http://www.keepbailing.com/2009/04/beautiful-prison-makes-me-want-to-go-to-jail/ Keeping your head above water and your butt out of jail Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:39:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.keepbailing.com/2009/04/beautiful-prison-makes-me-want-to-go-to-jail/comment-page-1/#comment-357 Ryan Wed, 17 Nov 2010 08:25:34 +0000 http://www.keepbailing.com/?p=311#comment-357 I think the Prison in Austria is a step in the right direction as far as philosophies of the prison go. Its glass and steel structure potentially allows for a separation from society, but not an isolation. This is critical when trying to reform prisoners and give them the means to succeed in re-entering the outside world. I dont see it as an incentive for "would-be criminals," but I do see it as a building that breaks down barriers between criminals and ordinary members of society. The problem with the existing prison system is in the recidivism rates, where in the US, 66 percent of released prisoners end up back in jail within a year. The existing prisons are not functioning as programs for reforming the prisoner, but are only punishing them by stripping basic freedoms. If prisoners had the means to become educated, like in Leoben, they may change their ways and their thoughts about prison. They wouldn't be thinking, "I dont want to ever go back to prison because my experience was so unbearable," but they would now be thinking, "I DO want to be an active member of society, and I want to do good for my community." This change is only possible if prisoners are given the opportunity to change, which can be done with educational programs, spiritual programs, vocational skills programs, as well as psychological and mental health programs, since many prisoners suffer from mental illnesses. I think the Prison in Austria is a step in the right direction as far as philosophies of the prison go. Its glass and steel structure potentially allows for a separation from society, but not an isolation. This is critical when trying to reform prisoners and give them the means to succeed in re-entering the outside world. I dont see it as an incentive for “would-be criminals,” but I do see it as a building that breaks down barriers between criminals and ordinary members of society. The problem with the existing prison system is in the recidivism rates, where in the US, 66 percent of released prisoners end up back in jail within a year. The existing prisons are not functioning as programs for reforming the prisoner, but are only punishing them by stripping basic freedoms. If prisoners had the means to become educated, like in Leoben, they may change their ways and their thoughts about prison. They wouldn’t be thinking, “I dont want to ever go back to prison because my experience was so unbearable,” but they would now be thinking, “I DO want to be an active member of society, and I want to do good for my community.” This change is only possible if prisoners are given the opportunity to change, which can be done with educational programs, spiritual programs, vocational skills programs, as well as psychological and mental health programs, since many prisoners suffer from mental illnesses.

]]> http://www.keepbailing.com/2009/04/beautiful-prison-makes-me-want-to-go-to-jail/comment-page-1/#comment-35 Matt Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:36:20 +0000 http://www.keepbailing.com/?p=311#comment-35 Agreed....We would never want to make prison an ideal destination for a would-be criminal....especially on the tax-payer dime. I'm all in favor of more tent cities like in Arizona. Let's be humane to detainees, but lets not pander at the same time. Agreed….We would never want to make prison an ideal destination for a would-be criminal….especially on the tax-payer dime. I’m all in favor of more tent cities like in Arizona. Let’s be humane to detainees, but lets not pander at the same time.

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