Prison life should be more like life outside of prison. Hear me out.
In prison, if you follow the rules, you get privileges.
In prison, if you follow the rules, you get time off your sentence.
In prison, if you follow the rules, the prison administration recognizes you and praises you.
Outside of prison, if you follow the rules, you get NOTHING!
It is my belief that folks get out of prison and do their best to integrate, but when they don’t get the perks and praise they have been conditioned to expect, they rebel and end up back in the big house.
Make prison life more like life outside of prison. You keep your nose clean, you serve your time and get out. You don’t keep your nose clean, we add time to your stay.
The conditioning received in prison is detrimental to survival outside of prison IMO.
I’d move away from prison in general. Ramp up alternative punishments for minor crimes and executions or exile for serious ones.
The number of people that *need* to be locked up but don’t deserve to die can’t be all that great and most of them would be mentally ill.