Imagine you are tasked with explaining to a board of county supervisors how ancillary entities support the legal system in carrying out justice in your state. In a presentation (using a digital presentation program) of 10-12 slides, explain the following to your audience:
Describe how ancillary entities (police, jail, corrections) support the legal system in carrying out justice.
Describe models used by your state to seek fairness in sentencing. For example, determinate vs. indeterminate.
Explain the goals of punishment (sentencing) in your state’s legal system.
Explain the impact that historical sentence enhancements (like the three-strikes law) have had on correctional facilities.
Provide examples of sentence enhancements recently implemented (For example, a drug crime committed while in possession of a firearm, a crime committed near a school zone, or an existing criminal record).
Lastly, explain why it is important for corrections agencies to know this information about ancillary entities and sentencing enhancements.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
[Slide 1] Title: Ancillary Entities and Justice in [State]
[Slide 2] Topic: Role of Ancillary Entities in Carrying Out Justice
Ancillary entities, such as the police, jail, and corrections, play a crucial role in supporting the legal system in carrying out justice.
The police are responsible for law enforcement, investigating crimes, and apprehending offenders.
Jails serve as temporary holding facilities for individuals awaiting trial or serving short sentences.
Corrections facilities house and rehabilitate individuals who have been convicted of crimes.
[Slide 3] Topic: Models for Fairness in Sentencing
Our state utilizes both determinate and indeterminate sentencing models to seek fairness in sentencing.
Determinate sentencing involves fixed sentences for specific offenses, ensuring consistency and predictability in punishment.
Indeterminate sentencing allows for more flexibility, considering factors such as the offender’s background, behavior, and potential for rehabilitation.
[Slide 4] Topic: Goals of Punishment in [State]
The goals of punishment, also known as sentencing, in our state’s legal system include:
Rehabilitation: Helping offenders reform and reintegrate into society.
Deterrence: Discouraging potential offenders and preventing future crimes.
Incapacitation: Protecting society by removing dangerous individuals from the community.
Retribution: Providing a sense of justice and closure to victims and society.
[Slide 5] Topic: Impact of Historical Sentence Enhancements
Historical sentence enhancements, like the three-strikes law, have had a significant impact on correctional facilities.
The three-strikes law imposes longer sentences or life imprisonment for individuals convicted of a third serious offense.
This has led to overcrowding in correctional facilities and increased strain on resources.
[Slide 6] Topic: Recent Sentence Enhancements Implemented
Examples of recent sentence enhancements implemented in our state include:
Drug crimes committed while in possession of a firearm: Increased penalties due to the heightened danger involved.
Crimes committed near a school zone: Enhanced punishments to ensure the safety of children and deter criminal activity near educational institutions.
Existing criminal record: Prior convictions can result in longer sentences to address repeat offenses and protect public safety.
[Slide 7] Topic: Importance for Corrections Agencies to Know this Information
Corrections agencies must be aware of information about ancillary entities and sentencing enhancements due to the following reasons:
Planning and resource allocation: Understanding the impact of sentence enhancements helps corrections agencies anticipate population growth and allocate resources accordingly.
Rehabilitation programs: Knowledge of ancillary entities and sentencing models aids in designing effective rehabilitation programs tailored to the needs of the inmate population.
Public safety considerations: Awareness of sentence enhancements ensures that appropriate security measures are in place to manage potentially higher-risk individuals.
[Slide 8] Summary Slide: Role of Ancillary Entities
Police, jail, and corrections are vital ancillary entities supporting the legal system in carrying out justice.
Determinate and indeterminate sentencing models promote fairness in our state.
The goals of punishment include rehabilitation, deterrence, incapacitation, and retribution.
Historical sentence enhancements have impacted correctional facilities, leading to overcrowding and resource strain.
[Slide 9] Summary Slide: Recent Sentence Enhancements
Recent sentence enhancements target specific offenses such as drug crimes with firearms, crimes near school zones, and repeat offenders with existing criminal records.
[Slide 10] Summary Slide: Importance for Corrections Agencies
Corrections agencies must know information about ancillary entities and sentence enhancements for effective planning, rehabilitation programs, and public safety considerations.
[Slide 11] Q&A Slide
[Slide 12] Thank You!
Note: Please adapt the content provided to fit the specific details of your state’s legal system.
