Shape the Debate

toggle section menu
National
What Is a Crime? Who Is a Criminal?

Do prisons make you feel safe?

What others said

Yes
9%
No
91%
BackShape the Debate

Destin

There is the learned comfort that violent offenders are detained and unable to cause more harm/violence at will, but that "comfort" is greatly overshadowed by the dread that I feel for the individuals who are either wrongly convicted, over-sentenced or only a product of their environment/lack of opportunity.

7:19 PM | June 14, 2022

Randolph woodruff

Prisons are colleges for criminals if you are a lightweight criminal and have done little to no crime and go to jail you will learn how to do crime more efficiently better and be more active in criminal activity than if you'd never went to prison! What's even worse is there's hardly None if there is any Programs to make you a productive member of society. As a young man I was rotated in-and-out of jail over 20 times and over all those times I've been in jail I never learned nothing that would make me a better member of society if anything I learned how to be a stronger more efficient and tougher criminal To me jails are just colleges to breed super criminals and super criminals are not good for society or anyone. And all of prison society should be fined some people incarcerated for the detrimental damage they done to these United States by unleashed super criminals into the world that they basically trained.

6:18 PM | June 12, 2022

Anonymous

Incarcerating individuals who have serious polyvictimization histories has to change. Social workers need to be an respected profession that is mandated in the prisons for the prisoners. The state of jails in Tennesssee is horrific for prisonsers while the privatization of prisons is greed based and no improvements for are forthcoming that supports human rights for those incarcerated.

2:14 PM | January 27, 2022

JJ

They only make more criminals

1:13 PM | November 3, 2021

Dominique

The prison system itself is sustained by practices of suppression, white supremacy and hegemony. Workers/runners of the prison system have done far worse than those imprisoned.

2:14 PM | January 5, 2021

Beth

Prisons don't prevent harm, they just punish people after the laws are allegedly broken. Also frequently people are unjustly convicted or are targeted based on their race or financial status. Prisons create and replicate societal hierarchies, resulting in huge abuses of power. Inmates are subject to rape and additional violence by their wardens as well as by other imprisoned people.

6:18 PM | October 17, 2020

martha

So many people in prison are there for actions or behaviors that have been criminalized while those with white skin and class privilege do not serve for similar offenses. Why should I feel safer when affluent white people-- like the students I teach-- can commit the same crimes and remain in our community? I know that with resources and support, most people will make good lives for themselves. Prisons work hard to dehumanize those they incarcerate. There is no added value to incarcerating the vast majority of people behind bars.

12:12 PM | September 10, 2020

Molly Hults

prisons do not rehabilitate, it can be argued that it causes increased criminality because those released have fewer options for employment.

7:19 PM | August 7, 2020

Stephanie Guy

The more I learn, the more I realize that prisons only function to punish not to reform or make communities safer.

6:18 PM | August 6, 2020

Maeve

While those who commit crimes, particularly those of a violent nature, need to be dealt with in some measure (punishment/rehabilitation depending on context), I do not feel that prisons rehabilitate those who might need it and punishes everyone convicted of many different crimes in the same way, not considering if the punishment is just or fitting.

1:01 AM | August 3, 2020

Pages