Prison been a tricky subject for me for years
My latest conclusion at the moment is that they are a separate structured Society within which to hold people that don’t conform to this other semi-structured society that we’re are in.
This way of thinking for me helps put prison in a prospective where it can be compared to for example military service or corporate office cubicle life, a comprehensive school system or a religious service.
In each of those cases what they have in common is a hierarchy of people that are very clear and the powers that be are well known Within the systems
This lay in contrast with the world we’re in where there’s a lot less strictness in dependable structure.
Many people who leave prison will sometimes return to it because the structure is something they understand
People who exit military service will sometimes intentionally commit a crime in order to return to A system that has order and structure.
I believe there needs to be more halfway houses available
And they need to be prepared for long-term stay
Because there’s a whole class of people that simply can’t make it.
But there has to be a step between Finding Your Own Way alone in life and being within a rigid structure
Marriage and family is kind of a halfway house in that sense
But that’s not possible for everybody so there has to be other Solutions
I think with that external structure in place, occupational therapy in prisons might be more effective
But I think as it stands, prisons are mostly a separate Society
And I’m not sure if anybody is committed to dealing with the inbetween