Synthesizing Information to Create New Understanding — Quiz
Question 4 • English I
Read the excerpt from Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. Hundreds of thousands of nonviolent offenders have been forced to spend decades in prison. We’ve created laws that make writing a bad check or committing a petty theft or minor property crime an offense that can result in life imprisonment. We have declared a costly war on people with substance abuse problems. There are more than a half-million people in state or federal prisons for drug offenses today, up from just 41,000 in 1980. Which sentence best states the main idea in this excerpt?
Answer
A
Many people who are given life sentences were charged with a drug offense.
B
Life sentences should not be given to nonviolent offenders.
C
Life sentences most affect people with substance abuse problems.
D
Most people who are given life sentences were convicted of nonviolent crimes.