In the United States there are more than half a million criminals serving time in prisons. Most prisoners are male high school dropouts(退学者) between the age of 18 and 29. Even more shocking is the fact that the number and rate of imprisonment has more than doubled over the past twenty years, and the recidivism(累犯) is more than 60 percent.
Although the aim of the criminal justice system is to get them back into society, the system itself doesn’t support such a goal. Although most prisons are located within the community, prisons are usually isolated(隔离的) and terribly overcrowded. Even in the betterequipped prisons, only onethird of the prisoners have job training opportunities or work release(监外就业) choices.
If prisons are to achieve the goal of getting prisoners back into society, then the prisons themselves will have to change. First, they will have to be smaller, housing no more than five hundred prisoners. It has been shown that crowding does not help improve(改进) behaviors. Second, they will have to be built in or near population centers with what prisoners need. This must include social services. Finally, prison programs must be reorganized to provide work release and job training for all prisoners, giving them skills that carry over into their lives after release. In addition to work release, successful models for such teamwork between the criminal justice system and the community already exist in several hundred halfway houses throughout the country where prisoners complete their sentences while beginning to rebuild their lives as productive members of society. Studies suggest that imprisonment as it is currently operated must be viewed as punishment rather than reform. Until we approach the problem in terms of changing behaviors, prisoners who are set free will probably return to a life of crime.
【解题导语】 本文是一篇议论文。文章讨论了美国监狱存在的问题并提出改革建议。
1．What can be learned about the prisoners in the U．S．?
A．Most of them are high school graduates.
B．About 60% of them are in their twenties.
C．The number of them is decreasing these years.
D．Under 40% of them are in prison for the first time.
D 解析：细节理解题。由第一段中的the recidivism(累犯) is more than 60 percent可知，初犯者不到40%。
2．What should be the goal of the criminal justice system?
A．To raise public awareness of crime.
B．To improve prisoners’ performance.
C．To bring prisoners back to a normal life.
D．To offer criminals job training opportunities.
C 解析：推理判断题。由第二段中的the aim of the criminal justice system is to get them back into society可知，监狱系统的最终目标是要让犯人回归社会，重新开启正常生活。
3．Why should prisons be built near towns or cities?
A．They give prisoners hope for a better afterrelease life.
B．Prison programs require a social support system.
C．They benefit the prison reorganization.
D．Prisons are betterequipped inside.
B 解析：推理判断题。由第三段中的Second, they will have to be built in or near population centers with what prisoners need. This must include social services.可知，监狱建在人口集中区域是为了利用社会支撑体系所提供的一系列基本社会服务。
4．Which of the following is necessary for prison improvement?
A．Bigger prisons.
B．Formal education.
C．More isolated areas.
D．Community support.
D 解析：细节理解题。由第三段中的successful models for such teamwork between the criminal justice system and the community already exist可知，社区支持对监狱改革很必要。
