Prison Isn't Polite

I used to be pro-prison and, now ashamedly, felt like being put to labor was justified and that they “should be made us of”. Prisons are considered “institutional facilities under the power of the state or federal government where convicted individuals serve long-term sentences”. I thought prisoners represented... a sort of immoral failing and deserved to be treated in a sub-human way because of me feeling like they inflicted it upon themselves and got in that situations. Overall, I wasn't being empathetic. I was apathetic to what their stories could’ve been and marked them off. I know better know and specifically have a vendetta against American’s prison institution.

I’m losing faith in prison because it doesn’t seem to care about the inmate’s future and helping get better. The top ‘offenses’ prisoners are in for are: drug-related, gun-related, sexual-misconduct-related or burglary. Besides the gun and sex offenses, none are causing harm to anyone physically. And since the main one on this list is regarding drugs, surely the United States has done something to combat that and to seek why people are using drugs. According to MedCraveOnline, “The main reasons for using drugs in prisons are reportedly, to relieve insomnia, boredom (due to a lack of constructive activities) and as a coping mechanism”. It seems like people want an escape and are using drugs to cope. This hints that there’s a big issue in society: escapism. Nobody wants to feel bad, thus it makes sense to do things that are bringing you pleasure. But if they get out of prison, average time can range from six months to twenty years. And when you get out, it’s hard to find a job because of your record and fall into doing something you know for survival. They are also difficult release conditions that make recidivism likelier. For example, reporting on a regular schedule, being employed, paying money monthly, ect. 

I’m losing faith in prison because it enables bad conditions for the inmates. Private prisons exist and are incentivized to keep more people incarcerated because they are paid for each inmate they look up. It's a conflict of interest if the goal is to get people out. But if it’s for business, it works well. Private companies are given million dollar contracts and their executives donate a small sum to have politicians vote to ensure that private prisons stay. Phone companies take advantage of the incarcerated people's desire to speak with their families and friends. According to TheEmeraldMagazine, "The average price for a 15-minute phone call in some states is $15, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. This means that one 15 minute calls per day, or five calls a week (20 calls a month), would cost $300 dollars." They also are required to keep up with the prison without compensation. This disturbs me because they don't care about the person wanting to have connection but there profits. Moving on, food cmopanies are eager to be hired by prisons because they can easily sell nutritionally scarce food and make more money. This is bad, however, because people have certain nutritional needs that should be met daily.

Lastly, I’m losing faith in the institution of prison because I’m a black person with mental issues. And I know in a system like this I probably wouldn’t be cared for and I’d be better off dead than to be at someone’s disposal for labor (that I’d be alienated from), long sentences and the tough world of prison. I watched a documentary with people that looked like me and it seems like slavery didn’t stop. I don’t want people to have their autonomy taken away and to feel like they're powerless in someone else's authority. Companies thrive off of inmate labor alongside putting out fires in California under the minimum wage. People shouldn't have to sacrifice their lives but not be given the ability to get into rehab. But "cheap human labor", am I right?

The purpose of prison should be to hold people accountable for their actions that allow room for growth and join society again with a new lens. In Norway, they’re treated like human beings, are allowed to move freely and can work on their future.Time.com emphasizes the following being important to keep incarceration towards its goal for serving public safety: "The first factor is seriousness. Murder, for instance, should be treated as a far graver crime than writing a bad check. The second is victim impact. If a person has been harmed in the commission of a crime, especially physically, the punishment should weigh toward a more serious sentence. The third factor is intent. If a person knowingly and deliberately violated the law, a more severe sanction may be appropriate. The fourth factor is recidivism. Those more likely to re-offend may need more intervention." I don’t agree with handling imprisoned people as if they’re workers because that’s their labor and they’re not getting any reward to live their human experience. They don't get sunlight that often, they're crammed in a small room and have to deal with guards and other inmates who they might not want to. The least we can do is try to make someone's not-chosen-space the most comfortable because that's the right thing to do. My past has humbled me and I’m grateful for all the chances I’ve gotten to get improve myself as a person and reflect on my actions. I’d hate to be stuck in a room with people I might not feel safe with, antagonistic guards and lack of opportunity to grow from your mistakes while repeating the same schedule. It must be insane to do that. We need people in correctional institutions that specialize in mental health, activities that are going to question and help them grow from the person who was locked up and quick relinquishment. If our goals as humans is to function together for a better world, helping the ‘least of us’ and ones who are struggling to do right might learn.

Sources:

https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/statistics_inmate_offenses.jsp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-YU_Ijo9nI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZF1HkaxtYQ