In “Bring Back Flogging” Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby presents the use of corporal punishment as an alternative to the current system of imprisonment. Published in February 1997, the article states that flogging would be a more effective means of punishment than prison. He insists it would be less expensive and serve as a deterrent to first-time offenders. Jacoby's thoughts on prison reform are legitimate, but his reasoning behind the use of corporal punishment is flawed. He fails to provide reasonable support for his argument, leaving the reader perplexed as to the seriousness of his claim. Jacoby begins his essay by providing historical background on caning by linking the punishment to crimes that would be insignificant in today's society. He states that imprisonment has become an “all-purpose punishment” used for both violent and nonviolent crimes (193). Citing a variety of facts and research, Jacoby argues that the prison system is ineffective and too expensive. To support his claim he advocates a system of public humiliation and degradation to dissuade lower class criminals from becoming repeat offenders. Jacoby realizes that the “crimes of the day” of flogging are not our crimes, but argues that flogging would be effective in today's society and no more brutal than being caged (194). Jacoby supports the reintroduction of a caning system. The main support for his thesis comes from the ineffectiveness of the prison system. A statement from John DiIulio shows that “about three out of four convicted felons are on the streets without meaningful probation” (Jacoby 193). Jacoby uses this statement to demonstrate that most low-level offenders do not receive adequate consequences to get them off the hook and determined to be inadequate. The material used to support the inadequacy is itself inadequate. Statistical data lacks credibility and the opinions of authoritative figures do little in comparison to support the reasoning. Jacoby's solution is to implement flogging to punish low-level offenders so that they do not become hardened criminals, but the solution is not sufficient, failing to discuss the moral issues surrounding it. Jeff Jacoby attempts to replace an ineffective system with an obsolete one, ultimately failing to convince the reader that flogging is a reasonable and practical solution. Works Cited Jacoby, Jeff. “Bring back caning” Boston Globe. February 26, 1978.Rpt. in Current Issues and Enduring Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking and Argumentation, with Readings. 9th ed. Ed. Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau. Boston: St. Martin, 2011. 192-194. Press