Comparative Analysis of Documents A and B

Main Idea of Document B

Document B argues for restructuring the entire justice system based on unspecified concerns.

Thesis Statement Structure

  1. Preview both main ideas.

  2. State which document is better (e.g., Document A).

  3. List three major reasons why the chosen document is superior.

Example Thesis Statement

"After reading both documents, it is clear document A is better because:

  • It's written by an expert in the field of criminal justice.

  • It has numerous uses of data or sources.

  • It comes to a clear and plausible conclusion/solution."

Body Paragraph Structure

Each body paragraph should address one of the reasons listed in the thesis statement.

  1. Explain how the author's expertise strengthens their argument.

  2. Explain how the use of data supports the argument.

  3. Explain how the argument comes to a clear and believable solution.

Comparison in Body Paragraphs

Body paragraphs need to make comparisons between the documents using phrases such as "in comparison," "on the other hand," or "meanwhile."

Body Paragraph 1: Expert in Criminal Justice

The first reason why document A is better is because it comes from an expert in the field of criminal justice. For example, Vincent, who worked for the New York City probation department, has expertise in the field, making his argument more credible because he knows what he's talking about.

In comparison, A Cola Thompson is a journalist and activist who writes on sociopolitical ills. Activists are often biased and primarily want to see change, which can compromise their objectivity.

Body Paragraph 2: Use of Sources and Data

The second reason is because document A uses actual sources to prove his points. For instance, he references the California Chief Probation Officers, information from a census, and the Center for Disease Control. Using a variety of sources adds credibility and reliability to the argument.

Meanwhile, document B fails to reference any outside sources and instead relies on generalizations (e.g., "four people go to jail") without backing them up.

Body Paragraph 3: Clear and Plausible Solution

The last reason why document A is better is because it comes to a clear, realistic, plausible solution. For example, their solution is to move the age of the juvenile system from 18 to around 20 or 21, which has been successfully implemented in New York and Massachusetts.

Meanwhile, document B argues for the complete overhaul of the justice system but fails to provide a way of achieving this, thus weakening her overall solution.

Addressing Counterclaims

Identify a category where the stronger document (Document A) could have been better. This can act as a counterclaim.

For example, Document A is not 100% perfect. They could have given us more statistical data to prove that New York and Massachusetts are indeed having success with their higher age for juvenile justice system.