Is This Punishment???

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Sometimes, I can’t help but think of the prison system. All over the world, or at least in major prisons of the world, we always hear about the inhumane treatments that prisoners are subjected to. Human rights are left at the gates of the prison, dignity is nonexistent, and inmates are put through the worst experiences there. They suffer from staff and other inmates as well.

They lack adequate healthcare, they have a problem with overpopulation, and their meals are nothing to write home about. The list just goes on and on, these are basically the tenets of a regular prison system. That’s what makes it so traumatic because while it rehabilitates some, it also scars others for life. And upon their reintroduction to society, it will only be a matter of time before they commit another crime and end up right back in prison.

Just the mere idea of prison is already scary, experiencing it will be one of the worst things that can happen to a person, because it will always remain in your mind. But then, I ask myself, what if prisons were actually what they were supposed to be? What if prisons were clean and neat places with enough spaces for criminals, and they got three square meals that were rich in vitamins and minerals? What if the only right they were denied was their right to free movement, but everything else was given to them?

Will that still feel like a punishment? Don’t forget, while rehabilitation might be the end goal of sentences, the main point of sending them to prison is for them to actually be punished for their crime. And punishments are not meant to be enjoyed. And also, remember that this good life the prisoners will be enjoying will be fully funded by the taxpayers themselves, many of whom are survivors of victims, or victims themselves.

Because when you think about it, a prison acting humanely will simply be like when you ground a child and stop them from going out. They’d still have access to all the toys in the house, and even if you withhold the toys from them, they’d still have a comfy bed to sleep on or books to read or space to just exist. And even better, they’d have privacy.

Honestly, I don’t know how survivors or families of victims feel knowing that their taxes are going into taking care of the people who killed or hurt their loved ones. Imagine you as a grieving parent, struggling to make ends meet, and from the little money you make, you pay taxes, and part of that tax is then used to feed, clothe, and house your daughter’s killer. And what’s the killer doing? Nothing! Just chilling in Cell Block A, lying in bed, joking with other inmates…

Now, I’m not trying to call for anything at all. I’m just talking about what I think about these things. You have to let authorities handle criminal cases and let the court and prison systems handle the punishments, and you also have to pay your taxes, or you’d find yourself in the same prison. But then, I ask, is the harsh prison system deliberate? Are they actively making the inmates suffer (both from the staff and other inmates) because that may be the only way they get true justice? If prison systems treated their inmates as they were supposed to, would we rightly say that justice is being served?

Honestly, I don’t know. Because as much as you want these guys to suffer, it won’t be fair to others who committed less serious crimes. And even worse, those who are imprisoned for something they have no knowledge of.

Crazy things are happening!

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_{Thank you for reading. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below, I would love to know what you’re thinking. Till we meet in the next post.}

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_{N.B: All images used in this post are mine. The thumbnail was designed using Canva.}

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