Do Prisons Work?
645 words, 4 minsThe concept of prison dates back to 640 B.C., with the Roman prison_Mamertine,aiming to use prisons as a form of punishment. Over the years, there have been countless changes that make the_modern-day prison unrecognizable from Mamertine, but one question remains inherent to date: do prisons work?
The modern-day prison was made in response to the growing resistance against public execution, torture, and other physical punishments for criminals. Those who committed petty crimes were subject to these punishments simply for the lack of other methods. Prisons, instead of being used as a punishment itself, were used to hold criminals_ _awaiting their punishment. With the unrest rising among the public, a solution had to be devised. And the solution, hidden in plain sight, came in the form of prison.
With the passage of time, the face of prison has undergone many alterations. The prisons of today have a two-fold mission:
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To protect the society from dangerous law-violators who can cause harm and,
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To provide a deterrent to would-be criminals and reduce the number of crimes committed by former prisoners
The question “Do prisons work?” is subjective, with people having varying opinions. 91% of Americans believe that the criminal justice system needs to be fixed, whereas in the UK, 51% of the population wants the government to find other methods of deterring crime and punishing criminals. There is a widespread belief that prison worsens crime, forcing prisoners to be exposed to more crime within the walled and well-monitored facilities, with ex-inmates returning to crime.
Along with this, there is also a rise in people’s opinion that prisons should be made more humane. Since time immemorial, prison has been about punishing criminals in the harshest way possible. In America – otherwise known as the Land of the Free – prisoners do not have basic human rights, as all other citizens do under the First Amendment. The 13th Amendment which abolishes slavery has a special exception for prisoners. Their right to privacy and wellbeing is taken away, among others. Traditional prison not only takes away the freedom of its inmates but also places them under an eternal darkness where they are exposed to and reminded of their crimes and cruel punishment.
Most prisons are designed in a manner that suppresses prisoners. The materials used (like concrete and steel) are visually unpleasant and reflect sound. The environments are dark and congested. Windows, if they are even present, look onto other parts of the prison. Prisoners lose track of time and seasons. Moreover, prison designs restrict prisoners to similar hallways and cells day after day.
All of these influence the mental health of prisoners.Isolation, congestion, and remorse are recurring and constant emotions in prisoners that eventually lead to mental disorders. This steers clear of the one of the aims of prisons: to reform the inmates and prepare them for a law-abiding life after their sentence where they can reconnect with the society.
The motive of prisons needs to be shifted from punishment to rehabilitation and reform. Deeper thought calls for us to redefine our current understanding of prison and punishment. Being imprisoned is the punishment, everyday life shouldn’t be a sentence.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison
https://www.britannica.com/topic/prison