Growing up, I was always told that prisons exist to keep bad people out of society and to deter them from re-offending or from committing a crime in the first place. It seems that some prisons focus more on rehabilitating individuals, while others only try to keep them locked up. The more I learn about the prison industrial complex and the people in prison from my women's studies classes, the more ridiculous and ineffective these goals seem.
If the purpose of the prison system is to remove those who have committed crimes from society, it does that. But what larger purpose does that serve? The prison system doesn't do much to help those who are locked up and it doesn't address the systemic problems that lead people to commit crimes in the first place. From the stories I have read about incarcerated individuals and how they got there, it seems that many people who end up in prison have had lives filled with a lot of struggle and pain, and I don't think the prison system does a good job of addressing, or even acknowledging, the complicated and difficult lives that those within it have had. For instance, the articles we read about invasive searches point out that many of the women who are subject to these cavity searches are survivors of past physical and sexual abuse. Sure, the prisons are trying to make sure the women and their visitors are safe, but by seeing these women as prisoners rather than as people with unique histories and experiences, they fail to understand why an invasive cavity search might be a particularly traumatizing experience for certain women.
While prisons may succeed at keeping "dangerous" individuals locked up, they don't address the larger societal problems, such as poverty, drugs, deficient mental health care, and a general lack of social supports, that lead many individuals to commit crimes in the first place.
I am looking forward to our first visit to ICIW because it will be a different kind of learning experience than what I have learned about prisons and their effects on women from academia and the media. However, since all of what I know about prisons and prison life comes from these outside sources, I am a little worried about the stereotypes and judgments I hold. I also think that the inherent power dynamic between us as outsiders (non-prisoners, college students, privileged individuals) and the women at ICIW will be a challenge. I don't want them to feel like we are coming in from the outside to "study" them for our own benefit, but I can see how it would be easy for this type of skewed dynamic to develop. I hope that a more reciprocal relationship can form, where we can talk about issues from our different perspectives and learn from each other.
I also learned about the Prison Industrial Complex last year in a Women's Studies class and details of what goes on in prisons (Ie: women working for far less than a dollar an hr) and so on and was extremely alarmed at same. It does appear many prisons are setting women/men up for failure once they are released. I don't see the effectiveness of expecting someone who is released from prison to come out of poverty, start with a new slate, etc. I think I would be biased (maybe this will change) if I were an employer and someone who applied that was previously in prison. So even becoming employed is a challenge for many once they're released I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteI think they're probably many differences among the women in the prison. I'm sure it's a case by case basis between the women as I assume everyone's situations are really quite different.
I agree, I hope to not offend anyone by coming in to the prison to "study" the women. I hope to have a learning experience for all and I have no doubt it will be. I'm really excited for this week. Good post!
I one hundred percent agree with your third paragraph- it says it all! I think we (society or even our small group of students for that matter) need to study and adress what is the root problem. I am sure no one that is incarcerated in the prison system, male or female, chooses to sell or use drugs, rape other individuals, commit murder, steal, etc... Something is wrong; individuals just do not do those things for no reason. I feel as if these crimes have a root problem and society begins to address them then more and more people will want to "do the right thing."
ReplyDeleteHowever, I also have to think about the other side of things... if individuals commit crimes, they have to pay the consequences otherwise our society would be even more out of control.
Clearly I have that moral struggle then because as I do believe that there needs to be more support and help within the prison system, individuals do have to reap some consequences to their actions. But enough with my tangent. Overall, I agree with you that prisoners are people so society needs to pay attention to that in order to help everyone out in the long run!- Wouldn't that make for a good experiment: if everyone helped one another out in a small community to better the lives of those in serious need, would it be pleasantville??