Running Head: BIBLIOGRAPHY 1

Annotated Bibliography
Pablo Garcia Beltran
Montgomery College
 Annotated Bibliography
Alkon, C. (2015). An overlooked key to reversing mass incarceration: Reforming the law to
reduce prosecutorial power in plea bargaining. University Of Maryland Law Journal Of
Race, Religion, Gender & Class, 15(2), 191-208.
This article served a very clear purpose, to show how prosecutorial power had
directly contributed towards the current incarceration rates. Additionally, the article also
proposed changes to the current system with the goal of reducing incarceration rates in
mind. The article mainly focused on the prosecutors vast power when proposing plea
deals and their ability to put pressure on the defense. The article also covered how
minimum sentencing and mandatory sentencing came into play when the prosecution
proposed deals. In brief, the article showed the vast power held by the prosecution when
it came to sentencing, and how this power affected incarceration rates.
This source was directly related to my topic and was replete of material and
information that I could make use of. Therefore, it was an ideal candidate for
paraphrasing and direct quotation. This source was the most directly related and easiest to
work with among my bibliography. The information seemed reliable as it came from a
wealth of different sources and the author had a background in the field of law.
Additionally, it was well documented and made handsome use of evidence. The author
did not forget to show the opposing view point and refute it well. However, the author
had a clear goal when writing this article, to persuade the reader that a change is needed.
In short, this source would be useful to me and was generally reliable.
This article opened a whole new avenue of inquiry for me. Before reading this
article, I was unaware of the large role the prosecution plays in the justice system and the
large impact they had on incarceration rates. This source would fit perfectly into my
research project because it included background information that I could weave in to the
introduction as well as proposals that I could weave into my own proposal.
Bagaric, M. (2014). From arbitrariness to coherency in sentencing: Reducing the rate of
imprisonment and crime while saving billions of taxpayer dollars. Michigan Journal Of
Race & Law, 19(2), 349-413.
This articles purpose was to inform the reader of the current state of the
American and Australian prison systems and propose changes to improve the current
situation regarding incarceration rates. The article provided a very broad perspective
covering many different topics pertaining to the prison system; among them, the
rationalization of state imposed punishments, the impact that public opinion should have
on sentencing, what the objectives of punishment should be, whether sentencing can
deter, rehabilitate or protect, and a proposed framework for a better system. Overall, this
article provided an in-depth analysis of the prison system and suggested reasonable
improvements.
As the previous source, this article was very closely related to my topic of choice.
I would likely cross examine the solutions proposed in this article with other articles and
 make use of them in my paper. The articles information seemed legitimate and reliable
because the author had previous knowledge and experience in the field as the director of
Melbournes Centre for Evidence-Based Sentencing. Additionally, the article had
extensive documentation and sources from many different institutions and authors. The
author was objective, he presented several points of view and made use of evidence to
support his claims. However, the author was attempting to convince his audience that his
proposal is right; as a result, he may have some intrinsic bias. Generally, this article is
reliable and provided much useful information.
This article has showed me an alternate point of view to consider. Since it took the
American prison system into consideration while comparing it to the Australian prison
system, this article helped me identify issues that are problematic to the prison system
regardless of what country I may take into consideration.
Bagaric, M., & Gopalan, S. (2016). Saving the united states from lurching to another sentencing
crisis: Taking proportionality seriously and implementing fair fixed penalties. St. Louis
University Law Journal, 60(2), 169-242.
Like the previous article, this article compared the Australian prison system to the
American prison system emphasizing proportionality as a key idea and then proposed
solutions to curve mass incarceration. This article highlighted the magnitude of the
incarceration burden, examined the cause for such high incarceration rates, emphasized
the importance of proportionality in a prison system, and advocated for drastically
changing sentencing policy. In brief, this article provided an extensive analysis of the
prison system in the US and proposed rational improvements.
There was not much to say about the reliability of this article as it was written by
the same author as the last article. As the last article, this article was well structured and
written. Additionally, the article also made extensive use of evidence to support
arguments and claims. I would use this article throughout the entirety of my research
paper seeing as it had information that fit into all stages of my research paper. My
assessment was that this source was reliable and would be useful to me in constructing a
well thought out research paper.
This article had not shown me much more than the previous article did because
they are similar in nature. However, this article did go more in-depth in certain aspects
such as proportionality and having punishments fit the crime.
Fabelo, T., & Thompson, M. (2015). Reducing incarceration rates: When science meets political
realities: Work in the states documents the difficulty of this challenge, but also reveals
some lessons that may help policymakers and other stakeholders reach this aim. Issues In
Science And Technology, (1), 35.
This article taook the issue of mass incarceration nationwide and narrowed it
down to four sample states, Michigan, North Carolina, Texas, and Pennsylvania. The
article then presented information on these four states and discussed the correlation
between these sample states and the prison system nationwide. The article then concluded
 by stating a series of lessons learned which if directly tackled should reduce the current
incarceration rates. The article also included information about the most recent
developments regarding the prison system during Obamas administration. In short, this
article studied a few sample states and then drew conclusions about the national prison
system.
This article was closely related to my research topic. However, unfortunately, the
article was not very reliable. The article included no citations, references, or statistical
data of any kind. Nevertheless, Fabelo seemed to be a reliable author in that he worked in
the field and held a position of responsibility. But with no references or evidence to back
his claims, I could not help but keep this as an opinion piece from which to draw ideas
and contrast with other sources. In brief, I would not paraphrase or quote this source,
however, I would contrast some of the ideas presented with other sources and then cite
those sources.
This article did not necessarily teach me anything new. However, it did highlight
and remind me that issues such as incarceration rates are very nuanced and can vary
greatly from state to state. This I must keep in mind when writing my research paper so
that I do not make generalizations too large in scope without the evidence to back them
up.
Labutta, E. (2017). The prisoner as one of us: Norwegian wisdom for american penal practice.
Emory International Law Review, 31(2), 229-359.
This article contrasted American incarceration and reoffence rates to those of
Norway and analyzed the explanations and causes behind these rates. The article started
off exploring the background of the different incarceration rates and reoffence rates. The
article then moved on to compare how each country deals with prisoners. Afterwards, the
article explored the different possibilities for incorporating several different aspects of the
Norwegian penal approach into the American justice system. In brief, this article
demonstrated how the American justice system could benefit from incorporating some
aspects from the Norwegian justice system.
This article diverged slightly from my topic of choice by covering reoffence rates
in addition to incarceration rates. However, it had very useful information regarding
incarceration rates. Additionally, it provided solutions that are not just theoretical, but had
been implemented in Norway to a great degree of success. The information is also
reliable as the article was documented extensively and full of references and citations. On
a related note, the article was very recent, it was published in 2017. However, I could not
find much information on the author. Therefore, I may or may not cite this source
depending on whether I could verify its reliability by cross examination with other
reputable sources.
Outside of this articles usefulness as a source, it was eye opening. The
Norwegian penal system was so dramatically different than that of the US. For instance,
the maximum sentence was 21 years. Even Anders Behring, the perpetrator of the
 terrorist attack that claimed the lives of over 69 people, was sentenced to only 21 years of
prison. However, this eventuality was an anomaly in Norway, Norway generally had one
of the lowest incarceration rates and recidivism rates in the world, as opposed to the US.
Malsin, M. J. (2015). A rhetoric of rehabilitation: Dorothea Dix's prison reform arguments.
Argumentation & Advocacy, 51(3), 138.
This article analyzed Dorothea Dixs writings on prisons in the 1840s. The article
started off by analyzing the state of the American penal system in the 1840s. It then
attempted to prove its claim that Dix shaped the transition from corporal and capital
punishment to a reform perspective which had the modern prison system as an
unintended consequence. The article analyzed many of Dixs writings to give the reader a
general idea of what Dix intended and believed. In short, the article presented Dixs
perspectives on prison reform in the 1840s.
This article did not directly relate to my topic very much. However, I could draw
a connection between what Dix believed prison reform should be and what it had become
instead. The article was not as reliable as my first three sources. However, it was
extensively documented and had plenty of references and citations in addition to being
recent. The article was also structured very nicely and flows well and logically. I may or
may not end up citing this source, some additional cross checking with some other
sources would be needed before I could comfortably cite this source.
This article was very interesting in that it shows where some of the current ideas
that were implemented within the penal system originate from. It was also worthwhile to
mention how Dix had such a radically different idea of what the prison system should be
from what it currently is.
Mohr, G. C. (2015). Reforming the criminal justice system. Corrections Today, (6), 46.
This articles purpose was to briefly introduce key ideas that should be
implemented to improve the justice system overall (with an emphasis on Ohio). The
article summarized the situation as of 2011 and pointed out how the incarceration rates
were untenable. It then emphasized the three-tier system, which divided inmates into max
security, medium security and minimum security. The article went over legislation
previously passed and explained what that legislation attempted to improve. In short, the
article went over what to improve to achieve a better justice system.
This article covered the justice system more broadly than my choice of topic
allows. However, some of the information provided I could still use in my research paper.
This articles reliability was borderline acceptable. It was scarcely documented and the
author made use of little citations. On the other hand, the author himself held a position
very closely tied to the subject, he was the Director of the Ohio Department of
Rehabilitation and Correction. However, since he did not provide many sources, I feel
reluctant to use this article as a source for direct quotation or paraphrasing.
 This article had a very interesting pyramid showing the priorities of the prison
system. From bottom to top they were as follows, safety and security, order, services,
self-development, and personal and societal wellness. This pyramid was interesting
because the current situation seemed so far removed from what the pyramid delineates.
Mungan, M. C. (2017). Reducing crime through expungements. Journal Of Economic Behavior
And Organization, doi:10.1016/j.jebo.2017.03.021
This article demonstrated that allowing expungements at a cost can counter-
intuitively reduce crime. The article started by informally defining some terms and
establishing some relationships between expungements and crime rates. As the article
progressed it incorporated the use of higher mathematics to formalize the relationships
and form models that show a decrease in crime if expungements are implemented. The
article emphasized how first time non-career criminals were less likely to reoffend is their
records were expunged. In short, this article presented a set of mathematical models that
show expungements lower crime rates.
This source was related to my topic. This article was also very reliable. It was
written by an internationally recognized scholar in the field of law and economics. The
author had published in many distinguished journals and held doctorates in related fields.
Additionally, his work was very thorough and extensively documented. Moreover, the
article was very recent, it was published in 2017. However, unfortunately, the article was
a little heavy on the mathematics and so it may be tough to weave it into my research
paper in a natural way. In brief, the source was reliable and of good quality, but I may
struggle integrating it into my paper.
This article presented an interesting way of taking the prison system into
consideration. By designing mathematical models that were representative of real world
relationships, very interesting conclusions can be derived. These conclusions could help
policy makers implement effective policy.
Nesmith, R. C. (2015). Tough on crime or tough luck for the incarcerated? Exploring the adverse
psychological impacts of mandatory minimum sentencing and pushing for action. Law &
Psychology Review, 39253-266.
This articles purpose was to explain how the US has arrived at the current
situation as it concerned the prison system. The article started out by outlining the major
issues that plagued the US prison system, such as the very high incarcerations rates. The
article then went on to explain that the war on drugs, minimum sentencing, and
mandatory sentencing were mostly to blame for the current incarceration rates. The
article then proposed some areas of improvement that US legislators should address. In
short, this article showed that there is something wrong with the prison system and
suggested some areas of improvement.
This source would fit into my research paper very nicely. This article had
information that I could use towards the beginning of my research paper where I show
there is a problem that must be addressed. Additionally, this articles information was
 reliable, it was extensively documented and provided citations throughout the article.
Additionally, the author had worked in a field closely tied to the prison system. All things
considered, I would cite this article throughout my research paper.
This article presented some very interesting ideas to reduce incarceration rates.
The article proposed a victim-perpetrator mediation program whereas petty crimes could
be put to rest through a mediator and never go through the justice systems normal
channels. This was an interesting idea that may warrant a paragraph in my research paper.
Palamar, J. J., Davies, S., Ompad, D. C., Cleland, C. M., & Weitzman, M. (2015). Powder
cocaine and crack use in the United States: An examination of risk for arrest and
socioeconomic disparities in use. Drug And Alcohol Dependence, 108.
doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.01.029
This article explored the sentencing disparity encountered when comparing arrests
for crack cocaine consumption and powder cocaine consumption. The article also linked
the consumption of these drugs to the socioeconomic background of the drug consumers.
The article started off by emphasizing that crack cocaine and powder cocaine were
virtually just as dangerous. The article then went on to draw the conclusion that
minorities were more likely to be arrested, yet were just as likely to do crack cocaine
when accounting for socioeconomic variables. In brief, this articles showed the
sentencing disparity for crack cocaine offences as opposed to powder cocaine offences
and how socioeconomic background came into the picture.
The information presented in this article was related to my topic. Sentencing
disparity could be shown to be an outcome of poor policy and could be framed as an
indicator that reform was needed. The information presented in this article was very
reliable. The article was extensively documented and cited a wealth a of different sources.
Additionally, the authors all had experience in the field and were credible writers. I would
use this source when transitioning from evaluation to proposal as well as throughout the
rest of the research paper.