The environment of federal prisons are simply not conducive to change or growth. They are more focused on punishing rather than helping. In Living in Prison: the Economy of Survival, Hans Toch explains his experiment and interviews with prisoners and staff in New York correctional institutions. One prisoner states, “It’s the general atmosphere in here. It’s like an explosive atmosphere…It seems like everybody is at everybody else’s throat, and it’s not easy to live with. You walk up and down the hall, and everybody’s shooting daggers at everybody.” How could anyone grow or change in that environment? In many prisons there are therapists, but their rate for success is very slim.
The problems they had before they went to jail do not simply disappear while they are incarcerated. In fact, most inmates are psychologically damaged after living in prison. Eve Tahmincioglu on nbcnews.com explained how unable to get jobs, freed inmates often return to jail after committing another crime. This is because their experiences in jail do not teach them anything. They are simply punished for their behavior and expected to do better, even though they may have never learned better.
Joe Arpaio, the sheriff in Maricopa County,
Arizona, however, has come up with a brilliant plan. He has altered the jail
systems so that inmates are now allowed opportunities to work for small wages,
and also to work towards a high school diploma. Instead of sitting around all
day, prisoners are allowed the opportunity to better themselves. He has given them the chance to change their own lives. The chance to
get a high school diploma is revolutionary because it would allow freed inmates
more job opportunities.
I’m not saying all of Arpaio’s changes should be
applied immediately, I am simply asking what difference would it make if
inmates could work? They could better the community, and even more importantly,
they could better themselves.
I had never thought about prisons this way (that they're not conducive to change or growth). It's so true. It seems like prisons are only making inmates more bitter, not better. It's understandable too. I highly doubt I would come out a better person being in that atmosphere, even though the purpose is to teach me a lesson. My question is why aren't we using Arpaio's system in every prison in the U.S.? First of all, gaining an education gives one a sense of self worth and accomplishment, something I'm sure every prisoner needs in such a depressing atmosphere. Second, like you stated, it would better every community across America if this turned into a nation-wide policy. I think the Arpaio changes are a wonderful idea.
ReplyDeleteThe reason we aren't using Arpaio's system in all prisons is because technically Arpaio's system is illegal. The people that are arguing against that system are saying that chain gangs in general shouldn't be legal. Also, Though Arpaio's system has a lot of good things about it, there are a few things that would need to be reconsidered if trying to make his system a nation-wide policy. First, in Arpaio's system, it is not voluntary. What I would hope for is that there is the OPTION of working and gaining an education, rather than actually forcing prisoners to do so. With Arpaio in Arizona, the prisoners are being forced to work in chain gangs. Yes, they are getting paid, but they are getting paid VERY little. What I think we should do is implement Arpaio's idea, but not necessarily everything he does.
DeleteIt’s sad to see that our nation’s prisons are not only failing to help the people inside them, but that they are actually making them worse. Bringing in the fact that Christ said to love everyone unconditionally puts things into perspective and makes me realize that yes, these people may have made mistakes, but they still deserve a clean, safe place to live and the opportunity to change and turn their lives around. I also thought it was interesting to see that the prisoners may not become better because they were never taught to live a life as a responsible, law-abiding citizen. I agree that an important part of helping inmates is to give them a place to stay where they don’t have to be constantly worrying about their own safety and have an environment they can change for the better in.
ReplyDeleteI think that the worst part about it is that the prison's are only exacerbating the problem. They are teaching laziness. When you think about it, what do people do while they are in prison? Sit around, watch television, eat food that is prepared and given to them (even if it's not good food), read pornographic magazines and every now and then have visitors. It's no wonder these people leave jail and can't get jobs. They are so used to living in such a sheltered and enclosed environment where they don't have to do anything but sit. Prisons have been this way for hundreds of years. I propose that we change our system so that we can stop having prisoners. And even if someone would argue that they need to be punished, is it really punishment to let them recline every day and watch television and inappropriate magazines? I think that work opportunity would please everybody. It would still be a punishment to the prisoners, but it would be the kind of punishment that actually helps them. It would please the people wanting the prisoners to be punished, and it would please the people who have loved ones in prison, because it would be helping them.
DeleteI cannot say that I have ever been in the situation prisoners are in or have ever had to deal with the type of background that they can come from, but as a fellow human being I most certainly can say I love the many opportunities I have to grow and change. BYU is one of those opportunities for me. And if I enjoy and am grateful for such chances in my life shouldn’t all people have those opportunities? I agree with your ideas here, everyone deserves the option to change and grow. It would be impossible to force such growth upon people, obviously, but it certainly needs to at least be made available. Also, as LDS members we truly should feel the desire to help better the lives of everyone else around us, whether or not they are in prison. That I too agree with, as you specifically mentioned.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I think the best way to give them the same opportunities that we would hope for would be to give them work and educational opportunities. In our Church, we place a strong emphasis on education. We are all encouraged to get an education and to work hard and earn a living. And this is not just in our church, many faiths place strong values on education and work. The hard part about this situation is that it is difficult to get everyone to see the same way. Unfortunately, not everyone feels so benevolent to mankind, especially when the people that are in these jails have hurt them or their families. The struggle with this would be to convince even the people that have been hurt that educational and work opportunities in jails and prisons would be beneficial to everybody.
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