Can Prisoners Be REFORMED?/Is The Solution Part of the PROBLEM?

Schools for Criminals

The prison system does not always quell criminal behavior.  "When money is poured  into building another prison cell at the expense  of rebuilding  a prisoner's  self image, it is often just a prelude to more-and worse-crime," writes Jill Smolowe in Time magazine.  Peter, who has spent 14 years behind bars, would agree with that statement.  "Most of my fellow inmates started off with petty crime, then they moved up to property crime, and finally  they graduated to serious offenses against other humans," he says.  "For them, prisons are like trade schools.  They're going to come out worse."

While prisons may take criminals off the streets for a while, it seems that they do little -if anything-to deter crime in the long term.  Inner city  boys and young men often view imprisonment as an initiation rite.  Very often they end up becoming hardened offenders.   "Prison doesn't rehabilitate you at all," says Larry, who has spent most of his life in and out of jail.  "These guys come out and do the same thing all over again." 

This 'revolving door' may explain why, according to one study in the United States, 50 percent of all serious crimes are committed by about 5 percent of the criminals.  "When prisoners  have not constructive way to spend their time," remarks Time magazine,  "they often fill the hours building a reservoir of resentment, not to mention a grab bag of criminal tricks, that . . . they will take back to the streets." 

The situation is not unique to  the United States.  Jon Vatis, a physician at a military prison in Greece states:  "Our prisons have become very good at producing people who are menacing, violent, and mean.  When released, most inmates want to 'square up' with society.

Next time: Is the Solution Part of the PROBLEM?/The Social Cost

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