Prisons Conservative: Punishment/Deterrence & Incapacitation Problems: Impulsive crimes Low Clearance Rates Replacement (aging in + supply/demand)

Prisons Liberal - Rehabilitation & Reeducation “Help” Problems: Coercion issue Dropout/Failure rates (programs) Relapse/Recidivism rates

Prisons Critical/Radical - Humanist approaches Minimize use of imprisonment Humanize prisons (they get out!) Zimbardo experiment

Prisons Forty years ago: serious discussion of abolishing prisons -- but the “conservative turn” was just ahead over the next forty years the “land of the free” would become the world’s leading jailer with the highest IR on earth and 25% of all prisoners on earth (we have about 5% of world population).

Prisons Forty years ago: “successes” of the civil rights movement large gains toward gender equality Vietnam war was over (and Nixon gone!) Huge expansion of education (public/college) Brutal mental institutions emptying out Brutal juvenile “reform schools” closing The death penalty had been abolished The “due process” reforms in the cjs

Prisons Some new studies of prisons were published Europeans were trying innovative approaches Karl Menninger published “The Crime of Punishment” – widely read! The key was to create alternatives to prison – therapy, meds, etc.

Prisons US situation was “normal” (prosperous countries) IR had been 100 +/- for over a century Prisons were mostly small and inexpensive Mostly operated “under the radar” (public, politicians, etc.)

Prisons Prisons before the binge: Serious offenders (others mostly diverted) Male, Young, Poor, Urban (“Losers”) dispro Minority (but not as much as now) Sentences were mostly fairly short – with a lot of probation and parole added on

Prisons Prison society and culture had developed - emulated larger society (poor, racism, etc.) Administration minimal Guard (now CO) was a low status job Cost of prisons was low (main cost is security)

Prisons Impact on prisoners (not destroyed) Impact on families (young unattached males) Impact on communities (jobs when they got out)

Prisons Very few parents in prison – very few kids with parents in prison No issue of medical care for aging prisoners No issue of privatization of prisons

Prisons The conservative turn: getting tough on crime, and the imprisonment binge Political backlash and baby boomers The re-birth of the prison in the US Early consequences were disastrous for prisons and prisoners Later consequences are a disaster for everybody

Prisons Early consequences Over-crowding, racial skewing, and violence Destruction of old system of prison administration Destruction of prisoner society and culture Gangs, isolation, and eventually torture

Prisons Long term consequences – getting tougher Destruction of prisoners Extremely high recidivism rates Growing numbers released with no chance of staying out of prison Massive cost

Prisons Massive “Collateral damage” Parents in prison Children of parents in prison Aging and medical care in prison Getting tough with the mentally ill Getting tough with juveniles Getting tough with women offenders The nearly endless pool of potential prisoners

Prisons Is there a way out of our prison dilemma?