Rhetorical Analysis of “Rehabilitate or Punish?”

In “Rehabilitate or Punish?” Etienne Benson presents the argument that psychologists should play a greater role in advocating for rehabilitation in the criminal justice system. As Benson asserts, the spike in mentally ill prisoners has increased the application of psychology criminal justice issues. Yet, the data that psychologists have collected on the merits of rehabilitating prisoners is underutilized by the criminal justice system. Though criminal justice reform is of interest to professionals across a wide range of disciplines, Benson’s article attempts to persuade psychologists to support the increased role of psychology in prison reform efforts. As this article demonstrates, the rhetorical situation must be carefully considered when assessing the efficacy of persuasive techniques. To successfully tailor her arguments to her audience, Benson increases the impact of her argument by adopting persuasive appeals and methods of argument that are appropriate to the rhetorical situation that she faces.

Rhetorical Situation

In order to evaluate the efficacy of Benson’s rhetorical strategy, it is important to evaluate the audience that Benson must persuade. Context can be provided by describing the readers that Benson must address. The article “Rehabilitation or Punish?” was featured in a 2003 edition of the Monitor on Psychology, a publication of the American Psychological Association. The American Psychological Association (APA) is described as “the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States” (About APA para. 1). The APA claims over 134,000 who work in the field of psychology (para. 1). Members of the APA are doctoral-level mental health professionals and associate members include college students, teachers, and other licensed mental health professionals (Our Members para. 2). The members of the APA compose the primary group that Benson must persuade in her essay. Thus, her audience consists of professionals who are highly educated and who are knowledgeable on issues pertaining to the field of psychology.

Benson’s article is featured as a cover story, and thus is likely to reach a wider audience than regular articles in the publication. However, the wider attention presents specific challenges. As the APA notes, its membership represents fifty-four subspecialties in psychology (About Us para. 4). Fields that are represented include addiction, depression, forensics and criminal justice, and stress and trauma (para. 4). The main implication of the diversity of specialties among the readership is that the audience will have different levels of familiarity with issues relating to criminal justice. While many readers will specialize in Benson’s topic, others will have less knowledge on the topics presented in her article. Accordingly, Benson must consider the background knowledge of her audience when writing her article.

The purpose of Benson’s article should also be assessed in order to evaluate the rhetorical situation for which Benson writes. As a feature story, the topic of the story was likely selected because it is expected to be interesting or relevant to the APA members who receive the publication. Thus, Benson’s first purpose is to show how the topic of rehabilitation is relevant to practitioners in the field of psychology. Further, Benson establishes that the purpose of her essay is to make the case that psychology must contribute to the discussion of prison reform. Therefore, the second purpose of the article is to convince psychologists that the field of psychology can establish solutions to criminal justice issues. Finally, Benson expresses her own stance on the issue and asserts that the field of psychology supports rehabilitating prisoners. Thus, her final purpose is to convince readers that research in the field of psychology supports her stance on the rehabilitation of criminal offenders.

Persuasive Appeals

The three primary persuasive appeals include ethos, pathos, and logos. Though Benson uses each type of appeal to varying degrees, the essay contains each persuasive element. Ethos, the first persuasive appeal to consider, refers to the credibility of the author. Ethos is the method of appeal that is Benson utilizes the least in this essay. While Benson is identified as a staff member of the publication and is a regular contributor, the article lacks biographical information that further details her credentials. Further, Benson does not refer to her experiences or authority in the article. However, there are indirect methods that Benson utilizes to appeal to ethos. First, here position as a regular columnist enables her to gain the trust of readers who may be familiar with her previous work. Also, Benson utilizes an authoritative tone in the article that boosts her credibility. Finally, Benson provides careful research that builds her credibility. For example, she provides well-researched historical information under the first subheading to describe the evolution of prison policy. As Benson writes, “Until the mid-1970s, rehabilitation was a key part of U.S. prison policy. Prisoners were encouraged to develop occupational skills and to resolve psychological problems […]” (Benson para. 6). Through this passage, Benson demonstrates an in depth understanding of her topic and is able to assert her credibility as a writer without disclosing her credentials.

Pathos, the second form of persuasion, appeals to the reader by invoking motivations. Though the article possesses a technical tone, Benson utilizes pathos by presenting facts that encourage the reader to sympathize with prisoners. Discussing the punitive measures that prisoners are subjected to, Benson writes, “More recently, Haney has been studying so-called ‘supermax’ prisons -- high security units in which prisoners spend as many as 23 hours per day in solitary confinement for years at a time” (para. 25). This descriptive sentence serves the dual purpose of conveying information on the development of supermax prisons while alerting the reader to the difficult conditions that prisoners in supermax prisons are exposed to. Further, Benson cites a Stanford University study that described how normal individuals could become “sadistic” when placed in a prison environment (para. 24). The choice of the word “sadistic” also instills negative connotations that are to be applied towards the prison environment. Through subtle appeals to emotions, Benson encourages the reader to react negatively toward the punitive aspects of the prison system.

Benson’s article relies primarily on logos as a persuasive technique. Throughout the article, Benson develop several claims on the importance of rehabilitation that are supported with evidence. Benson establishes three main claims in the article: 1) that the United States prison system has taken a punitive approach to handling prisoners, 2) that mentally ill prisoners are adversely impacted by the punitive trends in criminal justice, and 3) that research supports the benefits of rehabilitation in prisons. Benson supports the first claim through historical evidence that outlines the development of policies that impact the treatment of prisoners. For example, Benson asserts that the “get tough on crime” approach following the mid-1970s contributed to a spike in the United States prison population (para. 6). Benson supports the claim that mentally ill prisoners are adversely impacted by the emphasis on criminal punishment describing the barriers that prison psychologists face in providing service to those in prison. Specifically, Benson notes that many prison psychiatrists are only contacted on a part-time basis for the purpose of screening and providing counseling for prisoners (para. 13). In support of her final claim, Benson highlights research that supports an emphasis on rehabilitation in prisons. Assessing previous studies on rehabilitation, Benson criticizes the belief that recidivism is inevitable and establishes that research supports the efficacy of work programs, education in prison, and therapy (para. 21). Because Benson utilizes extensive evidence to support her claims, the use of logos is most effective persuasive appeal in the article.

Argumentation

Since logos is the most prominent persuasive appeal in this essay, it is important to evaluate the types of evidence that Benson introduces to support her arguments. The first type of evidence that Benson utilizes to support her claims is expert testimony. In the introduction, Benson quotes Dr. Craig Haney, a psychologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, to assert that the field of psychology is uncovering scientific evidence that can be applied to criminal justice issues (para. 4). Further, Benson quotes Dr. Robert Morgan, a psychologist at Texas Tech University, to discuss the limited resources allocated to mental health in the prison system (para. 16). Further, in discussing the findings on the benefits of rehabilitation to reform prisoners, Benson cites the research of psychologists. She consistently quotes Dr. Haney when describing the implications of the research findings. For example, when discussing the research of psychologists following the mid-1970s, Benson writes, “But in the past 25 years, says Haney, they have generated massive literature documenting the importance of child abuse, poverty, early exposure to substance abuse and other risk factors for criminal behavior” (para. 21). Benson strengthens her arguments by appealing to authority when making arguments that call for technical expertise.

Further, Benson utilizes statistical evidence to highlight the impact of punishment on the mentally ill. To demonstrate the impact of tougher criminal sanctions, Benson establishes that 2 million individuals are in prison and as many as five million people are on probation or parole (para. 8). Further, she notes that the United States has among the highest incarceration rate of any developed country (para. 8). As this expanding figure demonstrates, incarceration is an issue that impacts a large percentage of the United States population. Citing the Department of Justice, Benson notes that up to 20 percent of the individuals in prison are mentally ill (para. 10). These statistics serve to strengthen Benson’s assertion that psychologists should take interest in mental health issues within the context of the criminal justice system.

Analysis

To determine the efficacy of Benson’s persuasive appeals and methods of argumentation, the rhetorical situation must be reconsidered. The demographic composition of Benson’s readers can be used to determine whether she utilizes the correct persuasive techniques while determining which methods of persuasion are lacking in her article. First, a consideration of Benson’s reader can reveal whether Benson effectively utilizes ethos, pathos, and logos. Because Benson’s anticipated readers or professionals in the field of psychology, Benson’s use of statistical evidence and research to support her claims is an appropriate approach to persuasion. Though Benson sparsely appeals to emotions, this is appropriate because her audience may be primarily interested in evidence that supports her position. Though Benson underutilizes the appeal to ethos, she manages to compensate for a lack of personal credibility by appealing to authority to support her claims. Further, the use of logical arguments over emotional appeal serves to establish an authoritative voice that enhances her credibility. In consideration of her professional audience, Benson selects the correct combination of persuasive techniques to effectively appeal to her audience.

Conclusion

In “Rehabilitate or Punish?” Monitor on Psychology writer Etienne Benson highlights the role that psychology should play in directing on policies regarding criminal justice. Benson’s main purpose in writing is to provide information that is of interest to psychologists who practice across a wide range of disciplines. In addition, Benson holds the secondary goal of persuading her professional audience that they should utilize the expertise gained from their professional experience to weigh in on criminal justice issues. Anticipating the appeals that are appropriate for a professional audience, Benson primarily utilizes logos to construct clear arguments that establish her support for rehabilitation. Through a combination of historical research, statistics, appeal to experts, and research, Benson supports her position that the field of psychology can play an important role in supporting the rehabilitation of criminal offenders.

Works Cited

“About APA.” American Psychological Association. n.d.

Benson, Etienne. “Rehabilitate or Punish?” Monitor on Psychology 34.7 (2003): 46-46.

“Our Members.” American Psychological Association. n.d.