Drug offenders sdmitted to prison Essay

The single greatest force behind the growth of the U. S. prison system since the mid-1980s has been the national â€Å"war on drugs. â€Å"45 Spearheaded by major federal drug policy initiatives that significantly increased penalties for drug offenses and markedly increased federal funds for state anti-drug efforts, federal and state measures to combat drugs have concentrated on criminal law enforcement rather than prevention and treatment. 46 An estimated 400,000 people — almost one-quarter of the total incarcerated population in the U. S.– are confined in local jails and state and federal prisons on drug charges. 47 Citing the extraordinary number of drug offenders in U. S. prisons, General Barry McCaffrey, has decried the creation of what he termed a â€Å"drug gulag. â€Å"48 Policies adopted to battle the use and sale of drugs have led to marked increases in arrest rates, in the likelihood of going to prison, and in the length of sentences for drug offenders. Between 1980 and 1997, the number of annual drug arrests tripled to a high of 1,584,000. 49 The rate of drug arrests per 100,000 residents rose from 288 to 661. 50 The rate of commitment to state prison per drug arrest quintupled between 1980 and 1990, rising from 19 prison commitments per 1,000 arrests to 103 per 1,000. 51 The estimated time served by drug offenders in state prisons increased a full year between 1987 and 1996; federal drug sentences doubled. 52 As of 1997, there were an estimated 285,009 men and women in state and federal prisons on drug charges, a twelvefold increase since 1980. 53 Relative to the adult population, the rate of incarceration of drug offenders hasincreased almost tenfold, rising from less than 15 inmates per 100,000 adults to 148 per 100,000. 54 In 1980, drug offenders comprised only six percent of state prison populations. By 1998, they constituted 21 percent. In federal prisons, drug offenders now comprise 59 percent of all inmates, whereas they represented only a quarter of federal inmates in 1980. 55 Drug Offenders Admitted to Prison Between 1980 and 1998, the number of new admissions of drug offenders to state and federal prison soared, exceeding 1. 5 million in total (Figure 5). In recent years, about one hundred thousand drug offenders have been admitted to prison annually. Nationwide, 31 percent of all admissions to state prison in 1996 were drug offenders. Among the states, the proportion of drug offenders varied between a low of 10 percent in Maine to a high of 46. 6 percent in New Jersey and 44. 7 percent in New York (Figure 6). In three quarters of the states, more than one in five persons sent to prison was convicted of a drug offense. In contrast, violent offenders accounted nationwide for only 26. 8 percent of new state prison admissions. Rate of Admission of Drug Offenders There is a remarkable range in the extent to which states subject their populations to incarceration on drug charges (Table 8). The rates of admission of drug offenders to prison per 100,000 adult residents vary from a low of 6 per 100,000 in Maine to a high of 91 in California. The ten states that have the highest rates of drug offender admissions relative to population are: California, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington. Nationwide, drug offenders are sent to prison at a rate, relative to population, that is 13 percent higher than the rate for violent offenders (Table 9). In one half of the states reporting to NCRP, the admission rates for drug offenders exceed those for persons convicted of violent crimes. Six states — Arkansas, California, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia — send drug offenders to prison at rates that range from 50 to 100 percent higher than the rates for violent offenders. Drug Offending and Prison Admissions The broad range in admission rates for drug offenders across the country cannot be ascribed simply to variations in drug use and sales in different states. Table 10, covering twenty six states, presents federal estimates of the percentage of the population over 12 in those states who were current illicit drug users in 1991-1993. 56 Although some drug users may cross state lines to purchase drugs, we assume that relative rates of drug use in each state also roughly reflect relative amounts of drug sale activity. Comparing drug use rates with calculations of the rate relative to population at which drug offenders in those states were sent to prison reveals the lack of a consistent correlation between drug offending and the imprisonment of drug offenders. First, the percentage of the population that used drugs varied among states from 4. 1 to 8. 2 percent, compared to a range in drug offender admission rates that extended from 8 to 91. Second, the states with higher rates of drug use were not necessarily the states with higher drug offender admission rates. Oregon, for example, had the third highest percentage of drug use, yet it had one of the lowest rates of drug admissions. In contrast, California had both the highest rate of drug use and the highest rate of drug offender admissions. Third, lower drug use did not necessarily correlate with low drug offender admissions rates. The percentage of Illinois’ population that used drugs was quite low, yet the statehad the second highest rate of drug offender admissions. Similarly, Louisiana had a relatively low rate of drug use yet it had one of the highest rates of drug admissions. Obviously, no definitive conclusions can be drawn from a comparison of these two rather crude sets of figures. Nevertheless, the data suggest the explanation for the different rates at which people are sent to prison for drug offenses must lie in different penal policies and priorities among the states, including different law enforcement resources and strategies, prosecutorial charging preferences, and sentencing laws, as well as structural and demographic factors, e. g. , degrees of urbanization, rather than rates of drug offending. Drugs Involved In Offense The NCRP data does not permit reliable calculations about the extent to which different â€Å"hard† drugs (e. g. , cocaine, amphetamines, heroin) were involved in drug offenses. The data is somewhat better with regard to the identification of marijuana offenses, which were identified as the drug involved in 4. 3 percent of all drug admissions. 57 In nine states marijuana offenses accounted for more than ten percent of drug admissions: Alabama (16. 09), Iowa (17. 22), Kentucky (12. 4), Mississippi (14. 50), New Hampshire (28. 83), North Dakota (43. 02), South Carolina (11. 25), South Dakota (18. 3), and West Virginia (20. 63) (Table 11). Type of Drug Conduct People are sent to prison for both drug possession and sales-related conduct. In 1996, the simple possession of drugs (excluding possession with intent to sell) was the most serious conviction offense for 28 percent of all drug offenders admitted to state prison (Table 12). Fifty-six percent of drug offender admissions were for drug sales, and the rest for other drug-related offenses (e. g. , fraudulent prescriptions and unlawful possession of syringes). In nine states (Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Minnesota, Mississippi, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Virginia) more than 50 percent of drug offenders sent to prison were convicted of simple possession.

A Report On The Iphone 3g - 1215 Words

On January 9, 2007 Steve Jobs gave a presentation where he introduced a widescreen iPod with touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone, and a breakthrough internet device. He combined all three and introduced the iphone. The tech team kept working on the phones for any tweaks they would get. On September 5, 2007 Steve Jobs said The surveys are in and iPhone customer satisfaction scores are higher than we ve ever seen for any Apple product. We ve clearly got a breakthrough product and we want to make it affordable for even more customers as we enter this holiday season. They were getting feedback from the customers and they received feedback on how there was not enough memory space and the cost was heavy. The iphone 3G had no change†¦show more content†¦It was hot. It was the iPhone 4. It was flat, chemically-hardened glass (aluminosilicate) front and back, with a stainless steel band that ran around the sides, and it was 24% thinner than the iPhone 3GS. For the first time, Apple also added a front camera, VGA resolution. While it was a boon to the profile pics and selfies that were growing in popularity, it also allowed Apple to launch FaceTime video calling. iPhone 4S plus iOS 5 plus iCloud is a breakthrough combination that makes the iPhone 4S the best iPhone ever. While our competitors try to imitate iPhone with a checklist of features, only iPhone can deliver these breakthrough innovations that work seamlessly together. Like the iPhone 3GS before it kept the same basic design as previous year s model. The iPhone 4S also kept the same composition as the iPhone 4, with two layers of chemically hardened glass sandwiched on either side of a stainless steel antenna band. As u sual, it was meant as the first iPhone for new customers, or an upgrade for iPhone 3GS customers coming off contract (albeit a few months late). Although there were some who felt the upgrade wasn t big enough or visible enough, reviews were generally excellent. Apple senior vice president of worldwide marketing introduced the biggest thing to happen to the iPhone since the original iPhone. Big as in tall. Big as in light. Big as in LTE. Big as in the iPhone 5. iPhone 5 is the most beautiful consumerShow MoreRelatedApple Marketing Plan810 Words   |  4 PagesIncorporated would now be known as Apple Inc. He also reveals the long anticipated iPhone, a combination of an Internet-enabled smartphone and the iPod. In June 2008, he announces that the iPhone 3G would be released in July 2008, this newer version added support for 3G Networking and assisted GPS navigation, among other things. In July 2008 Apple launches the App Store to sell third party applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Within one month the store sold 60 million applications and bringsRead MoreFinancial Breakdown And Evaluation Of Apple Inc925 Words   |  4 Pagesperiod, in 1997, Steve Jobs returned to Apple and led Apple to a resurgence. Since then, Apple has gotten the momentum in the personal computer market. The innovation of Apple products has led the organization to increase its expertise in iPod, iPhone, iTunes and iWork’s products. Over the years, Apple has been able to design products that are almost impossible to imitate. Apple has placed the organization in a competitive advantage over its competitors. Apple’s PC is still one of the best desktopRead MoreFinancial Analysis And Assessment Of Apple Inc. Essay937 Words   |  4 Pages Steve Jobs returned and led Apple Inc. to its resurgence. Since his return, Apple has grown into a giant in the personal computer marketplace. The innovation of Apple products has led the group to increase its skill in developing the iPod, the iPhone, iTunes and iWork’s products. Over the years, Apple has been able to create products that are almost impossible to emulate. Apple has placed the organization in a competitive advantage over its competitors. Apple PC’s are s till one of the bestRead MoreMobile Communication and Mobile Application Development1505 Words   |  6 Pagescommunication industry. Cellular phones have experienced exponential growth over the last decade, and this growth continues persistent worldwide, with more than a billion worldwide cell phone users projected in the near future (Goldsmith, 2004). As for the report by GSMA (2014), at the end of 2003 there was a little over a one billion unique subscribers (one in six subscribed to a mobile service) and by the end of 2013 the figure has increased to 3.4 billion unique subscribers (half of the global population)Read MoreApple Marketing Mix3815 Words   |  16 PagesJerome McCarthy: i) Product ii) Promotion. iii) Price iv) Place (Distribution) During this assignment I am going to be making my reference to Apple Inc., specifically looking at their iPhone product. I will therefore refer to Apple and how they diversified their iPhone products, the iPhone price assortment, iPhone’s places for distribution and the promotional approaches they have adopted to advance these products. 0.1.0 Company Background Apple Inc.  is a multinational corporationRead MoreA Report On The Work Experience And Life Of Apple Essay1505 Words   |  7 Pagescomplete this report. A special thanks to our course coordinator, Mr. Waseem, whose help, suggestions and encouragement, helped me to make my report. I would also like to thank the MIT library for letting me use their books and other facilities to make this report. I would also like to thanks all my acquaintances who use their apple devices and gave their views. ABSTRACT As we jumped into the Century of technology, I described the most luxurious and high-tech company, APPLE. In this report I mentionedRead MoreBus 651 : Marketing Management Essay2247 Words   |  9 PagesBUS 651: Marketing Management Introduction IPhone 6 is a simple, larger in size as compared to previous models and moreover it has more benifits than them also. Its betterment can be seen anyway Every way. Its hardware and software function in perfect unison. With a smooth metal surface that seamlessly meets the new retain HD display. It is 6-9mm thin. It’s something else entirely to make a bigger multi-touch display with brilliant IPhone 6 is a simple bigger, dramatically thinner and moreRead MoreSecond Degree Price Discrimination During The U.s. Smartphone Industry Essay1435 Words   |  6 PagesAnnual revenues for each company were collected from their respective annual reports and SEC filings. Some financial records were expressed in foreign currencies, such as New Taiwan Dollars, Chinese Yuans, or South Korean Wons. These have been changed to US Dollars at the exchange rate for the given date of the financial record. Market share percentages were collected from ComScore’s quarterly reports. These reports do not explicitly state the remaining market share not covered by Apple, HTCRead MoreSteve Jobs: The Success Story Essay875 Words   |  4 Pageshas been †¦ very fortunate; it’s been able to introduce a few of these into the world. â€Å" (â€Å"Steve Jobs introducing the iPhone†) What continued was a loud cheering and clapping by the attendant of the Apple 2007 keynote, one of the most important events held by Apple, the world’s current most valuable company (â€Å"The Worlds Most Valuable Brands†) where Apple introduced the first iPhone. The voice of the man was Steve Job, the former CEO Apple. Born on February 24, 1955 in San Francisco, California,Read MoreMarketing Research Proposal - Blackberry Iphone Essay1171 Words   |  5 Pages80+ Million units currently in use globally ââ€" ª Introduced in 2007 with ATT as the exclusive provider ââ€" ª 3G version launched in 2008 with high-speed data ââ€" ª 3GS version launched in 2009 with faster data throughput rates, higher resolution camera and updated OS ââ€" ª 43 Million units sold as of Jan. 2010 RIM Confidential CUSTOMER PROFILES Data From CrunchGear.com — July 13, 2008 iPhone Customers ââ€" ª 72% Male ââ€" ª Average Age 31 ââ€" ª 31% 15-24 ââ€" ª 32% 25-34 ââ€" ª 31% 35-49 ââ€" ª 6% 50+ ââ€" ª 58% College Education

Epistemology 5751 The Proof for Existence of God

Introduction Religion has always been a controversial topic as some of the people are very conservative about their religious beliefs; meanwhile the others do not really pay much attention to religion. On the other hand, there are also many people who do not believe in any such thing as religion and are of the point of view that one should only have good morals. There are many different religions in the world. The teachings and practices of all these religions are not the same, however the thing that is common to all the religions is the fact that the people who follow any religion believe that God exists. Atheists, on the contrary, do not have any such beliefs and this is the main reason why they are known to not follow any religion. Therefore, the main issue that will be discussed in this paper is pertaining to the existence of God and whether or not a person can be morally correct without being religious or without being a follower of a specific religion. Some of the other aspects, like the intersection of science and religion, will also be discussed in the paper. Proof for existence of God Since most of the arguments pertaining to religion stem from the basic question regarding the existence of God, it is important for us to discuss whether or not the proof of existence of God is necessary or not. None of us have seen God and there is no doubt about it. However, most of us do believe that God does exist and He takes care of this world and the human beings who

Monetary Crises And What Possible Learning Could This...

4. How have different countries responded to past financial crises and what possible learning could this provide for governments today? Recession triggered by financial crisis has a tendency to last longer and be more painful than â€Å"normal† recessions. Past financial crises have different causes and the influences on different countries are diverse, but analysis of key impacts of them can provide insight into the management of the current crisis. Responses of various countries to past financial crises will be discussed below. Japan (1992-2002), Sweden (1990-1993), Norway (1988-1993) and Finland (1990-1993) all suffered financial crises and each of them had a remarkable effect on economic performance, despite the varied intensity and†¦show more content†¦Japan acted like Nordics, tried to stabilize the banking sectors too. But Japanese focused on writing off bad debts and wrote off trillions of bad loans during 1992 and 2001. Besides, Japan used systematic measures to handle the problems of bad loads and new legislation was introduced to reform deposit insurance (BOE Financial Stability Report, 2009). Chart 2 Chart 2 above concludes the main measures applied to remove bad assets from banks’ balance sheets. From the chart, at the beginning, all four countries depended on capital injection to rescue banks and wiped out shareholders. As the crisis approaching the end, Sweden and Finland applied a good bank/bad bank method to remove bad assets from nationalized banks. But Norway kept bad assets in nationalized banks and managed by themselves. Japan established an asset management firm early in the crisis to deal with bad assets of failed banks and nationalized some banks later (BOE Financial Stability Report, 2009). Current and past crises may share some similarities, thus it is very useful to analyze past financial samples and compare with the present one. As the world’s economy is linked today, a single country’s financial crisis may develop to a global one. Governments should not only pay attention to their own past crises, but also keep an eye on other major economies. In addition, from the past crises, the management of systematic banking problems is the key to recovering the banking

Harlem Renaissance Poets Free Essays

Although knowledge of his early years is unreliable and vague, it is believed that he had a troubled childhood, full of abandonment. His writings celebrated black beauty and deplored racism and its effects Couch 1033 (Counter Culled, 2014)From a Dark Tree We shall not always plant while others repaper golden increment of bursting fruit,Not always countenance, abject and mute,That lesser men should hold their brothers cheap;Not everlastingly while others sleepwalk we guile their limbs with mellow flute,Not always bend to some more subtle brute;We were not made to eternally weep. The night whose sable breast relieves the stark,White stars is no less lovely being dark,And there are buds that cannot bloom at Allan light, but crumple, piteous, and fall;So in the dark we hide the heart that bleeds,And wait, and tend our agonizing seeds. We will write a custom essay sample on Harlem Renaissance Poets or any similar topic only for you Order Now From a The double consciousness that is being expressed in this poem is shown in the expression of the beauty and sadness in the nature around him. This is especially poignant in the line â€Å"White stars s no less lovely being dark†, essentially saying that black skin is as beautiful as white skin and should be accepted as such. The underlying theme in the poetry of the Harlem Renaissance is an essential yearning to be accepted into mainstream society, not as inferiors, but as equals. The acknowledgement of the beauty of the African American and the acceptance as Patriotic equals is a line that appears to run through these poems. Raised and Repressed I raise my arms and give a shout A penitent man, I am blessed I stand on a soil of freedom Gained by forefathers unrepressed And to my knees I fall Surrendering my dignity To another’s beck and call And know deep in my heart That the freedom of which he and I also speak Are often worlds apart. -Holly Gaston Works How to cite Harlem Renaissance Poets, Papers

Savion Glover Essay Paper Example For Students

Savion Glover Essay Paper English Honors 9December 20, 2002Savion Glover is arguably one of the best tap dancers to grace theworld of entertainment in decades. His unique style has stunned audiencesfor the past eighteen years and most likely will continue to do so for manyyears to come. It is incredibly humbling to think over the list ofaccomplishments that Savion has mastered in his mere thirty years. Althoughhe has been taking the world of tap by storm for the past decade, hewouldnt be known today if it werent for taps originators. Although the art of tap dance is native to America, its roots arelocated in the percussive dance styles of African, English, Irish, andScottish cultures. The styles contributed from the English, Irish, andScottish were derived from their dancing as a form of entertainment. However, when the Africans were sold into slavery and brought to America,they were prohibited to communicate with each other and the use of drumsand clapping was forbidden. Eventually, they developed a form ofcommunication using syncopated tap rhythms, thus the birth of tap!(Encyclopedia.) Eventually in 1829, slave dances were theatrically adaptedin the first blackface minstrel show. Tommy Daddy Rice danced thishistorical performance. (ask.com) A few years later, William Henry Lane,(also known as Master Juba Lane,) was the first African American to becomewell known on minstrel stages. (google.com) In the late 1800s minstrelshows developed two techniques, a fast style of tapping using wooden shoes,and a smoother, leather-soled style made famous by George Primrose. Afteryears of tap had been danced upon the minstrel stages, metal plates, ortaps, were added to the leather-soled shoes in the l920s opening up awhole new window of opportunity for artistic creativity. About a decadelater, i n the 1930s, black dancers were finally aloud to contribute to thedevelopment of new styles of tap. (ask.com) With this revolution, Bill Bojangles Robinson evolved to become Americas most famous tap dancer in the1930s. His legend still lives on in the movies he made with the childsuperstar, Shirley Temple. Proceeding Robinsons quicker style, JohnBubbles Sublett popularized a slower, more syncopated style of tapdancing (ask.com) deeming him the inventor of rhythm tap. (google.com)Without these individuals to pave the way for todays artists such asSavion Glover, tap dancing may not exist let alone be where it is today. Savion Glover was born on November 17, 1973 in Newark, New Jersey. His mother created his name as a spin-off of the word savior. He livedhis childhood sharing a home with his mother, two brothers, grandmother,his aunt and her nephew. Eventually, Savion showed interest in the drumsbut his mother instead enrolled him in jazz and ballet classes where hestudied for four years. At the age of eight, he began tap dancing lessons. In classes he wore little brown and beige Tom McCann cowboy boots due tohis mothers financial inability to afford proper tap shoes. As Savion grew,he continued intensely with his lessons as well as attending Newark ArtsHigh School. This was the extent of Savions formal education. (tap.org)At the age of twelve, Savion made he Broadway debut in the title rolein The Tap Dance Kid. (tap.org) As he proceeded to enter the world of tap,he worked with such inspirations as Honi Coles, Jimmy Slyde, and GregoryHines who became Savions mentor. Hines was quoted in 1988 speaking offourteen-year-old Savion saying, Savions the man! Hes the one who isgoing to take tap into the 90s and 2000s. (newsweek 67) Who knew GregoryHines was not only a tap legend, but also a fortune teller!Following his Broadway debut in 1985, Savion then made his film debutat age thirteen in the movie, Tap! With Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr. .u54c4606f14917722a3de2cb890200700 , .u54c4606f14917722a3de2cb890200700 .postImageUrl , .u54c4606f14917722a3de2cb890200700 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u54c4606f14917722a3de2cb890200700 , .u54c4606f14917722a3de2cb890200700:hover , .u54c4606f14917722a3de2cb890200700:visited , .u54c4606f14917722a3de2cb890200700:active { border:0!important; } .u54c4606f14917722a3de2cb890200700 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u54c4606f14917722a3de2cb890200700 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u54c4606f14917722a3de2cb890200700:active , .u54c4606f14917722a3de2cb890200700:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u54c4606f14917722a3de2cb890200700 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u54c4606f14917722a3de2cb890200700 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u54c4606f14917722a3de2cb890200700 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u54c4606f14917722a3de2cb890200700 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u54c4606f14917722a3de2cb890200700:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u54c4606f14917722a3de2cb890200700 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u54c4606f14917722a3de2cb890200700 .u54c4606f14917722a3de2cb890200700-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u54c4606f14917722a3de2cb890200700:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Should There Be A Nuclear Power Plant In Saskatche Essayin 1989. (webfind.net) That same year, Savion was back on Broadway in Black; Blue. Here Savion made history being the youngest to be nominated for aTony Award for his performance in Black ; Blue. Savions first nationallyaccredited award came in 1991 when he received the Dr. Martin Luther KingJr. Outstanding Youth Award. Three years after Black Blue in 1992, he wasseen in Jellys Last Jam. The kid just couldnt stop! For the followingthree years, Savion appeared to be hiding from the Broadway spotlight seenthen as a series regular on Sesame Street (1990-1995). In the mean time hewas furiously co-writing and choreographi ng his own show. Bring

The One Thing Needful Essay Example

The One Thing Needful Paper Hard Times is a poignant novel, published in 1854, by Charles Dickens and set in the bleak and dreary workhouses of the Victorian era. Hard Times is in many ways an autobiographical novel. It is based on Dickens own experiences as part of a poor family whose father was in prison for debt. All of the family except for Charles were sent to a workhouse while he worked in a blacking factory in appalling conditions. Although his was a story of rags to riches following the publications of his bestselling novels, he continued to voice his concerns for social problems in Victorian British society. Hard Times is one of the several novels that explore the lives of the poor and working class, who, despite making up the majority of the population, had little or no say in improving their lives. As Britain wound through the Industrial Revolution, producing machinery that had no need for manual labour resulted in hundreds of thousands migrating to the cities in the hope of finding a job- a source of livelihood. These migrants usually ended up in the workhouses, again in manual labour and almost always living in abject poverty. Their children ended up going to school with an education described in detail in the first few chapters of Hard Times. In brief, the children were forced to learn facts by rote the only principle that the Utilitarian masters considered of value. It was their belief that for children who were destined to live lives of misery in poverty, the only thing useful for them would be to become efficient workers. As a result, the childrens education followed the same monotonous, formal and mechanical process like their work in the factories. We will write a custom essay sample on The One Thing Needful specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The One Thing Needful specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The One Thing Needful specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In Hard Times, Dickens criticises the educational system fiercely, and illustrates his dislike through a wide range of linguistic and other devices. The first chapter named The One Thing Needful has little narrative content but it paints an intense dramatic picture of the harsh teaching system and the mechanical figure of the Speaker who is more of an object than a person. Hard Times is divided into three parts; the first part is named Sowing, the second Reaping and the third Garnering. This extended metaphor is used by Dickens to introduce the sowing of facts as seeds into the fertile innocent minds of the children even though the hard facts seem to yield nothing. However, the Speaker is forceful as he insists on, plant nothing else, and root out everything else, to mould the childrens minds. The image of rooting out illustrates a forceful and painful action in the readers mind. Despite the motif of nature and plants, Dickens paints an austere and insensitive atmosphere as the scene comes into view: a plain, bare, monotonous vault of a schoolroom. The visual imagery emphasizes Dickens belief that no creativity could flourish in a place so dreary. In this scene the Speaker is instructing the school teacher how to teach which adds to the irony and confusion. The description of the Speaker, whose character is summed up as, inflexible, dry and dictatorial, verges on the comical as Dickens uses repetition to emphasize the rigidity (squareness) of the Speaker and therefore the educational system. As the Speaker is depersonalized, the objects around him become animate including his tie, trained to take him by the throat with an unaccommodating grasp. From sowing to strangling, hard times are literally foreshadowed ahead through this unsuitable education. Moreover, Dickens uses exaggeration to the point of making his characters into caricatures. The emphasis was helped by the speakers square wall of a forehead, which had his eyebrows for its base, while his eyes found commodious cellarage in two dark caves, overshadowed by the wall. The Speaker, to the reader looks more like a dull piece of architecture than a person. In fact, the way in which Dickens makes caricatures is an argument in itself against the facts of Utilitarianism.