Choose the letter of the primary purpose of each of the following passages

Question

Prison has a role in public safety, but it is not a cure-all. Its value is limited, and its use should also be
limited to what it does best: isolating young criminals long enough to give them a chance to grow up and get a grip on their impulses. It is a traumatic experience, certainly, but it should be only a temporary one, not a way of life. Prisoners kept too long tend to embrace the criminal culture, its distorted values and beliefs; they have little choice—prison is their life. There are some prisoners who cannot be returned to society—serial killers, serial rapists, professional hit men, and the like—but the monsters who need to die in prison are rare exceptions in the criminal landscape.
The only effective way to curb crime is for society to work to prevent the criminal act in the first
place, to come between the perpetrator and crime. Our youngsters must be taught to respect the humanity of others and to handle disputes without violence. It is essential to educate and equip them with the skills to pursue their life ambitions in a meaningful way. As a community, we must address the adverse life circumstances that spawn criminality. These things are not quick, and they’re not easy, but they’re effective. Politicians think that’s too hard to sell. They want to be on record for doing something now, something they can point to at reelection time. So the drumbeat goes on for more police, more prisons, more of the same failed policies.

In this passage, the author’s primary purpose is to
a. entertain.
b. inform.
c. persuade.

Answer 1

c. persuade.