Prison Myths Debunked

I come across many people in my day to day life who challenge my inquiry into the connection between education and the CJ system. Consistently the issue is raised of why I would think it is important and what a waste it is to think about incorporating education into an incarceration term.  Following are the Top 3 Myths about Incarceration & Education debunked!

INCARCERATION IS A WALK IN THE PARK:  It has been suggested to me that compared to the “harsh realities” of the outside world, prisoners just hang out all day. The idea that incarceration is similar to an extended vacation paid for by the law abiders could not be further from the truth. My eyes were quickly opened to the stories of brutality and the day to day struggles just to survive prison as I strolled through the pages of Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member, and The Black Hand: The Bloody Rise and Redemption of "Boxer" Enriquez, a Mexican Mob Killer.  I was truly unprepared for how rough it can be. It is hard to imagine that anyone could come out a better person than they went in after reading these two first-hand accounts.

EDUCATION IS EASIER IN JAIL:  Wrong again! The prison environment is chaotic at best and very unstable to survive in let alone attempt to succeed academically. Even for a potential student inmate who wants to become educated, prison lockdowns and disturbances continuously interrupt the school curriculum. The environment alone makes any continuity in education seemingly impossible. Students have enough excuses for not going to class or doing homework without the added stress of constant death threats and loyalty negotiations.  Beyond the physical limitations of going to school on the inside, the enormous peer pressure of making the decision to become a better person and “get out of the game” weighs heavy on all who wish to make use of their time served to better themselves.

INMATES HAVE NO RIGHT TO AMMENTITIES: This is the notion that inmates should be able to do nothing more while incarcerated than sit and contemplate what they have done wrong. This means no TV, fitness equipment etc. This is known as the Principle of Least Eligibility which states that “prisoners ought to receive no goods or services in excess of those available to people who have lived within the law. (Clear, 2011)” Although I understand the frustration that we have people on the outside who lack the survival necessities afforded to those who have proven they cannot exist within the constraints of society, the logic behind Least Eligibility does not add up. Without the opportunity to maintain some semblance of normalcy on the inside, how could we possibly expect someone to re-emerge after time served and adapt to life as a potentially rehabilitated individual. If anything, giving the prisoners the tools to become the citizens we expect them to be saves us all time & money in the long run. These people are already incarcerated in a government funded living facility (i.e.jail) it makes sense to build them into self-sufficient individuals prepared to contribute when they are released. 

Incarceration is a double edged sword. Prison is not, nor should be a golfing vacation in the Bahamas, but it should also provide the tools for those incarcerated to succeed on the outside. In a speech by the commissioner of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Brian Fischer remarked that we need to improve the lives of all those affected by incarceration (Fischer, 2009).   The best way to accomplish that is through education.

 

Blatchford, C. (2008). The Black Hand: The Bloody Rise and Redemption of "Boxer" Enriquez, a Mexican Mob Killer. Harper.

Clear, T. R. (2011). American Corrections- Ninth Edition. Belmont: Cengage.

Fischer, B. S. (2009). Remark: Keynote Address. Fordham Urban Law Journal.

Shakur, S. (1993). Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member. Penguin Books.