characteristic properties: Aqueous base solution or molten bases dissociate into ions and conduct electricity.Strong bases and concentrated bases are caustic. They react vigorously with acids and organic matter.Bases react in predictable ways with pH indicators. A base turns litmus paper blue, methyl orange yellow, and phenolphthalein pink. Bromothymol blue remains blue in the presence of a base.A basic solution has a pH greater than 7.Bases have a bitter flavor. (Dont taste them!) Types of Bases Bases may be categorized according to their degree of dissociation in water and reactivity. A strong base completely dissociates into its ions in water or is a compound that can remove a proton (H) from a very weak acid. Examples of strong bases include sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and potassium hydroxide (KOH).A weak base incompletely dissociates in water. Its aqueous solution includes both the weak base and its conjugate acid.A superbase is even better at deprotonation than a strong base. These bases have very weak conjugate acids. Such bases are formed by mixing an alkali metal with its conjugate acid. A superbase cannot remain in aqueous solution because it is a stronger base than the hydroxide ion. An example of a superbase in sodium hydride (NaH). The strongest superbase is the orthos include silicon dioxide (SiO2) and NaOH mounted on alumina. Solid bases may be used in anion exchange resins or for reactions with gaseous acids. Reaction Between an Acid and a Base An acid and a base react with each other in a neutralization reaction. In neutralization, an aqueous acid and aqueous base produce an aqueous solution of salt and water. If the salt is saturated or insoluble, then it may precipitate out of the solution. While it may seem like acids and bases are opposites, some species can act as either an acid or a base. In fact, some strong acids can act as bases. Sources Jensen, William B. (2006). The origin of the term base. The Journal of Chemical Education. 83 (8): 1130. doi:10.1021/ed083p1130Johll, Matthew E. (2009). Investigating chemistry: a forensic science perspective (2nd ed.). New York: W. H. Freeman and Co. ISBN 1429209895.Whitten, Kenneth W.; Peck, Larry; Davis, Raymond E.; Lockwood, Lisa; Stanley, George G. (2009). Chemistry (9th ed.). ISBN 0-495-39163-8.Zumdahl, Steven; DeCoste, Donald (2013).  Chemical Principles  (7th ed.). Mary Finch.

Quickly work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Quickly work - Essay Example Consumers tend to believe that goods and services with well known brand names are much better than the products whose names or brands are not well known. The process of evaluating or establishing if a given company’s brand name is well known by customers is known as Brand Equity (Aaker, 2009). If one examines the car industry, some brands have been in the market since the invention of automobiles. A good example of such a company is the Ford motor company which despite emergence of many companies, Ford has continued to experience success especially in the American market just as a result of its brand name. Other companies such as Toyota have been producing cheaper and better cars, but despite this, Ford is among the favorite car brands in the United State of America. There are various approaches to ensure brand equity in a company. One of the approaches is known as customer based equity brand approach. This approach was developed by Kevin Keller hence it is referred to as Kell er’s Brand Equity Model. The approach is best understood by using the diagram below; The above diagram simplifies the application of the customer based brand equity. In the first step, the goal of the company should be to create customer awareness or salience. This means the business establishment should ensure that its brand stands out, and it can be easily recognized by its customers. The second step involves identifying and communicating what the company’s brand means. This step is further subdivided into two, which are performance and imagery. Performance entails defining how well the company’s brand will fulfill consumer needs. Imagery involves showing how the business establishment’s products meet the needs of the consumer on a psychological and social level. The third step involves consumers responding to the brand in two ways. These are feelings and judgments. Consumers will always make judgments about a company’s product based on superiori ty, quality, and credibility. Consumers will also respond to a company’s brand based on how it makes them feel. The final step in the customer based model is resonance, which is the most difficult level to reach in brand equity. This is where consumers will have a psychological bond with the company’s brand. This usually takes many years for a company’s brand to attain this level. If a business establishment attains this stage, then brand equity will be realized in the company’s product. In conclusion, brand equity has been important over the years because it is believed that a brand is among the high value assets a business establishment can have. This is indeed a fact that is practiced in markets. Brand equity is applied in showing the extent to which consumers know about a product, and this goes a long way in attracting loyal customers and boosting sales. Question 2 Adaptive marketing communication strategies are approaches in marketing that adapt to c hanges in various factors as a result of time. One of the major factors that results in the use of adaptive strategies of communication is technological changes. Technology changes have revolutionized a lot not only in communication, but in almost all sectors of the economy. Adaptive marketing communication strategies make sure that a company is ready for any change in the communication sector of the

Public Relations Marketing Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public Relations Marketing - Coursework Example This particular study focuses on the strategic PR practice as a measure in the Department of Transport in London intending to implement campaigns addressing road accident deaths. Strategic PR: A Theoretical Background: The need for PR arises from the various problems that might arise in an organization in dealing with the PR and understanding of the organizational activities. Community relations are extremely necessary in this context. The practitioners of PR encounter various problems that require the need for strategic management. The primary role of PR practice is to manage and develop the different relations in association with an organization. This may include relation with the employees, with the general public and with any stakeholder of the organization. It has been observed through earlier studies that the usefulness of the PR is not clearly understood by the managers and that a strategic and planned technique is required in order to solve the problems. With time, the resear ch and understanding have led to successful understanding of strategic PR practice. Now, organizations are more involved with the incorporation of the PR measures and enhancing successful relationships (Austin & Pinkleton, 2006, pp.2-7). ... e might be a decline in the records of the road deaths in the city, yet the number seems to be high that requires sufficient measures to curtail the effects of drinking and drugs to take the toll on human lives. Particularly during occasions, the intake of alcohol and drugs increase creating more difficult situations to be handled. Thus based on the nature of this problem, the Department of Transport (DoT) in London requires taking measures appropriate to the needs in solving the issues and preventing such road deaths in the city. Concerned Objectives: The DoT has seriously taken up the concerns of preventing road deaths in London. As the Director of Communication at the DoT, I have plans to set up a PR firm to design and implement a public information campaign prior to the festival of Christmas and address the issues of road deaths occurring as a result of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The HM treasury has agreed to provide a budget of ?2m for the purpose. I plan t o utilize the amount in involving start-up agencies to set up for the account of Dot. The purpose of choosing start-up agencies is to restrict the excess expenditure of funds. The agencies selected are mostly comprised of postgraduates who have recently majored in the strategic communication management. The startup agencies have been selected such that the objectives are fulfilled through specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound manner. The four agencies I plan to invite are: (i) Broadgate Mainland, (ii) Diffusion PR and Communications Ltd, (iii) Startup PR, and (iv) Parys Communication. A Brief Overview: Broadgate Mainland: It is a UK based multiple awards winning independent PR agency performing their activities in several areas of PR development. The team working

Background of the study Essay Example for Free

Background of the study Essay Suicide is a complex issue that eludes explanation. Theories, studies and researches have been made in order to answer the many questions regarding the nature of suicide and the underlying causes why so many people commit, or even attempt, suicide: confusion, disappointment, heroic glorification, sympathy, anger, moral or religious condemnation (Cholbi, 2006). What causes a person to commit or even think of suicide? What makes a person’s behavior suicidal (Cholbi, 2006)? Is it even rational to commit suicide? During the time of Plato, philosophers argue about the rationality of suicide. Socrates, in Plato’s work Phaedo, argued that suicide is always disgraceful because one attempts to release himself from a â€Å"guard-post† which the gods placed upon him. Plato stressed that although suicide is wrong, there are some exceptions that can be regarded as a justification of suicide. The Stoics, in contrast with these theories, argued that suicide is justifiable when flourishing life is no longer available to the person (Cholbi, 2006). It was the advent of institutional Christianity the brought about the notion that suicide is morally wrong. St. Augustine argued that it is disobedience of the fifth commandment â€Å"Thou shalt not kill†. Even the Renaissance philosophers and Protestants agree to this notion about suicide. However, Protestants believed that it is possible that God treats suicide permissible and that he allows repentance. This notion prevailed into the late seventeenth century. Even John Locke believes that suicide is wrong, that God provide us with the liberty to think for ourselves but that liberty does not include the liberty to destroy ourselves (Locke 1690). The Enlightenment thinkers brought about the examination of suicide through science and psychology. They held out that suicide results from facts about individuals, their psychologies, and the social settings in which they belong to. The nineteenth and early twentieth century brought about modern developments about theories on suicide. Some romanticized these theories by defining suicide as â€Å"the inevitable response of a misunderstood and anguished soul jilted by love or shunned by society† (Liebermann 2003). Some attempted to study suicide through psychiatry. Others, and perhaps the most prevalent perspective today, view suicide as a social illness reflecting isolation, anomie and other attitudinal byproducts of modernity (Cholbi, 2006). This latter development led to a wave of institutionalization of suicidal persons (Cholbi, 2006). Today, suicide is a growing national concern. Suicide is a major cause of public health problem. More and more people die each day because of suicide. In fact, it is estimated that about 1 million people worldwide die each year from suicide (Torpy, 2005). In 2004, a total of 32,439 died by suicide in the United States while an estimate of 811,000 suicide attempts are made each year. An average of 1 person every 16. 2 minutes killed themselves. Suicide ranks as the eleventh leading cause of death in the United States as compared to homicide which ranks as fifteenth only (Macintosh, 2006). These rates may be higher since some suicide deaths may not be recorded like motor vehicle accidents that may result from suicide by the driver or deaths where the cause cannot be determined if it is suicide or murder. Among the races in the United States, from 1994-1998 Native Americans have the highest suicide rate with 12. 71 per 100,000 population followed closely by whites with 12. 61 and then African Americans with 6. 4. However, in 2004, statistics show that whites have the highest suicide rata with 24. 7 followed by the Native American with 12. 9. Males have higher risk of suicide than females. From 1994-1998, suicide rates among males were four to six times higher than females. In 2004, males still have higher suicide rates with 17. 7 than females with 4. 6. However, females have higher suicide attempt rates than males. It is estimated that three females for every one male attempt suicide each year. It is reported that suicide risk tends to increase with age. Older persons aged 65 and above have higher risk of suicide since they have a higher incidence of depression and have greater use of lethal weapons. However, suicide among adolescents is a major cause of death. It is, in fact, the third leading cause of death among people between the ages of 15 and 24 (cite). Out of the 32,439 suicide cases in the US in 2004, 4,316 were aged between 15 and 24. An average of 1 young person every 2 hours and 2. 1 minutes killed himself (Macintosh, 2006). Experts say that for every teenager that dies of suicide, ten other teenagers attempt to commit suicide. In a survey done by the National Youth Prevention Resource Center, it was found that about one in five teenagers have thought of suicide, about one in six made plans to commit suicide, and more than one in twelve attempted suicide. Because of the alarming cases of suicide, suicide prevention is made a bureaucratic and medical occupation. Many studies were conducted to understand the underlying causes of suicide and suicidal behavior in order to determine appropriate solutions to prevent suicide cases and attempts. The suicide problem is complex ranging from psychological to social and even religious factors. As mentioned previously, studying suicide through psychology helps determine the relationship between suicide and the state and characteristics of the human mind and behavior. Through psychology, reasons why certain groups such as adolescents and young adults have higher suicide potential than others can be understood. Adolescence is considered as a crucial stage because it is the time a person experiences a lot of changes, where abstract thinking, law of morality, and ideology are developed (Christie Viner, 2005). During this stage, the adolescent is starting to develop acceptance ideas and reactions to situations. Because of this, they are easily influenced making them vulnerable to disappointing situations that may result to depression and consequently, suicide. According to Bennet (1994), adolescents and young adults with history of depression, a previous suicide attempt, a family history of psychiatric disorders, family disruption, and certain chronic or debilitating physical disorders or psychiatric illness are at higher risk of committing or attempting suicide. Among these factors, depression was found out to be the most common clinical syndrome of suicidal behavior (Petrie Chamberlain, 1983)and approximately 66 percent of those who attempted suicide have depressive symptoms (Rich, Sherman, Fowler, 1990). Psychological pains are commonly caused by sociological factors such as exposure to suicide or suicide attempts, relationships, and interactions among the member of the society and may increase the potential of having suicidal behaviors thus psychology and sociology are interrelated disciplines when it comes to determining the causes of suicide. Sociology encompasses several issues such as culture, media, peer, family, demographics, ethnicity, and socioeconomics that may influence the behavior and thinking of adolescents and young adults. Adolescents are part of the society and the interactions occurring into it such as friendship. Friends and peers are parts of the social network and is one of the central contexts for adolescents (Bearman Moody, 2004). Adolescents who are still at the stage of finding their identity needed strong association and belonging and that isolation from peers leads to lower estimations of self-worth and self confidence (Tani, Chavez, Deffenbacher, 2001). Media is also a strong influence on adolescents and young adults. Young people are very much exposed to popular media such as television, radio, movies, Internet, and reading materials. Since they are at the stage where they are easily influenced, they tend to copy the values and actions depicted by what they see in the media. Religious beliefs and practices influence the behavior and thinking of most people including the young adults. Religion is considered as a significant part of peoples way of living, resulting to various beliefs about issues. It is perceived that the more a person is religiously committed; he is more likely to avoid suicide since suicide is considered to be a mortal sin for most religions. Kendler et. al. (2003) found that some dimensions of religiosity are related to reduced risk of particular psychiatric disorders. Malone et. al.(2000) also suggests that religion can provide reasons for living. This allows people experiencing depressive episodes to be more optimistic about life, reducing the feeling of hopelessness and thus reducing the risk of committing suicide. Dervic et. al. (2004) supports this notion by suggesting that religious affiliation is associated with less suicidal behavior in depressed patients and that religiously affiliated subjects may function as protective factors against suicide attempts (p. 2303). Thus, religion is a major factor that can impact a person’s suicidal behavior. Researches have been made regarding the psychological, sociological and religious aspects of suicide. However, there is a lack of research connecting these three aspects. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine suicide through linking psychological, sociological and religious perspectives on suicide. First, earlier research studies relating to each discipline will be examined. Then each discipline will be compared to the other two. Studying suicide through an interdisciplinary approach will help in giving a wider perspective and understanding about the underlying causes of suicide. It will also help in determining appropriate solutions in order to prevent suicide and to help those who have already attempted suicide. Possible solutions that might be determined will not just help suicidal persons psychologically but in all aspects as well, that is, mentally, physically and spiritually. The study is limited to the data and studies made by earlier researchers about adolescent suicide. The scope of the study is broad and attempts to address important issues and developments from each discipline based on earlier researches.

Earth Abides Essay -- essays research papers

Imagine waking up and looking around, only to realize that while you were asleep ninety percent of the world population had vanished. In the novel Earth Abides, George Stewart creates this scenario and makes it a reality. The novel is centered on the life of Ish, who wakes up only to find he is one of the few left on earth. Having to survive and adapt, Ish is faced with the responsibility of making contact with other survivors of the Great Disaster. In doing so, Ish meets several characters and together they form a tribe to fit the new lifestyle. Ish becomes the leader of the group and the main focus of the story; however, he is not the only important character. Some members of the community immerge and become important figures as well. In the novel Earth Abides, we see a tribe with only a few members, grow and develop into a community with over three hundred members. In a new world and with such hard conditions, The Tribe managed to survive successfully. This task was not easy, considering all the other people in the world who had failed. Many other survivors of the Great Disaster, killed themselves, drank their life away, and did not look for reason to live in a civilized manner. However, The Tribe overcame all of that and aimed itself in the right direction for yet another try at Mother Nature. Their success was mainly based on the fact that the members from the Old Times were able to adjust and adapt. They made use of the resources and in some way put the Great Disaster behind them. These members found their place in The Tribe and built a strong foundation for their children. Of such roles, one of the most important is that of a leader. The leader has to take charge of the group, make heavy decisions, and have knowledge and understanding of the world around him. It is the leaders' duty to prepare his people and make sure that they are able to survive and care for themselves. In the novel, we can see this in the character of Ish. From the moment Ish realized what had happened to the he had the desire to be a leader. When he met the black family in his cross-country trip and thought to himself, "I could be a king here if I remained." Later in the novel Ishs desires for leadership are even more noticeable when The Tribe first comes into contact with Charlie. Ish is the only one who feels hostility towards Charlie and act awkwardly around ... ...bers. Both groups often thought differently because of the different times they grew up in, and Ezra understood both cultures. Ish did not often understand what others were thinking, even the children who were his own. Ezra on the other hand could relate to everybody andcommunicate with The Tribe. The survival of The Tribe was dependent on each of the older generation members in some way. Ish had to lead, Ezra had to communicate and Em gave them all courage. There was also George; the repairman who fixed everything for everybody and made sure peoples homes did not fall apart. Molly, Jean, and Maurine, were all simple folks, but brought to The Tribe ideas. Just like in buildings, the foundation of a community or society is the most important part. All the other layers on top depend on the layer below them. The Tribe could not survive with out having a strong foundation to hold on to and build on top of. The older generation members set this foundation using themselves as examples. In the end, everything the Old generation members taught their children had paid off. The new generation were prepared for the future and were well aware of the world around them, they were survivors.

Natural Vegetation of India

Describe the regional variations in the climatic conditions of India with the help of suitable examples. Despite the overall unity accorded by the monsoon, there are visible regional variations in climatic conditions within India. Regardless of the moderating influences of the Himalayas in the north and the sea in the south, variations do exist in temperature, humidity and precipitation. For example, in summer, some parts of the Rajasthan desert, in north-western India, record temperatures of 50Â °C, while it may be around 20Â °C in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, in the north of the country.On a winter night, the temperature at Drass in Jammu and Kashmir may be as low as minus 45Â °C, while Thiruvananthapuram may have a temperature of 22Â °C. In general, coastal areas experience less contrasts in temperature conditions. Seasonal contrasts are more in the interior of the country. Another case in point is precipitation. While precipitation is mostly in the form of snowfall in the u pper parts of the Himalayas, it rains over the rest of the country. The annual precipitation varies from over 400 cm in Meghalaya to less than 10 cm in Ladakh and western Rajasthan.Most parts of the country receive rainfall from June to September, but some parts like the Tamil Nadu coast get most of their rain during October and November. Discuss the mechanism of monsoons. During summer, a low-pressure area develops over interior Asia as well as over north and north-western India. At the same time, there is a high-pressure system over the southern Indian Ocean. Winds move from a high-pressure area to a low-pressure area. As a result, the low-pressure system attracts the southeast trade winds of the southern hemisphere.On crossing the equator, these trade winds—due to the Coriolis force—turn right towards the low-pressure areas over the Indian subcontinent. After crossing the equator, these winds start blowing in a south-westerly direction, and enter the Indian peninsul a as the southwest monsoon. As these winds blow over warm oceans, they bring abundant moisture to the subcontinent. Arriving at the southern tip of the Indian peninsula, the wind system breaks up into two branches ? the Arabian Sea branch and the Bay of Bengal branch.The Arabian Sea branch hits the Western Ghats, while the Bay of Bengal branch flows over the Bay of Bengal and hits the eastern Himalayas. The coastal areas west of the Western Ghats receive much of the rainfall from the Arabian Sea Branch, while the regions lying east of the Western Ghats do not receive much rain from these winds. The north-eastern parts of the country receive much of their rainfall from the Bay of Bengal Branch. As these winds move from east to west, the moisture they carry progressively declines. As a result, rainfall decreases from east to west.The Arabian Sea branch moves towards the north-east from the south-west, and joins the Bay of Bengal branch over the northern part of the country. The durati on of the monsoon is between 100 to 120 days. By the end of this period, the low pressure system over north and north-west India gradually weakens, and this leads to the retreat of the monsoon winds. Give an account of weather conditions and characteristics of the cold season. The Cold Weather Season Beginning from mid-November, the winter season lasts till February. The weather is usually marked by clear sky, low temperatures and low humidity, and feeble and variable winds.The temperature decreases from the south to the north, with the peninsular region not showing any noticeable seasonal change in temperature pattern due to the moderating influence of the sea. The coldest months are December and January. The days are generally warm and the nights are cold. Frost is common in the north and the higher slopes of the Himalayas experience snowfall. During this season, the sub-tropical westerly jet streams blowing south of the Himalayas bring in cyclonic disturbances from the Mediterran ean region. These cause winter rains over the plains and snowfall in the mountains.The Tamil Nadu coast also receives winter rainfall due to the blowing of the north-east trade winds from sea to land. Give the characteristics and effects of the monsoon rainfall in India. Characteristics of monsoon rainfall in India: (i) The duration of the monsoon is between 100 to 120 days from early June to mid-September. (ii) Around the time of its arrival, the normal rainfall increases suddenly and continues for several days. This is known as the ‘burst’ of the monsoon. (iii) The monsoon has characteristic wet and dry spells or ‘breaks’ in rainfall.The monsoon rains take place only for a few days at a time. They are interspersed with rainless intervals. (iv) The moisture is carried by pulsating south westerlies that are affected by different atmospheric conditions, thereby giving monsoon rains an uncertain character. The annual rainfall is highly variable from year to y ear (v) The rainfall is unevenly distributed across the Indian landscape. Parts of the western coast and north-eastern India receive the maximum rainfall. Regions such as parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Leh and the leeward side of the Western Ghats receive very little rainfall.Effects of monsoon rainfall in India: (a) Indian agriculture is largely dependent upon the water from the monsoon rains. Late, low or excessive rains have a negative impact upon crops. (b) Due to the uneven distribution of rainfall across the country, there are some regions that are drought prone and some that are flood afflicted. (c) The monsoon provides India with a distinct climatic pattern. Hence, in spite of the presence of great regional variations, it has a unifying influence upon the country and its people.

The Crucible Diary

I cannot believe that John Proctor! Why has he chosen his sniveling wife over me? I am more of a woman than Goody Proctor. Goody Proctor does possess of the qualities needed of a good wife. She is naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve, simple, and talented. However, I possess the qualities of a lover. I am intelligent, able, and adventurous. To be blatantly honest, I think any man would be lucky to call me his wife. Diary, why am I good enough for any man, but I am not good enough for the man I desire? I know why. It is because I want a married man. Diary, do you agree that John should leave Goody Proctor and marry me? Do you think I am better than she is? I believe I would be a much better wife. Think about it, if Goody Proctor were good to John would he have come to me? I do not believe so. To me, it is the duty of a wife to keep her husband satisfied and in line. However, if John had not strayed from his wife, John would have never sought me. If John had never sought me, I would have never felt love. John may have sought me, but he is still married to Goody Proctor. She is keeping me from my John. Because of that, I loathe her. There is not a single thing in the world that she can do that I cannot. She can cook, clean, and pray. I can do all that, and even more! I am willing to do anything to be with my John. All I want is to be with him. Diary, do you have any ideas to cause the end of the Proctor marriage? I believe I do. I will receive vengeance on Goody Proctor. I will claim that Goody Proctor is a witch! It is a brilliant idea. When Salem village hears of this, the village people will believe it and order her hanging. It is genius! I would be overcome with joy to see the body of Goody Proctor hanging. At last, I would be with my beloved John! Oh Diary, I know it is a terrible to wish death upon someone, but in this case, Goody Proctor's death is necessary in order for John and me to be together. Diary, I need to be with John. He loves me and I love him. I know we are destined to be with one another. Diary, I thank you for listening to me. You have always been a faithful friend. Besides John, no one seems to want to listen to me, Oh, how I miss my John! Oh no, I fear Uncle has arrived home. I must go. He will be expecting me. I promise I will write again soon. Love, Abbey

Chopin Kate essays

Chopin Kate essays Kate Chopins Symbolic Use of Nature Kate Chopin uses nature and symbolism throughout her three short stories. Her vivid use of nature and its elements allow the reader to get a realistic view of the characters and their setting. By using nature to represent the feelings of her characters, Chopin allows the reader to evoke emotions they might have felt during similar times or situations. A simple example of symbolism would be the use a dark forest in a story. The dark forest could possible represent evil or confusion (1380). Like the example Chopin uses a specific season like spring or naturally occurring thunderstorms to symbolize new life or uncontrollable passion. In the first story the reader encounters Babette and Maman-Nainaine. Quickly the reader learns that Babette is waiting for the figs to ripen before she is allowed to visit her cousins. Figs have little if nothing to do with Babette being able to leave, but instead they symbolize her coming of age. Figs tend to ripen in late spring to early summer. Spring and summer are times of life and growth. So Babette is like a ripening fig that has to grow and mature before its ready. Finally when the figs ripen Maman-Nainaine says, How early the figs have ripened this year!(4) Babettes response is I think they have ripened very late(4). Babette is trying to say to Maman that she is mature and that she has been for quite some time. On the other hand Maman is telling Babette that she has ripened into a young lady very quickly. Chopins use of symbolism in this story is easy for most readers to relate to because we have all been in a situation similar to Babettes at one time. Eventuall y we all ripen as Babette does in Chopins use of spring carries over to The Story of an Hour. The reader fins the fragile Mrs. Mallard coming to the realization that her husband is dead. F ...

Uncommon Author - An Interview with Eliot Peper

Uncommon Author - An Interview with Eliot Peper Uncommon Author - An Interview with Eliot Peper â€Å"For someone who loves a book, would make their day? What would make them happy or make them think of it again or think that it’s cool? And I’m always struggling with that.†Update! We interview Eliot again for the release of the sequel to Uncommon Stock - come check it out!Eliot Peper is the nicest man in the world. At least, that’s how we felt coming away from our interview. His first novel, ‘Uncommon Stock,’ a startup thriller, is both an indie success story and the debut book from Colorado’s FG Press. Eliot’s background is in venture capital and consulting for the tech industry, including spells running his own startups. We met to talk about what it was like transitioning from entrepreneur to authorpreneur, and what it was like working with the newly-minted FG Press.Edit: As of 2016, FG Press has closed its doors. Eliot Peper is now a full-time indie author.- -REEDSYYour first novel is about startups. You’ve had pl enty of experiences in the business world, but had you written much before?ELIOT PEPERI hadn’t written fiction since high school, but I had experience with storytelling. My background was in startups -  I was a founder, then an early employee at a couple of different startups, and then an entrepreneur-in-residence at a VC fund. As you guys I’m sure know yourselves, the fuzzy front-end of building a business, most of it’s storytelling. You’re trying to pitch investors, you’re trying to bring in talent, you’re trying to tell people about the problem you’re trying to address; you’re always telling stories whether it’s to customers, investors, partners, team members -  that’s a lot of what you do on a day-to-day basis. So I’d been doing a ton of that, but I’d not been doing anything like writing a novel.REEDSYI thought it was interesting how widely your book was picked up by the b usiness community. A lot of business writing is generally non-fiction, right?ELIOT PEPERNon-fiction is interesting for obvious reasons. Most non-fiction is â€Å"Here are the lessons I learned doing something,† or with biographies â€Å"What did this person learn through living their life?† For business, I find fiction particularly interesting because it gives you this secret window inside the character’s head.There’s a boatload of non-fiction out there about business -  â€Å"I built GM, or I was the CEO of X company, so here are the things you should think about when starting a company or in your daily life.† But it doesn’t show you that, as I’m sure you guys are experiencing right now, when you’re building a business it’s a human experience, right? Especially for founders who are struggling through their first company or their first couple of companies. It’s a crazy emotional roller coaster. The hum an side of startups doesn’t get a lot of exposure because everyone wants to talk about advice and best practices. Few people want to talk about how it destroyed their relationship with their wife; or how they were sleeping with their co-founder; or how for their series B round they were about to get a ten-x valuation bump on the first round until lead investor had a heart attack the night before and it fucked up their entire company. That stuff happens all the time. I’ve been shocked by the shit that goes down in Silicon Valley.People don’t talk about that stuff publicly in a non-fiction context -  they don’t want to make that their sort of public life. The beauty of fiction is that you can experience that alongside the character. You can give people a window into what it’s like to be the startup or to be in business. And I think for people interested in learning about entrepreneurship that’s really special because there’s a lot more to it that just lean product development.REEDSYYeah, like you don’t need to have abstracted a principle for a story to be useful to someoneELIOT PEPERI’m sure you guys are experiencing this if you have advisors or mentors that you’re going to for advice. You’ll talk to one guy and he’ll say â€Å"Well, in my last business we did this, and we learned that you have to do X.† Then you talk to someone else and they’ll give you the exact opposite advice based on a totally different anecdote.A lot of business non-fiction is like that -  it’s a lot of anecdotes, and it’s really easy to mythologise people. So you look at the big names like Steve Jobs or whatever, and once they’ve achieved success it always feels like you can retroactively go back and say why they achieved success in the past. That’s a really weird thing to do. From a scientific process perspective that’s really bad, b ut that essentially covers all narrative non-fiction. You have to have that â€Å"What did you learn at the end of the fable?† ending, and I think fiction gives you a lot more freedom in that sense. You’re exploring just how humans wrestle with and overcome obstacles. Those obstacles could be killing Gilgamesh, or it could be taking a company public.REEDSYIt’s like parables, basically, or Aristotle’s version of Ethics. He doesn’t try to say what bravery is, he just says â€Å"Bravery is Achilles.†ELIOT PEPERI think the human mind is wired to understand complex problems through stories. It’s boring to read a complex problem that isn’t part of narrative.REEDSYHow have you applied your startup background to the daily routine of writing? I feel like a lot of startup advice is of the ‘work smarter, not harder’ variety. Can you apply that to writing?ELIOT PEPERI think the process of writing is very grinding, in terms of the actual drafting of the manuscript. I don’t even know how you would go about doing that smarter. I don’t really outline, I just spend time brainstorming constantly. On a walk I’ll think about where the characters are, where things are heading, what the next scene should be, what the final scene should be. I feel like I’m in good shape if I know the next scene I’m gonna write, and some kind of North Star that the climax will be. If I have more than that planned out it usually gets stale or I don’t stick to it anyway. I have to spend time immersed in the world psychologically, then I sit down, start writing, and there’s very little I can do aside from forcing myself to make the time, sit in front of Word, and not go on twitter. A lot of it is knowing how to be diligent and how to have discipline.That corresponds to business. It’s way too prevalent with my friends in tech and the startup world who are like â€Å"Oh my God I wa s up until 4am finishing this last release!† To me that’s like saying â€Å"Oh my God, I’m terrible at managing my time!† You know, that’s basically what you’re saying. It was less that I tried to take the lesson ‘work hard at all costs,’ and instead take the lesson ‘only do what matters.’ That’s really difficult to do.As an author it’s so easy to spend all my time blogging and emailing and pitching journalists or influencers to try and get more coverage for the book, to do events, to do signings, to just be on Twitter and Facebook or whatever promotional tools you’re using. You can let that suck away all your time. But at the end of the day the people who read my books, my actual readers, they just want the next book -  they don’t give a shit what I post on Twitter. To an extent, me having a public face, at least they can feel like they’re getting to know me.But you rea lly have to look back and say â€Å"I need to be spending at least the majority of my time doing what actually matters.† In business it’s just as difficult. It’s very easy to spend your time just being external facing when the only reason people are going to be interested in you is to improve their lives by solving a problem. If you’re not solving that problem in what you’re doing every day, that’s a problem.I think that’s probably the one lesson I took from business. The ‘work smarter, not harder’ side’s more relevant in the PR side of things and how you connect with readers. We’re trying to experiment with that. I have a twitter account for the protagonist of ‘Uncommon Stock.’ We built a real website for the fictional startup in the book. We got Foundry Group, the VC firm, to announce an investment in them on April Fools day. That’s sort of fun. My dearest hope is that if I do something that delights my readers, that when they’re at happy hour tonight and they’re quaffing a beer, they’ll say to their friend â€Å"OK, they actually did this.† If that happens that’s one more word-of-mouth referral. Anything I can do to inspire or delight my readers, that’s what I’m going for.REEDSYIt seems like delighting a reader is much healthier than growth hacking.ELIOT PEPERYeah. If you look at the public discourse about how to get readers, the majority of it is the growth hacking kind of stuff. It’s all about how can you engineer your own success and manipulate people into liking you, and I don’t know -  I don’t really like to be manipulated as a reader, so I don’t really want to do that as a writer.REEDSYDo you have any role-models in the self-publishing space?ELIOT PEPERI like Hugh Howey. He’s the wà ¼nderkind, right? But he’s also really personal and personable. He shares what he does, and it feels real. Or, you know Neal Stephenson? He’s a prototypical Big 5 author; he’s been a best-selling author for decades, he has a huge audience, in that sense he’s very mainstream. But he writes on Slashdot and other random forums all the time. The people writing for the New York Times Book Review would never have heard of these places. He’s interesting because if you go to his website, it’s pretty minimal. It’s sort of lame. But he’s also on Slashdot and all these random place, writing super in-depth, honest answers to forum questions from trolls. I find that compelling because it’s like â€Å"That’s pretty cool, you’re just being real, that’s who you are, you’re a sort of goofy nerdy guy, you read Slashdot so you started writing there too.† It’s been very popular. His forum posts turn into memes that people share around writing blogs -  I think thatâ €™s fun.You don’t even have to stick to publishing. Macklemore self-published his first albums, was never signed by a major label, and was able to build a fan-base because his songs are awesome and he made funny videos for them. Now he’s turned that into having some of the top-listed songs over the past couple of years. That’s pretty cool, that’s pretty fun. With the writers I admire most the biggest thing is they write really good stuff, but the other part is in the rest of their lives they come across as really genuine.REEDSYWhat sort of relationship are you building between yourself and your readers?ELIOT PEPERI try to think of writing as literally storytelling. I don’t just hand over the manuscript and that’s that. I try to think of it like I’m literally sitting at a campfire talking to people. If you’re sitting at a campfire with your friends, you don’t want to be awkward, right? It’s better to tell a sto ry they want to hear. And afterwards you’re still their friend. It’s not like the relationship is over -  you’re going to roast marshmallows over the fire and have a conversation about it. That’s how I look at being a writer. I can connect with my readers in a new way or share something with them they might not otherwise know. Like on my blog I write about business because some of my readers are interested in startups and that’s part of why they read my stuff, but I also share personal stuff because if they like my book they might want to know more about me.Do you know Joss Whedon? I find him really interesting. I’m not very sophisticated about films, but what he’s famous for is that while many of the shows he’s made haven’t been that popular in terms of ratings, the people who did watch it were obsessed with it. He’s had the highest aftermarket sales of anyone. The prototypical guy for this is George Lucas. He turned a weird 70s sci-fi movie into the underlying mythology of America, and represents some enormous amount of toy sales and other crazy external licensing sales.The guys who are now doing all these superhero movies are obsessed with Joss Whedon because they’re trying to do the same with these comic book franchises. So they’re trying to take X-Men and turn it into these multiple blockbuster movies but also have video-games and all these other ways fans can experience the story. Joss says he has one question in mind that I think applies to every authors, and that’s â€Å"What can you do that would really delight your fans?† For people who really like your story, how can you double down and give them extra stuff that they would just want more and more of if they really love that story? There’s a really wonderful essay on this, that’s also relevant for early-stage entrepreneurs, called ‘1000 True Fans’.I’m still figuring that out. If people read Uncommon Stock, what more would they want? I know they’d want the sequel because they’re all asking for it, so that’s good -  I’m working on that. But beyond that what are other things that, for someone who loves a book, would make their day? What would make them happy or make them think of it again or think that it’s cool? And I’m always struggling with that.If I was constantly thinking about how I could sell more books, I wouldn’t enjoy the experience of being a writer much. If I want to look at the world cynically, my experience becomes cynical.REEDSYIt’s a bad filter on the creative process.ELIOTYou’re going to have a filter no matter what. If your filter is ‘how can I create something that people will love,’ that’s a fun filter to have. If your filter is ‘how can I create something that people will buy, not only is that less fun from the creativ e perspective, but it’s also very difficult to ascertain. It’s not obvious what people will buy. If you’re trying to select for that, it doesn’t mean you’re going to have any higher chance of success than someone who’s just trying to create something that people will love, and they’re going to have a much better time doing it.REEDSYYou worked with FG Press on ‘Uncommon Stock’ -  what was that like? Did it free you from the commercial pressures traditionally published authors work with, like having to earn out an advance?ELIOTFirst of all, FG Press gives no advances. You have a 50/50 split on all royalties. A typical big-5 contract gives the author about 15% -  that’s fancy math, but that’s more or less what it breaks down to. FG Press is giving a much larger cut on royalties and they’re giving no advance, and I wanted it that way. I think the advance system sets up the wrong in centive. Then the author is writing a book and selling it to a publisher, rather than selling it to a reader. The people who are important to me are my readers. My publisher is important to the extent that they help me either produce something better or do something that makes my readers more happy. I would self-publish in a heartbeat if FG Press was not providing those things for me.The commercial pressures are tied to advances, but the reason that authors are subject to those pressures is because they want the advance. That’s where things can get messy, and that’s part of what FG Press set out to try to do differently. Does that create different challenges? Of course. If you’re not giving advances, the writer has to support themselves until book sales start coming in -  if they do. That’s not a universally good decision -  you need to choose which risk factors you want to take on to produce the kind of content you want to make. T hat’s what they’re doing, that’s their model, and that’s why it’s different. They’re betting that authors who publish through them willingly want to build a readership and want to earn money based on how popular the damn book is, regardless of whether a high-level editor thinks you have potential.REEDSYWhat is FG Press offering their authors in exchange for the initial 50%?ELIOT PEPERFirst of all they’re writing the checks for the initial production costs. It’s true, they take that financial risk, so that’s great for authors who can’t write the checks to take the risks for editing and production. That’s useful and it shows that they’re committed to the title. It just doesn’t cost that much to produce a book. The part where they really add value is through helping to establish a community of readers. As a -  very personal -  example I was sharing my book with Brad becaus e I thought he would like it, and he’s a well-known guy among people who might also like it. If he likes it and writes a review of it, it could be really useful for helping me connect with new readers.When I wrote the book and we released it, that was super useful. Not only did he post about it but he talked to TechStars. TechStars bought ‘Uncommon Stock’ on a license for all of TechStars -  present and future founders. So every TechStars person now gets sent a digital copy of Uncommon Stock. I’d have never been able to achieve that on my own because I don’t have those relationships and I don’t know those people. But working with FG Press it was really cool to be able to do things like that. Or as another example, Foundry Group issued a fake investment. Would they have done that if I was a random self-published author? Probably not, right? So there have been many opportunities working with them for serendipity in terms of working with them that have definitely benefitted me hugely and that I really appreciate that I think also benefit readers. That was a cute stunt, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that for readers.Honestly, the way that I see it at the end of the day and the way that I think FG press is trying to build themselves and the philosophy they take to the table is that they want to just create a publishing model that makes common sense for authors and book production, and then they want to treat everyone like a friend. I’m doing a panel at a tech event. I called FG Press and said â€Å"Guys, I have this opportunity with this big panel -  wouldn’t it be fun if we could like get excerpts of the book to everyone going?† So we’re creating this co-branded landing page where everyone can go pick them up if they want to. Then FG Press said â€Å"If you’re looking for people for the panel, here are a couple of CEOs in the Foundry portfolio that cou ld be a good fit.† So that’s awesome, it makes the panel even better. And so I get to meet a bunch of CEOs who give me good material for my sequel. It’s an all-around everybody-wins.REEDSYHow important was it working with an editor?ELIOT PEPERFirst of all, I need an editor, and I think anyone who thinks they don’t is crazy. If you want to produce something that’s really fun to read, it needs to be edited by someone who knows what they’re doing.I had a couple of different stages. I shared the drafts with Brad but he wasn’t providing on-going feedback and I didn’t want him to. When I’m working on my first rough draft feedback slows me down, it doesn’t speed me up. I need to basically vomit onto the page, and then take that sack of shit in Word format and try to make it better. My first filtration process to try to make it slightly better was sending it to a couple of beta readers who I’d been really selective with. These were people who I had to trust would both be super honest -  not just say it was nice or whatever. I had to know that they’d give me lot of constructive negative feedback.They also each had a specific perspective they could add. One of them for example was probably the top Angel investor in San Diego, and he also studied Literature at Stanford. And so he has this dual perspective of knowing a lot about the English language and loving books, but also being very involved in tech and early-stage startups. I had a friend from grad school, who ended up being my developmental editor, who used to be an editorial exec in Hollywood. She had the whole movie perspective on how those structured plot elements. Movies are incredibly structured stories, and I don’t know that stuff. Having her perspective to help inform where the story could be improved was really useful. They sent back feedback in different forms. Some sent an email with high-level thoughts, s ome people sent me page references. I thought it through, took it on balance, incorporated it.Then I wanted to do a more in-depth, structural look at it because, as I said, I don’t really outline. That’s how I feel comfortable in the creative process but it means more work at the end because you end up having things that don’t work or don’t make sense or aren’t tight enough in terms of plot and character development. So I did three rounds of developmental editing with my friend from grad school. We made a lot of notes, had a couple of phone conversations, and then I would go through and address the problems I thought were important. We did three of those, and each got more gritty. The first one, she didn’t even make notes. She read it, wrote down thoughts, talked through some of the high-level issues. The next one was more scene-oriented, and the final one was more paragraph-by-paragraph.Once we were done with that, I did one more round of b eta readers, different people, got different feedback, incorporate it†¦ and that’s when Brad was giving a lot of detailed feedback. Finally, once we were satisfied with the content we moved onto language. So I did a round of copyediting, then two rounds of proofreading before formatting it for Kindle and print and all that.REEDSYThanks for your time Eliot.

Governing Global Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Governing Global Business - Essay Example One of such trends is growing role of multinational companies not only in a business world, but in the whole society. Transnational companies have influence equal to influence of some countries. That is why it is important to study their role and predict possible future. It is going to be the main task of this research paper. Big attention is going to be paid to national economies and place of TNCs in the countries of North Africa. To begin with it would be reasonable to provide background information about the region under consideration. North Africa is the widest part of the mainland. This region of Africa includes the following countries: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara. Canary Islands, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Madeira are also sometimes referred to North Africa. North Africa is the most developed among African countries. The most developed are the following countries: Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria. This region has a favorable economic and geographical position, situated at the crossroads of three continents - Europe, Asia and Africa. Trade has always played an important role, especially after the construction of the Suez Canal. Then the region gained important military-strategic importance. Countries in the region are heterogeneous in terms of economic development. Basis countries are members of OPEC, where GDP per capita is 17-20 thousand dollars. The region is rich in minerals (phosphates, chromite, bauxite, zinc), but the main resource is energy - oil and natural gas. Profits from the sale of oil - "petrodollars" in recent decades have been invested in the economy. According to experts, this figure reaches more than a trillion dollars. Most of them went to the creation of new industries in these countries: automotive, petroleum, chemistry, organic synthesis, basic chemistry, light industry and others. Some countries in the region have invested heavily in the creation of

Summative Assessment Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Summative Assessment Project - Essay Example Notably, in some countries government regulates the water industries; however, the services of such companies are largely under private companies that are defined within a specific geographical space. Water companies are usually owned differently including by the local government, national government, private ownership, and co-operative. The local government ownership is the commonly structure of ownership known worldwide. The local governments often operate its systems through municipal companies or departments, or inter municipal companies. The local government outsourcing water management from private sectors has increase since 1990 (Pollard, 2008). In the United States, water companies are being managed by state governments that are equally operates as local government. Nonetheless, these companies are obligated to integrate water systems. In other words, they are required to supply, treat wastewater, and ensure sanitation in sewerage systems (Water quality †¦, 2001). Therefore, the water ownership structure must ensure that the water under supply meets water quality standards as well as the environmental standards that relate to wastewater. In the United States, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates the standards set for drinking water. It standards for the pollution control have been developed jointly by the state environmental agencies and the EPA pursuant to clean water act (NATO Advanced Research †¦, at el., 2009). Despite the set standards and regulation set for water companies, these companies are still facing immense risks ranging from water resources management, rising cost, and changing population among others. Water and wastewater resources are facing numerous challenges across New Jersey as well as other parts of the country. The common challenges that are experienced in the

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Financila reporting for Summer bodysuit Ltd (SBL) startup company - Essay Example This problem is so serious that the bank has requested the company to reduce its overdraft for the next six months, hence worsening its already ailing cash slow. As a member of Drake Management Consultants, who have been mandated to advise the company regarding financial issues, I have undertaken to write this report, citing the key problems and offering some recommendations regarding the problems that the company is undergoing. Analysis of the company’s financial statements Return on capital employed (ROCE) The ROCE for Summer Bodysuit Ltd (SBL) has increased from 15.9% to 23.8%, which is a favorable trend. This shows that the business has efficiently invested its resources to create profits. However, the management should be careful to ensure that this rate is maintained at a higher rate than that of borrowing; otherwise its benefit may not be realised (Baker and Wurgler 30). Year before last Last year Profit before Tax 1,668 3,706 Capital Employed 10,474 15,600 ROCE = ((Pro fit before Tax) / (Capital Employed)) * 100. 15.9% 23.8% Return on Equity (ROE) It is remarkable that ROE has increased from 0.38 to 0.54, because this shows that the company’s profitability is on an upward trend, hence an assurance to the shareholders that their capital is being used efficiently to make profits. This trend should be maintained by continuing to invest in profitable opportunities, though the management should be very careful not to engage in investment decisions that can slow down this positive trend in the future. Net Income 1,248 2,926 Shareholder's Equity 3,274 5,400 ROE = Net Income/Shareholder's Equity 0.38 0.54 Gross Profit Margin The company’s gross profit margin has increased slightly, from 46% to 48%. Although, a slight increase in this ratio is a positive indication of financial health, the management should work hard to ensure the cost of sales is reduced at a more increasing rate so that the company’s growth can be speeded up. Inciden tally, as the company work out on strategies that can increase the firm’s revenue, it should not be forgotten that reducing marginal cost of sales is also very essential. Furthermore, what is left after netting cost of sales from the revenue is used for paying for additional expenses as well as for future savings (Barry 256). Year before last Last Year Revenue 14,006 22,410 COGS 7,496 11,618 0.46 0.48 Net Profit Margin The Net profit Margin has increased from 8.9% to 13%, which is financially very healthy; if this trend continues in the future, the company is likely to grow in leaps and bounds. The management should be on the lookout for the costs that could be increasing at a greater rate than the revenues and control them because this could cause the growth in the net profit margin to decelerate in the future (O’Connor 758). Year before last Last year Net income 1,248 2,926 Revenue 14,006 22,410 Net profit margin = (net income/ revenue)*100 8.9% 13% Inventory Turnove r Ratio The company’s inventory turnover ratio has declined from 5.79 times to 3.85 times. This declined trend can cause alarm if it is as a result of any goods selling slowly. However, if it is caused by a company’s new strategy that has led to increased inventory, and which will lead to overall growth, then this should not be a cause of alarm. However, the management sh

Rehabilitation in Prisons Does it Really Work

Rehabilitation in Prisons Does it Really Work There are many issues that have plagued the criminal justice system for decades. However, the issues of the past are much the same as the issues we are dealing with today. Some of the issues we are currently facing are drugs, the overcrowding of jails and prisons, organized crime, juvenile justice, youth violence, adult probation, parole, re-entry, prison, over-criminalization, and many more. Drug-related offenses have been steadily increasing and reaching record highs for the past few years. In 2006, the United States arrested approximately 1.89 million people for drug-related offenses, up from 581,000 in 1980, (Priority Issues: Substance Abuse, para. 1). Many people arrested for drug-related offenses were incarcerated for non-violent crimes, even though they were not direct threats to society. Incarcerating these offenders seemed to be the best way to insure that they stopped using drugs. Citizens of the United States have the right to question whether or not we are accomplishing that goal through incarceration. One of the major issues in the juvenile justice system is juveniles being tried as adults. Some people think that juveniles are tried as adults because of the nature of the crime, while others feel that juveniles are not mentally and emotionally developed enough to fully understand the impact of their actions, nor how they will affect victims and families. There are also concerns about the lack of intervention methods to help the troubled youths in our communities. Some of these trouble youths simply slip through the cracks and end up in the criminal justice system for the rest of their lives, even though a lot of them could have been saved from a life of crime if there had been intervention methods available to them during important stages of their lives. The need for probation for nonviolent offenders is something of an issue. Low-risk and first-time nonviolent offenders are taken away from their families, jobs, and communities and placed in the prison system, which may do them more harm than good. When these types of offenders are placed into the correctional system, they are surrounded by dangerous offenders whom have the opportunity to transform them into career criminals. They are also unable to pay restitution to their victims while they are incarcerated. When spending taxpayer money on criminal justice, it is counterproductive and wasteful to enact policies that create more criminals, rather than enacting policies that reduce the incidence of crime, (Priority Issues: Adult Probation, para. 1). Probation gives an alternative to prison for some low-risk and nonviolent offenders. It is pointless to take offenders off the streets and not think how the prison system will affect their return to society. The most profound issue is one that has been considered off-limits to a reform: prisons. In June 2006, the Commission on Safety and Abuse in Americas Prisons found that at any given time there are more than two million people incarcerated. Over the course of a year, 13.5 million people spend time in jail or prison, and 95% of them eventually return to our communities, (Summary of Findings and Recommendations, pg. 1). It costs the United States more than $60 billion a year to incarcerate offenders, many of which are re-offenders. Offenders should be adequately rehabilitated while in prison in order for them to become productive members of society, to reduce recidivism rates, to reduce costs, and to enhance the safety of communities. Prisons play a critical role in society. In many cases-particularly cases of violent crime-the best way to handle criminal behavior is to incapacitate criminals by incarcerating them, (Priority Issues: Prisons, para. 1). In 2009, there were 760,400 people incarcerated in jails and 1,524,513 people in prisons in the United States. For these more than two million inmates, life can be terrifying and difficult. Some of our jails and prisons are unsafe, unhealthy, unproductive, inhumane and quickly unraveling. Some prisons are overrun with gang violence and extremely overcrowded. Many inmates have to deal with the harsh conditions of prisoner rape, gang violence, excessive force used by corrections officers, contagious diseases, and much more. It is estimated that one out of every 100 adults in the United States are guests of jails and prisons, a total population of about 2.3 million people. Although the United States accounts for only 5% of the worlds total population, American prisons house 25% of the worlds prison population, (A Hard Look, para. 2). Take Indianas prison population for example. Between 2000 and 2010, the prison population increased 47 percent from 19,309 to 28,389. Due to this increase, spending on corrections also increased 37 percent from $495 million to $679 million. The increase in the prison population is nothing new. Over the past 25 years, the war on drugs has caused the prison population to increase tremendously. Based on current estimations, there will not be a change in the number of inmates this year. SCRAMx estimates that there will be a 13 percent increase in the prison population, costing American taxpayers and state and local budgets approximately $27.5 billion. Incarceration is not an equal opportunity punishment, as many people may believe. Many inmates come from disadvantage backgrounds, most do not have a high school diploma, and some can barely even read. Only a portion was actually employed before they went to prison, and some made less than $5,000 a year (Prison Facts, para. 4). As of June 30, 2009, there were 1,309,668 men incarcerated in state prisons; 693,800 were white men, 841,000 were black men, and 442,000 were Hispanic men. Black men only represent about six percent of the American population, but they represent over 40 percent of the American prison population. Black non-Hispanic males, with an incarceration rate of 4,749 inmates per 100,000 U.S. residents, were incarcerated at a rate more than six times higher than white non-Hispanic males (708 inmates per 100,000 U.S. residents) and 2.6 times higher than Hispanic males (1,822 inmates per 100,000 U.S. residents), (Prison Inmates at Midyear 2009-Statistical Tables, pg. 2). Bl ack men between the ages of 30 and 34 had the highest incarceration rate of any age, gender group, or race. In June 2009, there were 101,233 women in state prisons. There were 92,100 white women, 64,800 black women, and 32,300 Hispanic women incarcerated in state facilities. There were also 94,498 non-U.S. citizens in state and federal facilities and another 2,778 inmates under the age of 18 in state prisons. Health care in some U.S. prisons leaves something to be desired. Of the roughly two million state inmates, nearly half suffer from a chronic illness that requires some type of medical treatment, such as diabetes, hypertension, a previous heart attack, or a previously diagnosed cancer. Compared to non-incarcerated citizens, inmates in state jails we 31% more likely to have asthma, 55% more likely to have diabetes, and 90% more likely to have suffered a heart attack, (Many in U.S. Prisons Lack Good Health Care, para. 1). In 2007, there were approximately 3,388 prisoners who died while incarcerated. Of that, 2,860 of those died from illnesses, 120 died from AIDS, 214 committed suicide, 57 were killed, 41 died from drug and alcohol intoxication, 28 died accidently, and 68 died from unknown causes. (See Table 1.) Source: Data from Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 7 February 2011 Prison health care in California was so lacking that in May 2005, a federal judge threatened a takeover of their health care system. Judge Thelton E. Henderson cited the terrible medical treatment inmates received from bad doctors in miserable facilities. He also found that the management of HIV patients was irresponsible. Judge Henderson came to the conclusion that the lack of proper medical attention, bad doctors and facilities, and the mismanagement of HIV patients all contributed to inmate deaths, (Federal Judge Threatens Takeover of CA Prison Health Care System, para. 1). According to the Eighth Amendment concerning cruel and unusual punishment, prisoners have a constitutional right to receive proper health care. Considering the fact that incarceration is so costly, it is alarming that we do not ensure that inmates receive the basic care that would aid in their rehabilitation. According to the Indiana State Constitution, the penal code shall be founded on the principles of reformation, and not of vindictive justice, (Top 10 Department Fact, para. ____). The state of Indiana is required to provide medical and dental treatment to inmates. There is no reason why health care in prison should suffer, especially if proper health care could help reduce recidivism rates. For much of the last 30 years, overcrowding has been a major problem in our prison system. Federal and state prisons and county jails are reaching near-disastrous levels of being over their capacity because we have tried for so many years to incarcerate our way out of crime. However, operating budgets and funding for new facilities have both been greatly reduced, and over the next few years it will more than likely get worse. On October 5, 2006, because of the overcrowded prisons in California, Governor Schwarzenegger issued an emergency proclamation to allow the transfer of inmates to other states to ease their burden. This emergency transfer of inmates did not ease enough of their burden considering that the prisons were still 70 percent over capacity at the end of 2006. In order to relieve more stress on the prisons, Governor Schwarzenegger announced another plan to release some of the nonviolent criminal early in February 2007. By April of 2007, California legislators approved a program to construct new facilities, costing the state another $8.3 billion. The cost of housing and caring for the more than two million jail and prison inmates has quadrupled over the last ten years. Most states even spend more money on jails and prisons than they do on education. Over the course of the last 20 years, the amount of money spent on prisons was increased by 570% while that spent on elementary and secondary education was increased by only 33%, (Prison Facts, para. 8). We spend upwards of $60 billion a year to house our prisoners, which exceeds any other nation, but we do not receive much of a return on that investment when you take into consideration the crime and recidivism rates. Despite the emphasis put on people in America to seek counseling when they need it, rehabilitation in our jails and prisons has failed dramatically. Rehabilitation is a programmed effort to alter the attitudes and behaviors of inmates and improve their likelihood of becoming law-abiding citizens, (Seiter, pg. 32). Rehabilitation programs in the prison system are important to both recidivism and an offenders re-entry into society. When an offender enters a county jail, the Sheriffs Department uses a special system to classify inmates and assign them to a certain area of the jail. They are classified based on their age, gender, frequency and type of offense, their health and mental state, and sexual orientation. Once an inmate is assigned to their cell, they are assigned to rehabilitation programs, if any are available. Inmate rehabilitation and treatment programs are few and far between in county facilities. County facilities only provide rehabilitation opportunities to a selected few inmates. A general questionnaire distributed to Texas county sheriffs or their administrators indicated that larger jails were more likely to have both inmate education and substance abuse treatment programs than smaller jails, (The Rehabilitation Dilemma in Texas County Jails, pg. 1). There were not many facilities that reported having comprehensive or sophisticated programs, and many reported having no programs at all. The entry process for state inmates is much the same as for county jail inmates. Prison inmates are assessed in a Reception Diagnostic Center where they are scored on the Classification Designation Instrument. Points are assessed according to length of sentence, seriousness of offense, violence in the offense, escape histories, substance abuse problems, conduct while incarcerated, etc, (Top 10 Department Facts, para. 11). Once these points have been assessed, a score is calculated to determine of the inmate should be housed in a minimum, medium, or maximum security facility. The score is then compared to security level criteria of the prisons to ensure the inmate is housed in the correct facility. For example, sex and violent offenders are not eligible to be placed into minimum security prisons; therefore, they would be placed into medium or maximum security facilities based on their scores. According to a Bureau of Justice Statistics Report in Corrections Digest (2001), only 40% of the nations jails and prisons offer drug rehabilitation programs, (The Rehabilitation Dilemma in Texas County Jails, pg. 1). This report also suggests that only about half of the inmates receive drug treatment even though nearly 75 percent have substance abuse problems. The state of Indiana is one state that offers many rehabilitation programs to their inmates, such as substance abuse programs, vocational programs, educational programs, housing programs, family improvement programs, and humanitarian programs. By focusing on character, education, family, housing, employment, and health, the corrections department is able to break down the barriers of re-entry and still be able to promote public safety. These programs focus on reducing recidivism, rehabilitation, and re-entry into our communities. The Indiana Department of Corrections offers substance abuse programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and Crystal Meth Anonymous, Clean Lifestyle is Freedom Forever (CLIFF), Outpatient Substance Abuse Program, and Therapeutic Communities (TC). Of these substance abuse programs, Clean Lifestyle is Freedom Forever and Therapeutic Communities have demonstrated a positive impact on recidivism rates which are almost half that of the states overall recidivism rate for the inmates who successfully complete the programs. Clean Lifestyle is Freedom Forever (CLIFF) is designed for inmates whose lives have been impaired by the use of methamphetamines. The programs lasts a minimum of eight months, 12 to 15 hours a day of behavioral counseling. It helps them to overcome their addiction, build social skills that are accepted in society, and job interviewing skills. Therapeutic Communities (TC) is designed for inmates who have severe drug addictions. The format of Therapeutic Communities is much the same as the CLIFF program. Both CLIFF and TC programs also work on inmates personal and peer relationship skills in their recovery process. In order to prepare inmates for successful re-entry into society, Indiana Department of Correction also offers many educational programs. The Department found that approximately 34 percent of inmates are functionally illiterate. In the 2008/2009 school year, 4,658 inmates enrolled in the Literacy Education program. Of those, 1,264 demonstrated a sixth grade literacy level at the end of the school year. GED instruction is also offered to inmates. During the 2008/2009 school year, 4,658 inmates also enrolled in GED programs with 1,660 inmates successfully completed the program. If inmates decide to further their education and obtain a college degree, Indiana has a partnership with six colleges and universities that offer on-site education. Each year there are about 1,000 inmates that receive their associate and bachelor degrees. However, it is up to the inmates to pay for their college education. The Indiana Department of Correction has also partnered with the Department of Labor to create Registered Apprenticeship programs to train inmates in industries such as construction, manufacturing, health care, electric, information technology, and telecommunications. This program connects qualified inmates with employers looking for qualified employees. This supports their re-entry into the community and can help them overcome the obstacles encountered by ex-offenders seeking employment, (Programs, para. 4). There are also Vocational Education programs, ranging from auto body to welding, that are available to inmates. There were 4,237 inmates who enrolled in Vocational Education programs and 2,133 received recognized certifications during the 2008/2009 school year. In order to enhance the relationship between inmates and their families, Department of Correction offers two programs, The Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) and the Responsible Fatherhood Program. PREP encourages inmates to maintain and strengthen their relationship with their families. The Responsible Fatherhood Program provides inmates with the skills to be better fathers. This programs utilizes materials from the National Fatherhood Initiative, 24/7 Dad, and Inside Out Dad to give offenders the skills they need to be better role models for their children. Indiana Department of Correction also offers a multitude of different humanitarian programs. The dog, cat, and horse rescue programs take hard to adopt dogs and cats from local animal shelters and work with them to become adoptable. The Thoroughbred Horse Retirement program rescues retired race horses from needless abuse and slaughter. Inmates involved in the Indiana Canine Assistant program train assistance dogs for children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities. Shifting Gears refurbishes bicycles for children and adults in need of transportation, and Wheels for the World restores donated wheelchairs and other rehabilitation equipment to be shipped overseas for disabled people. These programs teach the inmates how to work together, gives them skills to use when they get out of prison, and gives them a sense of pride for doing something to positively contribute to the community. The Department also offers a faith-based program, Purposeful Living Units Serve (PLUS) Program. The PLUS Program is a faith- and character-based community that encourages offenders to choose alternatives to criminal thinking and behavior by providing a focus on spiritual and character development, life-skills training, community service, and intentional preparation for living as law-abiding citizens, (Programs, para. 13). The rehabilitation programs in state prisons focus on important areas of character, education, employment, health, and family. However, the road to re-entry does not end there. Prior to an inmates release, there are quite a few steps that need to be taken to improve their chances at succeeding in society. Most prisons offer programs to soon-to-be-released inmates, such as housing programs, health services programs, and workforce programs, to name a few. Some prisons have partnered with state and county departments such as Family and Social Services, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Department of Workforce Development, Housing and Community Development Authority, Legal Services, State Department of Health, and the Social Security Administration to help inmates have a smoother transition into society. The Bureau of Motor Vehicles issues state identification cards to inmates prior to their release. Family and Social Services helps inmates apply for Medicaid, Food Stamps, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) so that they have access to medical care, food, and a little money to start their new life. The Department of Workforce Development aids inmates in finding employment. The Housing and Community Development Authority in Indiana has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to implement a program to provide rental subsidies to selected parolees in certain counties. Legal Services provide some legal assistance to inmates for suspende d drivers licenses and child support and the Social Security Administration helps inmates apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). When it comes to people in the correctional system, society fears those who escape from prison and those who are released from prison. Even though the idea of an escaped prisoner is terrifying, we all know that law enforcement will have them back in prison before long. However, released inmates can be even more terrifying. They live among us, drive among us, and work with us. Of the thousands of inmates released from state and local facilities each year, approximately 67 percent will re-offend, be arrested again, and get put back in prison. That fact alone is terrifying. Indiana Department of Correction defines recidivism as an offender who is re-incarcerated within three years of being released from prison. There are quite a few theories floating around as to why ex-offenders recidivate. One theory is being labeled as a convict. A person being known as a convict, or even as an ex-convict, makes gaining employment extremely difficult, especially for those who are actually trying to straighten out their lives. If an ex-convict is unable to find employment, they have no money and end up resorting to criminal activity in order to survive. Another theory is that some ex-convicts needed certain rehabilitation programs, but the programs were unavailable to them. Some ex-convicts believe that if they had received the assistance they needed while incarcerated, they would not have recidivated. Based on the most current published data collected from a 1994 study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 70.7 percent of released offenders were arrested within three years of being released for committing a new crime, 45 percent were taken to court within two years of their release for committing a new crime, 23 percent were convicted of a new crime within a year of their release, 8.6 percent were put back in prison for a conviction of a new crime within six months, and 27.3 percent were convicted and re-incarcerated for a new crime within three years. (See Figure 1.) Figure 1. Prisoner Recidivism Source: Date from Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Prisoner Recidivism Analysis, 7 February 2011 Prison Reformation Plan The reformation of our prison system is a must if we want to reduce crime and costs, properly rehabilitate offenders, and protect our communities. There are many people in the United States who feel that the prison system puts too much focus on punishment and not enough emphasis on rehabilitation and preparing inmates for re-entry into society. Violence, overcrowding, poor medical and mental health care, and numerous other issues have plagued the jails and prisons in the United States. In order to alleviate some of the problems in the prison system, a few changes are going to have to be made. All states need to have some version of the Three-Strikes Law. The Three-Strike law significantly increases the prison sentences of persons convicted of felonies who have been previously convicted of a violent or serious felony, and limits the ability of these offenders to receive a punishment other than a prison sentence, (The Three-Strikes and Youre Out Law, para. 3). One thing to remember is that all Three-Strikes cases require that the offender has had two previous serious or violent convictions. The prosecutor is also required to file the offenders prior offenses along with the new charges. Judges and prosecutors do have the ability to strike previous offenses in cases that they think the offender is worthy. In most cases, a third strike is 25 years to life, not life in prison without the possibility of parole. As of 1996, there were 24 states with the Three-Strikes Law in affect. In California, the Three-Strikes Law was passed in 1994. A study was done by the California Department of Justice and the California Department of Corrections comparing crime rates ten years before the Three-Strikes Law and ten years after. From 1985 to 1993, there were approximately 8,825,353 crimes committed in California. From 1994 to 2002, there were only 6,780,964 crimes committed. To put the facts into a better perspective, from 1994 to 1996, California had 6,738 less murders; 230,337 less robberies; 1,283,088 less burglaries; 18,571 less rapes; and 101,379 less assaults. This added up to a savings of approximately $28.5 billion in California (A Decade of Difference, pg. 3). Inmates need to be required to have medical insurance prior to their release. Inmates need to be required to show proof of medical insurance to the Department of Corrections before they are released from prison. Some states, like Indiana, have partnered with Family and Social Services to help inmates apply for Medicaid. Many people believe that ex-convicts have a better chance of not recidivating if they have access to proper medical care. Inmates need to have adequate health care in prison. Inmates need to know how to properly take care of their health and the first step to that is good medical treatment while incarcerated. Even small improvements in medical care could help reduce recidivism rates. Even though we can legally deprive inmates of their liberty, we cannot allow them to be neglected the medical care they need. Theres some alarming data that suggests that those inmates with chronic conditions dont get the care they need when incarcerated and thats 8th Amendment illegal, (Many in U.S. Prisons Lack Good Health Care, para. 15). There needs to be an education requirement for all inmates. In order for an inmate to gain employment after their release, they need to have some type of an education. Research has found that released offenders who are employed with sustainable wages are less likely to end up back in the prison system. Whether it be their GED, high school diploma, or a vocational certification, it will help them transition into the community easier and they will be productive members of society. Low-level drug addicts need mandatory drug rehabilitation. Instead of sentencing low-level drug addicts to prison, they need to be given a choice between a prison sentence or a mandatory inpatient drug rehabilitation program, and, after successful completion, they should be put on parole for the remainder of their original sentence. Even if they choose prison over rehabilitation, they would still receive substance abuse treatment, the only difference would be they would be in prison instead of out on parole. If Indiana took 100 low-level drug addicts out of prison and gave them inpatient substance abuse treatment, such as the Clean Lifestyle is Freedom Forever or Therapeutic Communities programs, the state would save almost $2 million a year on prison costs. Judges need to have the flexibility to give shorter sentences to nonviolent offenders. Judges need to have the authority to give nonviolent offenders probation instead of a jail or a prison sentence. It costs an average of $80 per day to incarcerate an offender; however, it only costs about $3.50 per day for them to be on probation. Several states have already shown that it is possible to cut these costs and keep the public safe by keeping nonviolent offenders out of jails and prisons. States need to offer incentives to counties for them to handle nonviolent offenders at the county level instead of sending them into the prison system, which costs much more. States also need to eliminate their minimum sentencing laws for nonviolent crimes. These laws remove all discretion from judges who are the most intimately familiar with the facts of a case and who are well-positioned to know which defendants need to be in prison because they threaten public safety and which defendants would in fact not benefit from prison time, (Priority Issues: Prisons, para. 8). States need to have geriatric release programs. There are approximately 200,000 inmates who are over 50 years old. The cost of keeping them in prison is high because they are in need of more medical treatment due to old age. Prisons are effectively turning into nursing homes for all of these older inmates, all paid for by the taxpayers. Rehabilitation Programs in Prisons. Most prisons have an abundance of rehabilitation programs available to inmates. Instead of prisons spending money to keep programs running that do not have a positive effect on inmate rehabilitation and recidivism rates, states should shut down those programs. By shutting down those programs, prisons can use that money to expand successful programs so that more inmates can benefit from the programs. By doing this, hopefully more inmates will be rehabilitated, which will have a positive effect on recidivism rates. In order to reduce recidivism rates and costs, enhance public safety, and to produce productive members of society, offenders need to be adequately rehabilitated. There are very few county facilities that offer rehabilitation programs and only 40 percent of prisons offer rehabilitation programs to their inmates. Considering the increase in incarceration rates over the past ten years, it is amazing that the corrections system still punishes inmates instead of correcting their behavior. The high cost of prisons might be worth it to the taxpayers if the recidivism rates were much lower, but since almost half of the released prisoners are expected to be back behind bars within three years, it simply does not seem worth it. The medical care for inmates is questionable in American prisons. There are some prisons that outsource medical care to private companies, such as Correctional Medical Services. According to Wil S. Hylton, some of these private companies try to maximize their profits by giving minimal medical care to prisoners (Sick on the Inside, para. 10-11). An inmates medical care is an important part of their rehabilitation. They should be healthy and well taken care of while in prison so they can learn how to properly take care of themselves when they re-enter society. There are too many inmates suffering needless deaths because of a lack of adequate medical treatment. If the prison policies we have are not working even just 75 percent of the time and we know that there are better, more effective ways to rehabilitate, we need to change these policies. For example, crime rates have dropped in almost every state over the past seven years. Over the past seven years, Floridas incarceration rate has increased 16 percent, while New Yorks decreased 16 percent. Yet the crime rate in New York has fallen twice as much as Floridas, (Saving Money, Saving Lives, para. 11). Even though New York spent less on their prisons, their state had better public safety than Florida. Citizens in the United States need to know that we can change our prison system to save money and keep them safe at the same time. We all have a responsibility to create safe, productive, and humane correctional facilities. With so much at stake for our citizens health and safety, with so many people directly affected by the conditions in our prisons and jails, this is the moment to confront c onfinement in the United States, (Summary of Findings and Recommendations, pg. 7).