Joe, a young man from an unfortunate socio-economic background, was just charged with a felony and was given a lengthy sentence. He, like most convicted criminals, knows exactly what will unfold next: a life without freedoms or a second chance — a life that is isolated, abusive, desolate and animalistic. No one cares for his well-being nor is willing to help him rehabilitate or teach him to act as a dutiful member of society. Joe, like so many others, will do time and eventually will be thrown into the street with a pocket of pennies, a heart of trauma and a permanent record held against him. His future is hopelessly bleak as he is damaged and unable to start over — so, odds are, he will end up in the same horrid place where all his pain began and the cycle thus repeats. How do we, as part of a civilized society, allow this phenomenon to happen over and over again? The answer: the American penal system.
For centuries, prison has been described as an unspeakably horrid place for those who have done evil in society and are far from reparation. Nevertheless, in our ever-growing world of media, shows such as "Orange is the New Black" depict prison in an affable, humorous way — a portrayal so detached from reality. Particularly in America, prisoners are not enjoying themselves or attaining alpha status among peers like Netflix heroine Piper Kerman, but they are rather kept in zoo-like captivity and face violence as well as exploitation.
Recommended for you
In the article, “The Prisoner’s Dilemma,” Stephen Chapman argues that the American prison system is a flawed and cruelly managed entity that needs to be altered. Similarly, Michael Levin, author of “The Case of Torture,” similarly advocates torture as an improved method of punishment in comparison to our current penal structure. Though they discuss contrasting topics, both articles urge for a better, more humane prison system in the United States that curtails crime statistics. As Piers Hernu clearly reveals in his article, “Norway’s Ideal Prison,” compassionate prison systems not only provide safer and more productive environments, but also transform threatening criminals into reformed and highly adroit individuals. In order to diminish crime rates and alleviate lives for misunderstood prisoners, it is essential for Americans to adapt and establish a recovery, work-centric community in prisons.
As part of American culture, the notion of implementing a comforting prison system is utterly indubitable. Nevertheless, convicts endure challenges, revolting conditions and traumatizing experiences that often cultivate them into damaged beings — an outcome that our penal system has been trying desperately to prevent. Michael Levinargues that barbaric torture is, “far less objectionable than many extant punishments.” When prisoners are released, they carry mental baggage that hinders them from progressing, and, alas, deteriorates their situations.
According to Hernu, Americans need to abandon their currently flawed disciplinary structure for a compassionate and reformative framework. In the article, Hernu reveals the positive culture of Bastoy prison in Norway and how it helps its prisoners develop into individuals with potential for success. Rather than exploit convicts to complete mundane jobs, a terribly defective tactic used in American prisons, Bastoy employees supply on-campus employment opportunities for prisoners that actually trains them for general careers in society. Particularly, ferry working, a popular avocation at Bastoy, helps convicts eventually seek educational and lucrative opportunities.
For Nils, his decision to work as a ferry worker has encouraged him to attend a university for maritime studies and follow his dreams in becoming a commercial captain. Evidently, prisoners of Bastoy are given worthwhile responsibilities which, in turn, motivates them in becoming reformed individuals. Unlike American prisons that strip away freedoms and autonomous rights, Bastoy allows liberation to a certain degree and fosters an environment of self-improvement through work.
Unfortunately, the American penal system, in most cases, permanently hinders individuals from bettering themselves. Time and time again, American sentencing policies have been proven detrimental for creating irreversible hardships for every criminal. Sadly, Chapman highlights the phenomenon when he reveals that states, such as Texas, are “famous for imposing extravagantly long sentences.” This standard completely differs from Norwegian penal standards, as the death penalty is not executed nor will prisoners ever have to serve over 21 years. Unquestionably, the Norwegian prison system provides possibilities for convicts to start fresh, rather than rot away in a six-by-eight cell that American criminals are subjected to for several decades. Though this principle may seem preposterous, offering prisoners a free reign of authority and weakening sentencing laws will indisputably improve the American penal system.
Americans tend to view themselves as civilized in nature, yet overlook the savagery and deplorable conditions that exist within their own prisons. While Bastoy employees provide comfortable conditions in an effort to prevent prisoners from “ending up behaving like animals,” neither the American government nor the staff could not care less about the situation. As stated by Chapman, the chief and visible problem in American prisons is overcrowding — an issue that continues to unfold severe consequences within the edifice and for the lives of convicts. This pressing matter is further exemplified when he expresses that, “one Tennessee prison, for example, has a capacity of 806, but it houses 2300 inmates. One Louisiana facility has confined four and five prisoners in a single six-foot-by-six-foot cell." Clearly, overcrowding is a universally nationwide problem that is not only worsening, but is also leading to a never-ending domino effect of unsanitary conditions, then proliferating cases of illnesses and then untreated disease due to inadequate medical aid.
With the implementation of horrific prison standards, a culture violence and abuse is perpetuated towards and among prisoners as a result. Based on American status quo, convicted criminals are forced to accept mistreatment as a disciplinary measure or encounter relentless punishments for their defiance. In contrast, employees of Bastoy undermine this notion by providing comfortable living circumstances and properly treating their prisoners. Employees provide gourmet meals, warmth and responsibilities that, in effect, help prisoners improve their issues and approach in social interactions. According to a guard, Bastoy is an:
"Arena in which the mind can heal — allowing prisoners to gain self-confidence, establish respect for themselves, and in doing so respect for themselves. There are no cells, bars, guns, truncheons or CCTV cameras here."
From an American’s perspective, it is ludicrous and even unimaginable to believe that prisoners can flourish while serving time; nonetheless, Bastoy instills a peaceful setting that helps convicts reflect on their mistakes and move forward with their lives. As unethical exploitation and abhorrent conditions are rampant in our prisons, stories of, “robberies, rape, extortion, theft and assault are everyday occurrences” and seem to occur with sound reason. Ultimately, for rebellion and brutality to cease, it is essential for American prisons to adapt a system similar of Bastoy, which encourages comfort, growth and stability for criminals.
Though Americans tend to believe that their penal system is effective for averting crimes, evidence has pointed out that this is certainly not the case. In fact, Levin argues that torture, a measure seen as villainous, precludes criminal activities, and thus saves potential victims when he states, “the balance of torture is a matter of balancing innocent lives against the means needed to save them." He, like many others, feel as though the modern penal system of America is unsuccessful in diminishing crime rates and preventing evil travesties. In American prisons, it can be contended that there is too much of an emphasis placed on punitive initiatives against convicts, rather than reforming individuals to better society. According to Chapman, research has shown that:
"The soaring rates of the last [20] years suggest that prisons are not a dramatically deterrent to criminal behavior. Prisons do isolate convicted criminals, but only divert crime for ordinary citizens to prison guards and fellow inmates."
Here, Chapman notes how the penal system fails to instill values that teach prisoners to become moral individuals. Instead, it is evident that they channel their anger towards others around them and, perhaps, worsen their character in the process. Whereas American prisons have struggled to decrease crime rates, prisons of Norway, specifically Bastoy, have substantially lower crime statistics.
Ultimately, this phenomenon is a result of Norway’s focus on rehabilitation, rather than consequential punishments for prisoners. As stated by Hernu, the reoffending average of Norway is a mere twenty percent, and only sixteen percent at Bastoy. This quote clearly shows the positive impact that the reform focus has had on both prisoners and common people. The Norwegian penal system evidently surmounts the American prison structure in deterring crime rates, and saving possible sufferers. Now, we, as American citizens, need to embrace this type of system in order to not only succor damaged prisoners, but also to prevent future illicit tragedies.
The American penal system has undoubtedly been a defective force and often creates more chaos than intended. With disgusting conditions, unrelenting violence and offensive mistreatment, prisons perhaps create more damage for criminals than they had before serving their time. Unquestionably, American prisons should be constructed as paradigms of hope, self-improvement and community, not as symbols of pain or despair. Although abating the prison system has been declared as uncompromisable, Americans must abandon this narrow-minded perception in order to improve the lives of prisoners, as well as their own. Hopefully someday, broken criminals, like young Joe, will have opportunities to obtain a second chance in beginning a fresh start and improving the society that has always judged them.
Works Cited
Chapman, Stephen. “The Prisoner’s Dilemma.” Patterns Across Cultures: Second Edition Literature. Ed. Lyn Uhl. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 214-219. Print.
Hernu, Piers. “Norway’s Ideal Prison.” Patterns Across Cultures: Second Edition Literature. Ed. Lyn Uhl. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 221-226. Print.
Levin, Michael. “The Case for Torture.” Patterns Across Cultures: Second Edition Literature. Ed. Lyn Uhl. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 498-500. Print.
