On Prisons

[chasw]

Modern societies contain a cross-section of humanity, naturally including some evil-doers. John Kekes (The Human Condition) proposes these people become completely disillusioned with the idea of conventional morality. As a result of their utter ennui, they take perverse pleasure in hurting other people, sometimes latching onto ideologies that justify the thrills they seek. They are acting out their natural values of aggression, domination, greed at the expense of victims and their discredited social contract.

Society has no choice but to hold these evil-doers accountable for their behavior and hopefully rehabilitate them. First time miscreants are typically treated with leniency, but those who seem incorrigible are incarcerated for long periods in the penitentiary. Almost all of today's prisons are hell holes that degrade the inmates and leave them at the mercy of organized gangs. Many young inmates are corrupted beyond all social redemption.

There has to be a better way. I'm attracted to the idea of a utopian society, not as a real-world objective, but rather as an testing ground for ideas about a better political future. In my imaginary, high-tech Republic of the future, say 500 years hence, society will bend over backwards to identify criminal tendencies early in life. Incorrigible evil-doers will be sent to secure prisons for indeterminate sentences, prisons which are very unlike those we have today.

I'm thinking the prisoners will have no contact with each other, therefore no gangs, and very little contact with visitors and correspondents. Most of their interactions will be with the prison staff, who will do their best to modify inmate mental states and behaviors. The objective is, where possible, to turn the inmates into well adjusted citizens who can rejoin normal society. Presumably, the staff will have advanced medical and psychological tools at their disposal for operant conditioning, undoubtedly techniques we would consider unacceptable today.

I'm planning an essay for my blog about prisons today and in the future, from the perspective of political philosophy. Accordingly, I'm interested in what others here have to say about their ideal prison, one that protects society from dangerous human predators, while providing inmates with safe and sane living conditions and a chance at rehabilitation. What do you think? - CW

[Impenitent]

"training" any semblance of freewill out of the perfect citizen is difficult...

lobotomies are more efficient and yield similar results

-Imp

[The Voice of Time]

"training" any semblance of freewill out of the perfect citizen is difficult...

lobotomies are more efficient and yield similar results

-Imp

And must not forget they are cost-efficient! The most lovable word any politician can ever hear x)

[bobevenson]

Prisons are a crime against mankind.