Dear Future President,

Do you like feeling safe? Are you aware of the crime rate here in our hometown? Many people wonder why re-offending dangerous criminals are returning to our city streets so quickly. What people don't know is that many criminals get shorter prison sentences no matter what the charge is. Some charges give you life in prison, other charges give you days, weeks, months, or a certain number of years. Longer prison sentences on all charges would have a huge impact on the safety of our cities and streets.

Everyday, when I turn on the television, there's always a news story on someone being robbed, shot, raped, or some other terrible incident that happened to that individual. I always wonder what the world would be like without criminals and violence on the streets of our communities. Prisons help keep these criminals off of our streets but, problems with short prison sentences limit the peace of no crime in our communities. Others will argue that longer prison sentences will only give criminals the time to form gangs or build relationships with very dangerous re-offending criminals.

Researchers at Birmingham University conducted a study showing that longer prison sentences would prevent 26,000 burglaries, 85,000 thefts, 2,500 robberies, and 1,800 frauds each year. But, one article stood out to me the most. One judge sentenced a criminal a far longer sentence for selling drugs than a extremely violent re-offender. In order for our cities to be safe for families and individuals, longer prison sentences need to be enforced for every crime. To me, crime is crime, no matter if it’s running a red light or first degree murder. Prison sentences should be longer for the safety of our neighborhoods and our individual lives.

Sincerely, Meghan E