The Prison Institution

Prisons are archaic and barbaric places designed to correct behavior of members of society by removing these persons who have committed some crime against society and placing them in dormitory type of cages.  The problem is that young criminals are then taught how to be better criminals, even if the person incarcerated wants to be a productive member of society. Once the criminal has been released from prison, he is put back into the environment he came from with no new skills on how to make a living. He has been taught only how not to get caught again. But he does, and is thrown back into prison beginning a cycle of recidivism.  If the purpose of prison is to correct the behavior of undesirable persons to be productive members of society, why do we take a crew to the side of the road to pick up trash usually in the hot sun? Or they may have to do janitorial duties, or washing dishes in the kitchen, or in the laundry.  While these jobs are noble, and someone has to do them, there are not too many calls for janitors, or trash pickers in society.  And if the person has a criminal record following them about, many employers are reluctant to hire them because of the past behavior.  Many employers are aware that ex-convicts have no skills, and would just as soon as steal again as work for a living.  The prison has failed the convict but society demands that criminals be isolated away from the people and so prisons continue because  prisons continue to produce the same results according to Michel Foucault, by isolating and organizing in an enclosed and penetrable setting.