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>I always find it unbelievable that they let these kinds of hierarchies arise in prisons, especially in American prisons (from what I've heard, European prisons

>I always find it unbelievable that they let these kinds of hierarchies arise in prisons, especially in American prisons (from what I've heard, European prisons have it too, but to a much lesser degree). Someone told me they allow it on purpose to help keep order. Maybe it is also a consequence of overfull, understaffed prisons. A few years back I took a tour of the main prison in Amsterdam. The warden actually talked about this and said they specifically organize their prisoners into as diverse blocks as possible to avoid any sort of gangs/groupings from starting. He claimed it made the prison significantly safer, as everyone was looking out for only their own wellbeing. The prison was safe enough for us to walk around among the prisoners (who were not cuffed or restrained in anyway), so I think it was working quite well for them.

chimeracoder 9y ago
> The warden actually talked about this and said they specifically organize their prisoners into as diverse blocks as possible to avoid any sort of gangs/groupings from starting. He claimed it made the prison significantly safer, as everyone was looking out for only their own wellbeing. The prison was safe enough for us to walk around among the prisoners (who were not cuffed or restrained in anyway), so I think it was working quite well for them. I'd be careful reading too much into that. Wardens in the US would say the exact same thing; the actual effects of it obviously don't bear out. As for being handcuffed or restrained: in most prisons in the US, prisoners generally aren't actually cuffed or restrained unless they're being punished.
- lightbyte 9y ago
  >in most prisons in the US, prisoners generally aren't actually cuffed or restrained unless they're being punished. Maybe I wasn't very clear, this was while we were walking around among them and talking with the prisoners. I don't think any US prisons would allow students (this was for a study abroad class) to walk among and interact with unrestrained prisoners for safety reasons.
  - chimeracoder 9y ago
    > I don't think any US prisons would allow students (this was for a study abroad class) to walk among and interact with unrestrained prisoners for safety reasons. No, they definitely do.
    - ficklepickle 9y ago
      My impression is that in the USA, they like to try to "scare em straight" by having guards and inmates terrorize troubled children, compounding their trauma and all but guaranteeing they end up in prison later.

chimeracoder 9y ago

> The warden actually talked about this and said they specifically organize their prisoners into as diverse blocks as possible to avoid any sort of gangs/groupings from starting. He claimed it made the prison significantly safer, as everyone was looking out for only their own wellbeing. The prison was safe enough for us to walk around among the prisoners (who were not cuffed or restrained in anyway), so I think it was working quite well for them. I'd be careful reading too much into that. Wardens in the US would say the exact same thing; the actual effects of it obviously don't bear out. As for being handcuffed or restrained: in most prisons in the US, prisoners generally aren't actually cuffed or restrained unless they're being punished.

lightbyte 9y ago
>in most prisons in the US, prisoners generally aren't actually cuffed or restrained unless they're being punished. Maybe I wasn't very clear, this was while we were walking around among them and talking with the prisoners. I don't think any US prisons would allow students (this was for a study abroad class) to walk among and interact with unrestrained prisoners for safety reasons.
- chimeracoder 9y ago
  > I don't think any US prisons would allow students (this was for a study abroad class) to walk among and interact with unrestrained prisoners for safety reasons. No, they definitely do.
  - ficklepickle 9y ago
    My impression is that in the USA, they like to try to "scare em straight" by having guards and inmates terrorize troubled children, compounding their trauma and all but guaranteeing they end up in prison later.