One horror is the length of sentence - 10 years for a non violent burglary.
A pacifist's plan to survive the violent world of prison
11–20 of 136 posts
Re: A pacifist's plan to survive the violent world of prison
#12This is a bleak reminder that prisons are a crime against humanity, no deserves to live in constant fear for their own survival. Not only that but prisoners are a very vulnerable population often exploited for labor, medical experiments and general abuse.
I agree there's a lot to be done to reduce the number of prisoners. But at the end of the day, what do you do about members of society who greatly harm others? (murder, rape, etc)? I can't think of any effective solutions which aren't prison, death penalty, or prison-disguised-as-something-else (like a hospital). Maybe exile? What's your philosophy in those cases?
Re: A pacifist's plan to survive the violent world of prison
#13This is a bleak reminder that prisons are a crime against humanity, no deserves to live in constant fear for their own survival. Not only that but prisoners are a very vulnerable population often exploited for labor, medical experiments and general abuse.
And the fact that smoking remains legal indoors in prisons. I get that there would be extra stress from withdrawal for new inmates, but it might let them quit a nasty, expensive habit while they're in. Plus, it's bad for the health of everyone in there, whether they're smoking or not, including the guards; they have no choice in being able to get away from smokers like you would do on the outside.
Re: A pacifist's plan to survive the violent world of prison
#14This is a bleak reminder that prisons are a crime against humanity, no deserves to live in constant fear for their own survival. Not only that but prisoners are a very vulnerable population often exploited for labor, medical experiments and general abuse.
I agree there's a lot to be done to reduce the number of prisoners. But at the end of the day, what do you do about members of society who greatly harm others? (murder, rape, etc)? I can't think of any effective solutions which aren't prison, death penalty, or prison-disguised-as-something-else (like a hospital). Maybe exile? What's your philosophy in those cases?
The way I see this is, prison should not be taken lightly. The cavalier attitude of simply shoving addicts into prison glosses over the gravity of using this option.
There are appropriate use cases for prison, and violence in prison will be inevitable. The very least we can do is take that more seriously, and stop shoving addicts into the same place as violent murderers.
Re: A pacifist's plan to survive the violent world of prison
#15Is it common to house non-violent offenders with ones convicted of violent crimes?
a large portion of the US electorate sees drug users and criminals as inherently violent. It isn't a fact or a conscious choice but rather a belief built from the constant narrative of tough on crime. It is also fundamentally, systematically, and intentionally racist.
I'm wondering what set people off on downvoting your comment, as it's a commonly held view for anybody who has spent more than a small amount of time looking into our justice system, though perhaps shocking to those who have not examined the prison system. Perhaps the contrast between "not a conscious choice" and "intentionally racist"?
Re: A pacifist's plan to survive the violent world of prison
#16One horror is the length of sentence - 10 years for a non violent burglary.
I agree, it's crazy to take away ~1/7th of someone's life - during their most productive years - for theft. Are we to believe that it takes 10 years to "fix" someone of their theft problem? Did it take 10 years for them to form it? I expect in most cases the theft problem would go away at the same time as the drug problem the writer explains they had.
Re: A pacifist's plan to survive the violent world of prison
#17A 6'4" 220 pound pacifist. And he's concerned how he'll fare. What a shitshow we are.
Re: A pacifist's plan to survive the violent world of prison
#18A 6'4" 220 pound pacifist. And he's concerned how he'll fare. What a shitshow we are.
I've read and heard that size doesn't mean anything in prison. If you're a horse you'll just get jumped by 8 dudes. If that fails, next time 10 dudes. It isn't like the movies.
Re: A pacifist's plan to survive the violent world of prison
#19This is a bleak reminder that prisons are a crime against humanity, no deserves to live in constant fear for their own survival. Not only that but prisoners are a very vulnerable population often exploited for labor, medical experiments and general abuse.
And the fact that smoking remains legal indoors in prisons. I get that there would be extra stress from withdrawal for new inmates, but it might let them quit a nasty, expensive habit while they're in. Plus, it's bad for the health of everyone in there, whether they're smoking or not, including the guards; they have no choice in being able to get away from smokers like you would do on the outside.
Sorry but this is ridiculous. Your solution to inmates having crappy lives is to impose even more arbitrary restrictions on them? This would make sense only if they could voluntarily go outside for a smoke whenever they want or go to a special smoking room or whatever.
Re: A pacifist's plan to survive the violent world of prison
#20This is a bleak reminder that prisons are a crime against humanity, no deserves to live in constant fear for their own survival. Not only that but prisoners are a very vulnerable population often exploited for labor, medical experiments and general abuse.
Doesn't this depend a great deal on which prison? I imagine a Dutch prison is very different, for example, but this isn't something I know much about.