Selective in the use of facts questions.
INT 2 2007 Q9(c)
You must point out where the person is correct and then point out where they are wrong (being selective in their use of facts). You must explain WHY the person is CORRECT or SELECTIVE. Remember to PEE on your answers –
Make your Point
Explain it, and
Provide Examples/Evidence
Once you have written the phrase ‘selective in the use of facts’ put the acronym ‘situof’ in brackets. Thereafter use ‘situof’.
Answer
The Government (Govt) Official is correct to say that progress has been made to reduce overcrowding in prisons because from Source 2 we can see that overcrowding decreased year on year from 1997 to 2002. In 1997 overcrowding figures were at almost 10,000 but in 2002 they were down to just over 5,000.
Progress has also been made in Youth Detention Centres because from Source 3, out of the 6 detention centres, in Rio, half of them have no overcrowding issues.Additionally, Source 1 states that the city of Rio de Janeiro has tried to improve conditions in these centres.
From Source 1, we can see that some states are looking at alternatives to prison in order to deal with the overcrowding problem. This therefore, shows that progress has been made.
The Govt Official is being selective in the use of facts (situof) because in Source 1 it states that in a police station in Rio de Janeiro 65 prisoners were held in a cell measuring 12 sq metres. This highlights how bad overcrowding is in this city.
The Govt Official is ‘situof’ because in Source 3, 3 out of the 6 Youth detention Centres suffer from overcrowding. In CAI – Baixada there were 120 youths detained – this is 95 more than there should be.
There is also an example of being ‘situof’ in Source 2. Overcrowding in Brazil’s prison system has risen dramatically. In 2002 it was just over 5,000 but this had more than doubled to 13,000 in 2003.
This shows that progress has not been made when dealing with overcrowding.
Alternative Answer.
The Government (Govt) Official is correct to say that progress has been made. In source 1 we can see that dozens of new prisons have been built. They are also trying to limit the numbers of people being sent to prison, by attempting different strategies such as Community Service. The authorities in Rio de Janeiro have also attempted to reduce overcrowding in their Youth Detention Centres. However, the official is being selective in the use of facts (situof) because in Source 1, it also tells us that progress is not being made. Many prisons are overcrowded. It tells us that ‘in one police station in Rio de Janeiro, 65 prisoners were held in a cell measuring 12 metres.’ Youth Detention Centres are also overcrowded and many youths have to share beds or sleep on the floor.
The Govt Official is correct in Source 2 as we can see that progress has been made to deal with overcrowding, because from 1997 to 2002 overcrowding fell from almost 10,000 to just over 5,000. However, the Govt Official is ‘situof’ because the level of overcrowding more than doubled from 2002 to 2003.
In Source 3 we can see that the Official is correct to say that progress has been made to reduce overcrowding in youth detention centres as some prisons had no overcrowding problems at all, eg – Joao Luiz Alves Detention Centre had 108 youths detained but had no overcrowding problems. However, the official can be accused of being ‘situof’ as half of the detention centres had overcrowding problems, eg – CAI Baixada had 120 youths detained, but this was 95 more than it should hold!