Jail is SUPPOSED to be miserable!

Published on August 15, 2006 By Gideon MacLeish In Current Events

A blogger made a comment on another blog about the conditions in jail, from what they had seen on a movie. From what the blogger has written, I don't think they have much experience in jail.

I have been in jail. Many, many years ago (far more than I care to count), I "did my time", and I have to say that the conditions in jail, even in "the hole" are far better than is deserved by most of the inmates. In fact, the housing that many of the poorer among us have to rent is far less than the standard in jail. And the food in jail, while institutional, is usually adequate.

But should it be? Should we spend so much concerned with the comfort of those who have committed crimes against society? While there are people who are incarcerated because of "consensual crimes", the majority of crimes that mandate a lengthy incarceration are crimes where there is a clear victim and a clear motive to harm. Are we doing a service to ensure that these criminals will not reoffend if we house them in comfort because we're concerned about their physical well being?

Cable TV in jail should be the first casualty. In fact, ALL TV should be nixed. There's plenty of print media for those who needs sports scores and current events information. And it just might enhance the reading skills of those inmates who don't tear up the newspaper for rolling paper.

Kill all windows to the outside world. If an inmate is allowed to be outside, it should only be in a grey walled courtyard, where they can get sunlight, but where they're not allowed to turn in any direction and forget where they are. Remembering where they are just might remind them why they're there.

The food should be the same food, day after day. Give them enough to be healthy, but variety is a privilege many in the Third World don't enjoy, and neither should our prisoners.

Make jail a miserable place. Maybe then people won't want to be there. And they just might rethink their actions to avoid being placed there.

Comments (Page 2)

Dr Guy

on Aug 18, 2006

24 hours of BET sounds like my college dorm's common room...

We had one TV. In the commons room. At least we all wanted to see SNL (in the Chevy Chase days).

MasonM

on Aug 18, 2006

I thought jail was supposed to suck.

jennifer1

on Aug 19, 2006

I was surprised by your attitude to what they should inflict on prisoners when you have been there yourself?

I always thought having your freedom taken away from you, your privacy, your choice, and so much more was punishment enough.

The thought of being locked up and not being able to go for a walk or just sit out under the night sky makes me want to curl up and die. To live without all my animals would be the death of me too, that alone is a cruel punishment for me.

Incarceration is the price they pay for crime. Yes penalties should be increased, yes some punishments should fit the crime and all that, but you cannot take away their humanity by degrading them further.

Better to provide education so that an inmate can go out and take a new path in life.

Life in a prison community can be very harsh, an inmates life can be made very difficult if they show the slightest bit of weakness to the other inmates (generalising now) it is not a place where love or compassion exist. There is no need to make things more uncomfortable for them.

Show some compassion, there are some prisoners that are worth saving, not all of them are beyond redemption, a lot of the inmates come out and make a new start with excellent results - these may not have done so if they were treated inhumanely.

A little bit of understanding and compassion can go a long way.

Gideon MacLeish

on Aug 19, 2006

Show some compassion, there are some prisoners that are worth saving, not all of them are beyond redemption,

I have said over and over again I think we need MASSIVE prison reform, with a tiered prison system. Any prison system that puts a cat burglar in the same cell as a triple murderer or a rapist is a system that has no goal of reforming those who will be released again into society, and, in fact, invites recidivism.

I believe that "lifers" should be put into a super, super maximum security prison in a remote part of Alaska, with lockdowns for every prison transfer, while those who will eventually be released should be put into the "hole" when they first enter prison, and should EARN any "privileges" they have behind bars. Let them work for the extras, and let those who won't work do their hard time in the "hole". Nonviolent, first time offenders should be subject to house arrest, followed by probation rather than incarceration, and, ideally, should have continuing their education as one of the conditions of their probation.

But for those doing hard time, it needs to be hard enough that they don't want to go back.

Gideon MacLeish

on Aug 19, 2006

And considering that what...75%(?) of the people we currently keep locked up are there for non violent drug offenses, you might want to rethink your position here Gid.

See above. You know my view on prison reform, LW. There's nothing to rething. Nonviolent drug offenders shouldn't be in prison in the first place.

Locamama

on Aug 19, 2006

I don't think anyone wants to go back? Do you? I really don't know because I don't have much knowledge or experience in this other than what I've seen on TV or the movies. I wonder what reality is compared to the TV version. I saw that Morgan Spreelock is doing a show on life in prison on his 30 Days show on FX. I would like to catch it. It should be interesting. It's not on this Wednesday but next Wednesday.

I am well known to be a bleeding heart but I think they should be able to have some activities to do.

Gideon MacLeish

on Aug 19, 2006

I don't think anyone wants to go back?

I know MANY who have no problem with going back, Loca. It is no secret that in colder climates, transients will deliberately commit petty crimes to get locked up over the winter so they have food and shelter. And many of the criminals are institutionalized; they really know very little other than life outside of bars, and don't feel comfortable.

I don't know whereit currently stands, but in 1989, the recidivism rate among criminals was over 95%. That means that 19 out of every 20 inmates would be back. That would indicate to me that they DO want to go back; otherwise, they'd change.

As for activities, sure. Give them BOOKS. Jail should be a place where you do not ever forget where you are. You can treat them humanely without giving them extra privileges, and by doing things right, they might find the tools to get out of that trap.

I was only spared from that life by a wise judge. Of the people I was incarcerated with, I do not know of a single one other than myself that went on to a respectable life. And I met a LOT of them again on the outside.

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