More and more people are being sent behind bars. According to the Institute for Criminal Policy Research, over 10.35 million individuals are being held in penal institutions throughout the world, either as pre-trial detainees/remand prisoners or having been convicted and sentenced.
In comparison to the year 2000, the total number of women serving time has increased by about 50% while the male prison population has grown by about 18%. But prison inmates rates vary considerably all around the globe. For instance, the United States has 698 inmates for every 100,000 citizens while Denmark has 61. And there are more differences, too. Inmates in one place might have access to musical instruments and video games but might be fighting over a roll of toilet paper in another.
Bored Panda has collected photos of prison cells from all over the world to show how different countries treat their criminals, and the contrast is eye-opening. The prison cells in this list vary from low security to max security, from famous prisons such as San Quentin and the Black Dolphin prison in Russia to lesser known ones, and while they can't be all compared directly, it gives us a pretty good sense of how different countries deal with criminals. It might be due to economic reasons or the way societies value life, but if you found the information above a bit grey, the images below will grab everyone's attention.
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Aranjuez Prison, Aranjuez, Spain
Spain's Aranjuez Prison lets parents and children stay with their incarcerated family members. With Disney characters on the walls, a nursery, and a playground, the goal is to prevent kids from realizing, as long as possible, that a parent is behind bars
Luzira Prison, Kampala, Uganda
In Luzira, inmates are assigned more responsibility that would be in similar prisons in the United Kingdom or the USA. Inmates assume responsibility for maintenance of harmony and functionality of the units where they live, including the growing and harvesting of food, its preparation and its distribution within the prison. Learning is encouraged, with many men learning and teaching carpentry skills to others. The guard to prisoner ration in Luzira is about 1:35, compared to 1:15 in the UK. Aggression among inmates is the exception and not the rule. The recidivism rate in Luzira is less than 30 percent, compared with 46 percent in the UK and 76 percent in the United States
Seems they are doing the right thing here, focusing much more on rehabilitation than just straight up incarceration.
Bastøy Prison, Horten, Norway
Bastøy prison is the largest low-security prison in Norway. The prison is located at Bastøy island in the Oslo Fiord, belonging to Horten municipality. The prison uses the whole island, but the northern part with the beach Nordbukta is defined as open to the public.
The prison is organized as a small local community with about 80 buildings, roads, beach zones, cultural landscape, football field, agricultural land and forest.
In addition to the prison functions, there is a shop, library, information office, health services, church, school, NAV (government social services), dock, ferry service (with its own shipping agency) and a lighthouse with facilities to let for smaller meetings and seminars. On Bastoy prison island, the prisoners, some of whom are murderers and rapists, live in conditions that critics brand 'cushy' and 'luxurious'. Yet it has by far the lowest reoffending rate in Europe
It is easy to imagine these people moving back to society. Good for them (obvious), good for society (adding skill again, this time for right-doing), good for the state (prisons costs enormous amounts of money).
The irony is that these prisons probably cost less than most of the high-security private prisons in the USA, but have far better rehabiitation rates. Norwegians aren't stupid - they know how to get best return for their incarceration dollars (or krone, as the case may be...).
Load More Replies...A lot of people criticise providing serious criminals with this "luxury", but the truth is that most crime is the consequence of a background - often a lifetime - of disadvantage, discrimination, and other disengagements from basic human rights. The reason that Norway has such a low recidivism rate is that they not only give the prisoners some dignity, but they actually do something to rehabilitate them so that when they've done their time they can successfully reintegrate and become prodictive and worthy members of society. People who criticise this are detached from the reality of the circumstanes of most of these criminals, and the irony is that they're likely only a few bad decisions/unlicky incidents from being these sorts of criminals themselves...
Following on from my previous comment, there are the hard-core criminals who do Really Bad S**t. They might have what some people would call "luxury", but even these people show lower recidivism rates so the treatment is worth it, and the worst receive comensurate sentences. Foreigners can carp and bleat all they like, but Norway has one of the happiest, safest, and egalitarian societies in the world: they are living the sort of life that is referred to as "the American Dream", when for US Americans themselves this 'dream' of a Utopian society is completely unatainable for most of its citizens.
Load More Replies...I think people are mistaking the impact of doing time. Sure it's not as pleasant to be in a maximum security prison in Miami as it is on this island. But you're still having to obey by the rules. Have other people decide where you go etc. And since they're going back to society anyways, you might as well help them become a productive citizen. I don't think anyone wants a criminal sit in a cell for years if that means he's just going to make more victims when he gets outso, all citizens have access to good healthcare/ welfare not just the criminals. Not saying they're is no poverty in Northern Europe but the gap is definitely not as big as it is in the US.
To the people who are complaining about the "luxury", please do some research! And poverty is a kind of prison of itself, which is unfortunately inherited through the families in most of the world. So please don't protest the "luxury" treatment for humans, feeding your envy, but fight for better distribution of wealth and better support forfamilies and
I saw a whole documentary about this place! It's still isolation from society, but it offers humanity, structure, job training and hope. Wonderful for those who would not be violent.
Prisons like these always brought the following scene into my mind → begging a police officer to put you to prison because you have no money for the rent.
You dont need to go to prison to get help with the rent in Norway..
Load More Replies...They are living far better than many USA citizens. If we had a prison like that here, people would be committing crime just to get 'affordable' housing. Some do that already, just to get off the streets and feel safe and to get a shower and a hot meal (or any meal). Very sad.
Most of this prisons looks much better than student accommodation in Poland...
To be honest, they look like they live a better lifestyle in prison compared to some people who aren't even in prison.
they must also get therapy, anger-management classes or education to ensure that they don't reoffend when they return to society and to protect the public. I wonder too if they have criminals deemed too dangerous to return to society?
We do. Anders Bering Breivik. The man responsible for the 22. Of July massacre in 2011. And he's complaining about Norwegian prisons not even meeting basic human rights and filed a lawsuit with ICCt.
Load More Replies...what? For crimes that don't involve hurting people physically, I believe that prisons such as these are good, however i dont believe that murders and rapists should get this luxury
All of you seem to miss two huge points - one, this 'cushy' prison that's on an isolated island BTW is CHEAPER than high security prisons to run, & two - the biggie - recidivism is very LOW - that means for the less educated among you that people who serve their time here do NOT go out and commit more crimes - or at least the rate of reoffending is much lower than our 'punishment & revenge' prisons - where those convicted of minor crimes get thrown into hellholes where they learn how to become MAJOR criminals ~sigh~
Load More Replies...Every human should be treated with dignity and respect. It shouldn't be a privilege, it's a God given right by birth in my opinion. <3
Um, yeah! Last I checked, Norway has THE highest life satisfaction score on Earth. The inmates rank among the 92%+ happy Norwegians.
I should go to Norway and commit some light crime there. Destination sold! https://www.paulmankin.com/your-rights-under-the-fdcpa
A lot of ignorant Americans in here with their medieval cowboy mentality. LET US MAKE SOMETHING CLEAR: This is not a standard Norwegian prison. You have to apply to get there. Too apply for this prison you have to spend many years locked up 23 hours a day in a standard prison and show remarkable changes in your personality. They don't let just anyone in there. The project has proven to be a great success and is now being adapted in other countries! DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW?
Far better than hostels of pupils of educational institutions in India.
Why can't we do this in the US? Is it because the prison system is now privately owned business and the bottom line is everything? I dont' know but would love to see change!
Considering some living conditions for our vets I think being an offender would be a goal if they lived in this country. Insanity.
Anders Behring Breveik must be laughing his bollocks off And i would not be a bit surprised if he had Internet Access So he can compose another manifesto It turns out he was right all along
1. You have to apply to get there and you have to be in a traditional prison first. This is not a standard Norwegian prison. 2. Breivik is locked 23 hours a day and has no internet access at all. It is likely he will be in "forvaring" (confinement) for the rest of his life.
Load More Replies...So what is to stop them from killing someone again? after all they get a cushy life and again free?? I think this is a tax payers waste of money. they men are rewarded not punished
AMERICAN MORON! You have to apply to get to this prison (and it's the only one in Norway). You also have to show lots of improvement in your character during the years in a STANDARD PRISON before you can even thinking applying to get there. Also: Our prisons have proven to be a great success so take your medieval cowboy mentality and shove it. 'cause you know what? THE US HAS STARTED TO COPY OUR MODEL!
Load More Replies...ok but.... what if the person in question was incarcerated for, say, Kiddie porn, of child molestation... i see a COMPUTER there in the last picture! what's to STOP them from continuing with their sub-human behavior?? or is it monitored?? I could see this depending on the CRIME.... but typically, you are incarcerated for a REASON, and the COMFORTS of "regular life" being withheld is part of the punishment... They don't look to be "missing out" on ANYTHING here! As a mater of fact, this looks like a Maine Cottage I would book in the SUMMER to get away for a BREAK!! 🙄
and it says RIGHT THERE: "some of which are MURDERERS and RAPISTS..." That's just GREAT. Yeah, I'm sure they feel "punished & rehabilitated".... 🙄🙄🙄 >:(
Load More Replies...Reoffending rate is just one number. To evaluate an institution by only one number is oversimplification. If the prison provides better living conditions than that a person can provide for itself, it becomes a reward for a crime instead of punishment. Homeless people committing crimes before winter to spend the cold months in prison is a common practice in some countries.
Being stuck on a frozen island near the Arctic Circle is NOT the lap of luxury. And since countries like Norway have virtually no homeless people, you just sound silly now.
Load More Replies...This is ridiculous, criminals do not deserve these luxurious prisons. In many countries good people have nothing close to it.
Wow, am I the ONLY person that thinks this is wrong. Hell, go break a law and commit a crime, you won't be locked up, you can just live by yourself. Stupid.
How do murderers and rapists warrant time at a low security prison?
Seriously this better be for like j-walking or something because this is better than 40% of what the world regularly lives in and prison is not about pleasure!
Halden Prison, Halden, Norway
Halden Prison is a maximum-security prison in Halden, Norway. It has three main units and receives prisoners from all over the world, but has no conventional security devices. The second-largest prison in Norway, it was established in 2010 with a focus on rehabilitation; its design simulates life outside the prison. Among other activities, sports and music are available to the prisoners, who interact with the unarmed staff to create a sense of community. Praised for its humane conditions, Halden Prison has received the Arnstein Arneberg Award for its interior design in 2010 and been the subject of a documentary, but has also received criticism for being too liberal.
Onomichi Prison, Onomichi, Japan
Elderly prisons are becoming more common in Japan as the country continues to age. Onomichi Prison hosts an all-senior population. Inmates have access to handrails, soft food, and spend their working hours knitting and sewing
It's amazing to see how respected and well-treated the elders in Japan are, even in prisons.
Norgerhaven Prison, Veenhuizen, Netherlands
Inmates at the Norgerhaven prison in Veenhuizen, Netherlands, have a bed, furniture, a refrigerator, and a TV in their cells, as well as a private bathroom. The crime rates in the Netherlands are so low, that they faced an “undercrowding” crisis. To solve this “problem”, the country struck a deal with Norway in 2015, to take on their prison overflow. Now part of Norwegian inmates serve their sentences in Norgerhaven.
Norway and the Netherlands are proof that treating your prisoners well doesn't result in increased crime rates, and in fact it contributes to the opposite. It's not just this though - both countries have a better attiude to social welfare generally, and they both have a highly developed culture of egalitariansim and looking out for each other, and this is why Scandiavia and the northwest of Europe contains some of the 'happiest' countries in the world. The every-man-for-himself corporate capitalism of the US is a failure compared to the social democracies of the Vikings and their descendants.
HMP Addiewell, Lothian, Scotland
HMP Addiewell is a learning prison, where residents can address their offending behaviour and the circumstances which led to their imprisonment through Purposeful Activity. Purposeful activities include education, counseling and work. Nature and family contact whilst in prison is also a fundamental element of the rehabilitation process.
I have a friend whose niece was raped by a man sent here. Hopefully his most powerful lesson he will learn will be understanding what the words "no" and "get your hands off me" means...
Black Dolphin Prison, Sol-Iletsk, Russia
At Russia's notorious Black Dolphin Prison on the border of Kazakhstan, inmates share small 50-square-foot cells that are set back behind three sets of steel doors. Inmates live in a "cell within a cell”, with 24-hour surveillance. Black Dolphin houses the most brutal criminals, including serial killers, cannibals, and terrorists. A prison lieutenant told National Geographic, which did a documentary on the facility, that the only way to escape is by dying. If you combine all the crimes of the inmates, they have killed about 3,500 people. That's an average of five murders per inmate.
I saw that documentary as well. They don't sugar coat your crime. If you are fortunate enough to get out of that place, you won't commit another crime
Champ-Dollon Prison, Geneva, Switzerland
Opened in 1977, the main function of Geneva’s Champ-Dollon prison is to hold prisoners before trial and sentencing. The numbers of inmates is constantly increasing, which has lead to a chronic problem of overcrowding. 115 different nationalities were represented in the prison in 2010 with just 7.2% Swiss.
The Las Colinas Detention And Reentry Facility, Santee, California
The prison was designed to be the first detention facility of its kind in the U.S. where environmental and behavioral psychology are used to “improve the experience and behavior of both inmates and staff”
Landsberg Prison, Landsberg Am Lech, Germany
This is the prison where Hitler wrote "Mein Kampf," and 278 Nazis were executed for war crimes. Nowadays, the conditions are considerably better at Landsberg. The progressive prison provides 36 courses in their central training centre for occupations such as bakers, electricians, painters, butchers, carpenters, tailors, shoemakers, heating & ventilation workers and bricklayers.
Abashiri Prison, Abashiri, Japan
At Abashiri Prison in Japan, guards inspect inmates' rooms once a day. The prison houses offenders with sentences of 8 years or less. Life inside is very strict, however there's no record of gang violence, rape, drugs or murder at the prison. Abashiri has a souvenir shop in front of the main gate, where they sell goods made inside the prison. Items sold range from Abashiri Prison Candy to all sorts of hand-made craft work.
Cebu Provincial Detention And Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC), Cebu, Cebu Province, Philippines
CPDRC is a maximum security prison where the prisoners perform dance routines as part of their daily exercise and rehabilitation, and many of their performances are filmed and released online, making them a popular feature among fans and veritable online celebrities
This is a old photo, now Durterte is elected it in not like this at all. Now there is a shortage of food, water and it is infested with rodents and cockroaches and severe overcrowding
Penal De Ciudad Barrios, Ciudad Barrios, San Miguel, El Salvador
These cells are just 12 feet wide and 15 feet tall, but they're usually packed with more than 30 people. They were initially constructed to serve as 72-hour holding cells, but many inmates stay for more than a year. Most of their days are spent pulling apart their clothes and using the thread to sew together hammocks, where they sleep stacked on top of one another like cords of wood.
Oslo's Skien Prison, Oslo, Norway
Prisons in Norway are meant to mimic outside conditions as much as possible to prepare inmates to reenter society. At Oslo's Skien prison, inmates have private bathrooms, a TV, video games and access to a gym and yard. Mass murderer Anders Breivik is currently serving his 21 year sentence there. He tried to sue the state over "cruel" conditions in 2016, however, this man’s prison life would seem luxurious to most people - his cell has three rooms, "one for living, one for studying, and a third for physical exercise — as well as a television, a computer without internet access and a game console. He is able to prepare his own food and do his own laundry.”
Otago Corrections Facility, Milburn, New Zealand
It has been dubbed the "Milton Hilton" - a place where prisoners can relax in ultimate luxury while they do their time. The Otago Corrections Facility in New Zealand looks more like a teenager's bedroom than a prison. There are health facilities and a library designed to keep people feeling like members of society.
The Maula Prison, Lilongwe, Malawi
The Maula prison in Lilongwe, Malawi, is severely overcrowded — in 2015, almost 200 people were crammed into one 60-person cell. Prisoners there, many of whom are Ethiopian migrants, must share one toilet per 120 people and one tap per 900 people. Prisoners are fed just once a day, due to the small budget of the Malawian government. One of a few highlights for the inmates is sports. Men are permitted to play football and women can play basketball.
ADX Florence, Colorado, United States
US Penitentiary Administrative Maximum, also known as ADX Florence, the "Alcatraz of the Rockies," and "Supermax," is a modern super-maximum security federal prison located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains near Florence, Colorado. Opened in 1994, the ADX Supermax facility was designed to incarcerate and isolate criminals deemed as being too dangerous for the average prison system.
The majority of prisoners are kept in administrative segregation. They are confined to a specifically designed single-person cell for 23 hours a day. Prisoners are moved around under strict restraints (handcuffed, shackled or both), for their 1 hour time out, which includes showers, exercise, and with privileges, phone calls. Served in their cell, their meals are restricted to foods that can't be used to harm themselves, or create unhygienic conditions.
Haiti's Civil Prison, Arcahaie, Haiti
Haiti's Civil Prison, on the coastal town of Arcahaie, is notoriously overcrowded. In 2016, 174 inmates escaped during a riot that left one guard dead and others injured.
UN Detention Unit, Outside The Hague, Netherlands
The United Nations Detention Unit (UNDU) is a UN-administered jail. It was established in 1993 as part of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. The facility now serves as the International Criminal Court detention centre, where individuals are prosecuted for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The jail houses the detained suspects during their trial and those convicted by the court serving prison sentences. Each cell has it's own toilet and washing area. Inmates have access to a gym and a PE instructor, they can also cook for themselves. A personal computer is provided in each cell, where inmates can view material on their cases.
Petak Island Prison, Vologda, Russia
Often referred to as the “Alcatraz of Russia,” Petak Island holds Russia’s most dangerous criminals. Aside from the mental torture of 22.5-hour-a-day lockdowns in two-man rooms, most prisoners are allowed just two visitors per year. And that’s all the inmates can ever hope for, as the prison itself is hopelessly inescapable, surrounded by the freezing waters of White Lake.
It would be interesting to know what the suicide rates are in places like this and in San Quentin. Being in isolation for 22 or 23 hours a day is considered to be torture by groups like Amnesty International.
San Quentin State Prison, San Quentin, California
San Quentin State Prison is the oldest prison (Opened in July 1852) in California. It's a maximum-security facility that once housed Charles Manson. Men condemned to death in California must (with some exceptions) be held at San Quentin. It's the state's only death row for male inmates, the largest in the United States. In 2001, San Quentin's death row was described as "the largest in the Western Hemisphere"; and in 2005, it was referred to as, "the most populous execution antechamber in the United States. The “death row” prison count, as of December 2015, was 708 male inmates.
Evin Prison, Tehran, Iran
Although the Iranian regime has continuously denied it, Evin Prison is known to be a virtual torture factory, where countless numbers of inmates have met their fate. Due to the number of intellectuals imprisoned within its walls, the prison has been nicknamed Evin University. The prison is extremely overcrowded, hygiene is poor and in Iran’s sweltering hot summers, the temperature can reach up to 45 degrees Celsius. There is no form of air conditioning, and the air within cells becomes rank with sweat and human waste. Water quality is bad and barely edible food comes in meagre portions. Medical facilities are virtually non-existent. The whole process is designed to break the resolve of political prisoners, where pressure for a confession continues until the captive breaks their silence. To add to all the anguish, contact with the outside world is completely cut off. Family visits and telephone calls are forbidden, and even the guards are ordered to be silent.
HM Prison Dartmoor, Princetown, England
Dartmoor still has a misplaced reputation for being a high-security prison that is escape-proof. As a Category C prison, Dartmoor houses mainly non-violent offenders and white-collar criminals. It also holds sex offenders and offers sex offender treatment programmes intended to make the offender realise their behaviour is unacceptable. Some inmates subsequently volunteer for behaviour-changing treatment with medication under a scheme being piloted at HMP Whatton, which has had encouraging results.
This is the first picture in this collection that looks like a classic prison cell
Quezon City Jail, Quezon City, Philippines
Inside Quezon City jail in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, there is a relentless and constant battle for space, water, and food in an unhygienic facility. With 160 to 200 inmates crammed into a cell built for 20, men take turns sleeping on the cracked cement floor of an open-air basketball court, the steps of staircases, underneath beds and hammocks made out of old blankets
El Buen Pastor Women's Prison, Bogota, Colombia
The El Buen Pastor women's prison in Bogota, Colombia contains cells that were designed to house 2 inmates but now house anywhere between 10 to 20 women. Corruption and violence is prominent amongst prisoners. Despite harsh conditions, El Buen Pastor makes attempts to humanize its inmates by a holding an annual beauty pageant and parade.
Pelican Bay State Prison, Crescent City, California
Pelican Bay State Prison’s primary purpose is to house the "worst of the worst" violent male prisoners from the California state prison system. 40% of Pelican State's inmates are serving life sentences and nearly all have histories of violence at other California prisons which resulted in their transfer to Pelican Bay. The sole exception are the institution's minimum security inmates who work as part of the prison's outside maintenance and firefighter programs.
San Pedro Prison, La Paz, Bolivia
San Pedro prison is guarded by police officers rather than a hired civilian force, guards are only concerned with keeping inmates confined in the prison. The order inside prison is kept by elected leaders, commonly through stabbing. Inmates must purchase their own cells from other inmates. The wealthiest ones live in area called "La Posta", which provides inmates with private bathrooms, a kitchen, and cable television, such cells are sold for around $1,500-1,800 Bolivianos. Wealthiest inmates can buy luxury cells that may include three floors and a hot tub. However, most of those inside the prison live in cramped conditions with it being common for single-room cells to accommodate five people. A lot of inmates live with their families because it's believed to be safer inside the prison than on the impoverished streets. Cocaine is produced inside the compound, a lot of inmates make a living by selling it to tourists, Although tourism in the prison is illegal, many people gain access to a tour by bribing the guards.
Rikers Island Prison, New York, United States
Rikers Island of New York was named one of the US's 10 worst prisons by Mother Jones. The island has been famous for decades and has been under the watch of a federal monitor overseeing inmate treatment. The prison drew a new wave of criticism after 2015 for the suicide of Kalief Browder, a teenager who'd spent three years on the island waiting for trial on charges of stealing a backpack. As of 2018, the population at the prison is below 9k for the first time in 25 years and plans to close it are being made.
horrible--a teenager was in there? awaiting trial for stealing a backpack? My god, how utterly inhumane. I hope the government was sued.
Neve Tirza, Ramla, Israel
Neve Tirza is Israel's only women's prison. Most cells are 13 square meters, including a toilet and shower. Each cell houses about six women, who often have to share sleeping spaces.
Bordeaux Prison, Montreal, Canada
Bordeaux Prison in Montreal, Canada, houses 1,000 to 1,500 male inmates with sentences of two years or less.
I am from Quebec, Canada... and believe me... something is wrong with our penal system. You can kill your kids and if you prove you were temporarly insane you will be found non responsible. We set murderer free because they awaited trial for too long... but heh! Do not owe any tax money! They will find you!!!
Altiplano Prison, Almoloya De Juarez, Mexico
Altiplano is a high-security prison in Almoloya de Juarez, Mexico. The maximum security federal prison was built with walls that are as much as 1 meter in thickness and the air space near the facility is restricted. Authorities claim that cell phone transmissions are limited within 10 km (6.2 mi) of the prison to stymie communications between the inmates and their colleagues outside. Additionally, armored personnel carriers are based near the facility to protect it against a potential assault. This prison was thought to be impenetrable until the July 11, 2015, when "El Chapo" Guzmán escaped through a tunnel.
Polish jail, photo by Patryk Ogorzałek / Agencja Gazeta polish-jai...f5b185.jpg
Kashimpur Central Jail, Gazipur, Bangladesh
About 1,200 inmates live in Kashimpur Central Jail in Gazipur, Bangladesh.
The Federal Correctional Institution, El Reno, Oklahoma
The Federal Correctional Institution in El Reno, Oklahoma, is a medium-security facility that houses about 1,000 male inmates. It has one of two remaining farm facilities in the Federal Bureau of Prisons
Desembargador Raimundo Vidal Pessoa Penitentiary, Manaus, Brazil
Inmates face almost certain danger at Desembargador Raimundo Vidal Pessoa penitentiary in Manaus, Brazil. Four people were killed in an inmate uprising last year, and dozens were killed at other prisons around the city.
It is easy to lock away people who break the law. It is very hard to make them contributing members of society. Yet how advanced a society is can be judged by its level of humanity. Norway is a prime example for this. No one would have objected letting Anders Breivik rotting in a hole. Yet he has space to lifr envied by many. After all, this is victory for those believing in a better future for humanity.
It is human to have this desire for vengeance, especially when we are talking about people like Breivik. But I guess you are right, if you want change people, than it is better to treat them like humans than putting them in dark holes.
Load More Replies...Like the extreme differences in prison systems, that this article shows, people seem to go from one extreme to the other on what prison should be. My opinion is that prison should be somewhere between Norway's and El Salvador's. A cell shouldn't be able to be confused with a room at a Best Western, nor should it be a hellhole. Prison should not be a comfortable place or a torturous experience. You should want to not go back but you shouldn't be worse when you leave than you were when you entered. Release should be earned rather than given just because you served an arbitrary amount of time. Things like rehab, counseling, education, work skills should be required before release. Rather than being released from prison, a person should "graduate" from it. A prisoner should be smarter, in better physical and mental health, and more optimistic about their future than they were when they entered the system. They should not enjoy prison but should be better because of it.
Haha not in the us it's not as scary as tv n s**t likes to say but it's not fun 100s of women in the room n s**t food nothing like Norway or Netherlands Ohio women's pen is definitely closer to a hell hole then a hotel gyp
Load More Replies...As a Brit I feel that severe community service sentences should be given for relatively minor non violent crime and very large fines for those with the means to pay. The cost of keeping someone in prison is astronomical and overcrowding such an issue. Even 6 months in prison will lead to the loss of any employment and often their home as well, making it that much harder to successfully rejoin society and more likely to commit crime in the future
2000 hours, or 6 months community service with tag restrictions, would surely be a more economical and productive option in some cases.
Load More Replies...This article is very misleading. For starters, you cannot compare prison to prison in different countries. Each country has a different socioeconomic structure. The religious beliefs are different as well (for the most part). The institutions are ran completely different based on these and many other factors. It's really apples and oranges. Second, in the USA, there are a lot of companies that will refuse to hire ex cons for whatever reason. Very few people who leave prison will get a decent paying job regardless of any schooling they have had while incarcerated. So is it then worth the money to offer these programs? I don't have an answer but I sure there is some research on that very subject somewhere out there in googleland. Third, what we consider a violent crime may not be held in the same regard in other countries. Here a husband can rape his wife and go to prison for it but in other countries, it is the accepted norm. Get what I am saying?
I really feel sorry for all the people mixing up their need for revenge with adequate and helpful measures for criminals - who STILL have human rights and the dire need for reintegration. And poverty is a prison of itself, weirdly and sad enough that it takes over so many life's of innocent people in rich countries like the USA. But the solution is not to make other people more miserable but to improve the lives of suffer of the consequences of a gone crazy consumerism and war on welfare distribution.
It depende of theyr crime,because if the crime is very small is ok but if theyr crimes are heavy they need a good punishment and they should work for the comunity for repay back the damages.
Bottom line: if you grew up in a first world country, you have a better education, a wealthier life (so less worries about stuff like food or space to live), and if you do something really bad, you are still seen as a human beeing.
Not for your victims, but hey, at least some people can jerk off for their own morla highground!
Load More Replies...That says more about your dorm rooms than anything.
Load More Replies...I wonder how many "advocates" of good living conditions in prison would feel the same way if one of those inmates would harm or do even worse things, unimaginable things to one of their loved ones? I bet that all of them would had the criminal live in filth, chained for the rest of his life. But, hey! Hypocrisy is one of the human traits. I say, let the punishment fit the crime! I'm not afraid of the down votes I'll get, speaking the truth makes it worth!
Stunned at the contrast between the worst and the better......the worst are a horror movie that would not be believed as real. totally shocked.
One needs to remember that being locked up IS punishment. It isn't necessary to also keep them malnurished, or to not have the basic necessities of life (such as sunlight which brings vitamin D, somewhere to sleep, hygiene, or external stimulation).
Just think about what it would do to your life to be locked up for just 1 year. Think hard about what it would mean for your life. Even 1 year is a pretty hefty punishment (though obviously not nearly enough for major crimes such as murder or rape).
Load More Replies...So, only showing the nice prisons? HJow about Mexico, or Turkey where things are not so nice?
It's almost like summarizing why the people are in there in the first place. Colombia: Probably drug trafficking Norway: Driving Under Influence Russia: Standing in a way that offends glory greatest leader, comrade
While I'm all for rehabilitation for certain crimes that could be considered less damaging, how do you forgive things like rape/torture, crimes that forever leave a harmful impact on people. How can one make their life better when they've damaged the lives of others forever. Especially since society doesn't do an awful lot to help the people whose lives have been ruined.
It's not about forgiving. It's about making sure it never happens again.
Load More Replies...you have a democracy and a dictatorship. what's so hard to figure out there?
In Sweden we sometimes have the problem to decide whats best.Going on vacation or in prison. :)
With some exeptions, prison conditions are relative to average living conditions in the country of origin. So long as the inmates are treated humanely, with dignity, poor 3rd world prisons will always be worse than those of western nations. It would be imposible to standardise the system throught the world
Load More Replies...It is easy to lock away people who break the law. It is very hard to make them contributing members of society. Yet how advanced a society is can be judged by its level of humanity. Norway is a prime example for this. No one would have objected letting Anders Breivik rotting in a hole. Yet he has space to lifr envied by many. After all, this is victory for those believing in a better future for humanity.
It is human to have this desire for vengeance, especially when we are talking about people like Breivik. But I guess you are right, if you want change people, than it is better to treat them like humans than putting them in dark holes.
Load More Replies...Like the extreme differences in prison systems, that this article shows, people seem to go from one extreme to the other on what prison should be. My opinion is that prison should be somewhere between Norway's and El Salvador's. A cell shouldn't be able to be confused with a room at a Best Western, nor should it be a hellhole. Prison should not be a comfortable place or a torturous experience. You should want to not go back but you shouldn't be worse when you leave than you were when you entered. Release should be earned rather than given just because you served an arbitrary amount of time. Things like rehab, counseling, education, work skills should be required before release. Rather than being released from prison, a person should "graduate" from it. A prisoner should be smarter, in better physical and mental health, and more optimistic about their future than they were when they entered the system. They should not enjoy prison but should be better because of it.
Haha not in the us it's not as scary as tv n s**t likes to say but it's not fun 100s of women in the room n s**t food nothing like Norway or Netherlands Ohio women's pen is definitely closer to a hell hole then a hotel gyp
Load More Replies...As a Brit I feel that severe community service sentences should be given for relatively minor non violent crime and very large fines for those with the means to pay. The cost of keeping someone in prison is astronomical and overcrowding such an issue. Even 6 months in prison will lead to the loss of any employment and often their home as well, making it that much harder to successfully rejoin society and more likely to commit crime in the future
2000 hours, or 6 months community service with tag restrictions, would surely be a more economical and productive option in some cases.
Load More Replies...This article is very misleading. For starters, you cannot compare prison to prison in different countries. Each country has a different socioeconomic structure. The religious beliefs are different as well (for the most part). The institutions are ran completely different based on these and many other factors. It's really apples and oranges. Second, in the USA, there are a lot of companies that will refuse to hire ex cons for whatever reason. Very few people who leave prison will get a decent paying job regardless of any schooling they have had while incarcerated. So is it then worth the money to offer these programs? I don't have an answer but I sure there is some research on that very subject somewhere out there in googleland. Third, what we consider a violent crime may not be held in the same regard in other countries. Here a husband can rape his wife and go to prison for it but in other countries, it is the accepted norm. Get what I am saying?
I really feel sorry for all the people mixing up their need for revenge with adequate and helpful measures for criminals - who STILL have human rights and the dire need for reintegration. And poverty is a prison of itself, weirdly and sad enough that it takes over so many life's of innocent people in rich countries like the USA. But the solution is not to make other people more miserable but to improve the lives of suffer of the consequences of a gone crazy consumerism and war on welfare distribution.
It depende of theyr crime,because if the crime is very small is ok but if theyr crimes are heavy they need a good punishment and they should work for the comunity for repay back the damages.
Bottom line: if you grew up in a first world country, you have a better education, a wealthier life (so less worries about stuff like food or space to live), and if you do something really bad, you are still seen as a human beeing.
Not for your victims, but hey, at least some people can jerk off for their own morla highground!
Load More Replies...That says more about your dorm rooms than anything.
Load More Replies...I wonder how many "advocates" of good living conditions in prison would feel the same way if one of those inmates would harm or do even worse things, unimaginable things to one of their loved ones? I bet that all of them would had the criminal live in filth, chained for the rest of his life. But, hey! Hypocrisy is one of the human traits. I say, let the punishment fit the crime! I'm not afraid of the down votes I'll get, speaking the truth makes it worth!
Stunned at the contrast between the worst and the better......the worst are a horror movie that would not be believed as real. totally shocked.
One needs to remember that being locked up IS punishment. It isn't necessary to also keep them malnurished, or to not have the basic necessities of life (such as sunlight which brings vitamin D, somewhere to sleep, hygiene, or external stimulation).
Just think about what it would do to your life to be locked up for just 1 year. Think hard about what it would mean for your life. Even 1 year is a pretty hefty punishment (though obviously not nearly enough for major crimes such as murder or rape).
Load More Replies...So, only showing the nice prisons? HJow about Mexico, or Turkey where things are not so nice?
It's almost like summarizing why the people are in there in the first place. Colombia: Probably drug trafficking Norway: Driving Under Influence Russia: Standing in a way that offends glory greatest leader, comrade
While I'm all for rehabilitation for certain crimes that could be considered less damaging, how do you forgive things like rape/torture, crimes that forever leave a harmful impact on people. How can one make their life better when they've damaged the lives of others forever. Especially since society doesn't do an awful lot to help the people whose lives have been ruined.
It's not about forgiving. It's about making sure it never happens again.
Load More Replies...you have a democracy and a dictatorship. what's so hard to figure out there?
In Sweden we sometimes have the problem to decide whats best.Going on vacation or in prison. :)
With some exeptions, prison conditions are relative to average living conditions in the country of origin. So long as the inmates are treated humanely, with dignity, poor 3rd world prisons will always be worse than those of western nations. It would be imposible to standardise the system throught the world
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