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I keep thinking about Dostoevsky's account of late 19th century Russian prison in "The House of the Dead". It's in a remote town, but it's pretty open, civilian
by cousin_it 5y ago
I keep thinking about Dostoevsky's account of late 19th century Russian prison in "The House of the Dead". It's in a remote town, but it's pretty open, civilians walk in and out and do business with inmates. Why are modern prisons so cut off from society in comparison?
- ModernMech 5y agoThe modern prison is not modeled after a town, school, or hospital as a place of community, growth, and rehabilitation. The modern prison is modeled after a dairy farm, where prisoners are livestock to be housed and milked for profit. I’m a big believer in the idea that economic incentives determine behavior, so until we take the profit motive out of the prison system, I believe it will continue to be a place of exploitation. I shudder to think of how much worse it could get with Facebook involved.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- cousin_it 5y agoThat can't be the answer to my question, as prisons have become more isolated also in countries where they aren't privatized.
- projektfu 5y agoA prison doesn't have to be private to have a profit motive. Many prisons are built to provide jobs (corrections officers, admin, services) in their localities. Many prisoners are housed far from their homes. It can't be beyond notice to elected representatives that closing the prisons would affect their constituents.