Nicholas Willbanks

November 9, 2015
MC 3520
Assignment 9: Short Speech
I have come here today to speak about the grave issues that our country is facing.
The criminal justice system in the United States has veered off of the path it was
once on. We may pride ourselves on our roots in freedom or perhaps our victory
over oppression, but what if our government is far more oppressive than most of us
realize? Americans that face the criminal justice system are subject to over
criminalization, harsh mandatory minimum sentences, and the demise of jury trials
(Cruz, pg. 31). These are issues that must be addressed in the interests of justice.
The list of Federal criminal offenses is continually growing. Congress created more
than 450 new crimes from 2000 to 2007, a rate of more than one a week (Cruz, pg.
31). I believe that the legislative and executive branches should work together to rid
the United States criminal code of any redundancies. We are not promoting justice
by punishing someone on multiple grounds for a single crime.
Mandatory minimum sentences should also face reform in order to provide a justice
system where the punishment fits the crime. We often see cases where drug
offenders are given lengthy jail sentences for nonviolent crimes. These cases are
undoubtedly attributing to overpopulation in US jails and the unnecessary taxpayer
expenses that follow.
Trial by jury is being threatened in America, and the plea bargain system is
ultimately to blame. For those who are unaware, when a prosecutor convinces a
defendant to plead guilty to lesser charges, it is considered a plea bargain. The
problem with plea bargains is that the prosecutor impedes the process of a fair trial.
The result is that potentially innocent people are put in jail for crimes that they
might not have committed. We need to place more emphasis on the jury process so
that the courts can interpret the evidence and come to a conclusion that has
undergone the entire legal process.
There is not enough room in American jails to continue down the path we are on. We
are spending too much federal tax money on convicts who committed nonviolent
crimes and criminals who are behind bars for life because of redundancies in the
code of law. There is no question in my mind that America needs to reform our
criminal justice system. I leave you today with my vision of change, but most
importantly, a set of practical solutions to the problems we face.
Thank you.

Works Cited
Cruz, Ted. "Reduce Federal Crimes and Give Judges Flexibility." <i>American
Leaders Speak out on Criminal Justice</i> (2015): 31-36. Brennan Center for
Justice. Web. 9 Nov. 2015.