What’s the purpose of prisons? In the United States, prisons were intended to rehabilitate individuals; however, after the “Tough on Crime” era, purposes have shifted from rehabilitation to a more punitive and deterrence approach. In 2020, there were over 2 million people incarcerated in America and in the past 40 years, it has risen up to 500% (“Criminal Justice Facts.” 2021). Not only that, but Black men are also six times as likely to be incarcerated as white men and Latinos are 2.5 times as likely (“Criminal Justice Facts.” 2021). Does the United States prison system work to deter crime and edify individuals?  Due to America’s racial and classist biases and their shift on the purpose of prisons, prisons don’t work on edifying individuals. Rather than helping individuals who are in need of support, resources, and care, the American government only works to uplift those they deem deserving. Yes, the prison experience might deter someone from committing a crime because of the experience and long-term effects; however, prisons have inhumane conditions and traumatize those incarcerated, with some returning to prison later on due to how little support they received. For these reasons, we need to abolish prisons and implement rehabilitation solutions. 

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Cesare Beccaria, who was a philosopher, criminologist, and economist, believed the purpose of punishment was to deter the offender and others from committing crimes and the severity should be based on the harm done, not the intent (Becceria). I can see how the fear of being arrested may make people think twice about the path they’re on; however, research has shown that “the certainty of being caught… deters a person from committing crime, not the fear of being punished or the severity of the punishment” (“Five Things About Deterrence,” 2016). Instilling fear into individuals doesn’t teach them how to learn from their mistakes. This false belief that punishment equals behavioral change is only increasing the rates of incarceration and traumatizing those who experience time in prison. The prison system is rooted in false beliefs which is why we need to abolish prisons and switch to a more rehabilitative approach. Prisons have detrimental effects on people’s lives. What are the consequences and long-term effects of prison? 

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People may say that the prison experience alone will scare people enough for them not to go back, which is true because of how far it sets them back. However, at least one in 4 of those individuals are booked into jail more than once during the same year (Jones and Sawyer). The system doesn’t fulfill its purpose and when looking at the conditions in prisons, it’s traumatic and it doesn’t set people up for success when they return to the world. Incarcerated people have limited contact with the outside world, poor living conditions, solitary confinement, proliferation of cheap labor, and the constant stripping of your identity (Turner). Prisons don’t work on edifying individuals; they only work to inflict trauma. It’s hard to trust the government when they are set out to misunderstand and suppress people of color and low income.

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My uncle was charged with a Class B felony, which carries tough penalties, such as a lengthy prison sentence and/or extreme fines (LaMance), for possession of an illegal substance. He was an immigrant and a person of low income who wasn’t able to bail himself out of jail. Imprisonment wasn’t going to solve his substance abuse issues. After 4 months in jail, he was released on bail with the help of his family. Having to get a job with a criminal record wasn’t the easiest. He was deported a year later and after 8 months of being back in Mexico for the first time since he was 11 years old, he passed away due to a diabetic coma. He didn’t have enough money to buy insulin due to it being astronomically expensive without insurance. Despite my family begging judges for him to stay here due to him having no family out in Mexico, no money, and nothing to build off of, the judges dismissed their pleas and went forward with the deportation. If the government’s purpose was rehabilitation, they would have given him resources and support for drug abuse and a job for a start. The government shows their lack of compassion for individuals, and they fail to see things from other perspectives. They continue to bargain with people’s lives. 

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Why does the government continue to fail people of color and low income, despite being aware of the struggles they face in their communities? Simply put, “the law is used as a weapon of war” (“Guilty on All Counts!” 2021). An International Panel of Jurists found the United States guilty of genocide with crimes committed in five areas: police racism and violence, mass incarceration, political prisons and prisoners of war, environmental racism, and public health inequalities (“Guilty on All Counts!” 2021). The United States abuses their use of punishment and work to suppress people of color emotionally, physically, and spiritually. The government is rooted in violence and supremacy, which is why we need to abolish the prison system they created because it only works to satisfy their dominance. 

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Punishment isn’t an effective way to assist those who are in need of help. The lack of action and compassion towards these groups shows America’s priorities don’t align with the people. Their purpose has shifted to abuse of deterrence and punishment. We need to fight for inclusion and support for all, not a selective few. Abolishing prisons won’t solve all our problems and other issues may arise; however, abolishing prisons and implementing rehabilitation as a solution, would be a step forward to helping those who are suffering in the system. What’s prison abolition? Prison abolition is extinguishing the idea that society needs prisons in order to protect the public, government, and their property. On top of abolishing prisons, there should be more diversity with government officials so people who are more educated on the actual experiences of those affected, can be represented. However, before any of that happens, the government has to be honest about their morally wrongdoing behavior and take accountability for their actions, past and present.

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While it’s true that people who are incarcerated may reflect on their actions and think twice about how they want to continue their future, thus deterring them from being arrested; the truth is that punishment doesn’t deter someone from committing crimes, it’s the certainty of getting caught. The conditions in prisons are inhumane and need to be addressed immediately. The government cannot continue to ignore the people who are suffering in prisons while we’re still in a pandemic. The United States prison system doesn’t work to edify individuals, they traumatize them. We need to implement long term solutions, like implementing rehabilitation and diversity, to resolve mass incarceration. Let’s find ways to improve the lives of those who are incarcerated and have a dimmed voice.

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Citations

Beccaria, Cesare. “On Crimes and Punishments.” On Crimes and Punishments | Office of Justice Programs, 1986, https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/crimes-and-punishments.

“Criminal Justice Facts.” The Sentencing Project, 3 June 2021, https://www.sentencingproject.org/criminal-justice-facts/. 

“Five Things About Deterrence.” National Institute of Justice, 5 June 2016, https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/five-things-about-deterrence#addenda. 

 “Guilty On All Counts!” San Francisco Bay View, 29 Oct. 2021, https://sfbayview.com/2021/10/guilty-on-all-counts/. 

Jones, Alexi, and Wendy Sawyer. “Arrest, Release, Repeat: How Police and Jails Are Misused to Respond to Social Problems.” Arrest, Release, Repeat: How Police and Jails Are Misused to Respond to Social Problems | Prison Policy Initiative, 26 Aug. 2019, https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/repeatarrests.html. 

LaMance, Ken. “What Is a Class B Felony?” LegalMatch Law Library, LegalMatch, 11 May 2018, https://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/what-is-a-class-b-felony.html. 

Turner, Joshua. “The Black Experience Series: An Inept Prison System.” Afro News: The Black Media Authority, 6 Dec. 2019, https://afro.com/the-black-experience-series-an-inept-prison-system/.