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"When I was on death row, I saw a bunch of dead men walking: Solitary"
An inmate who was recently released from death row and later proven innocent shares his harrowing experience of solitary confinement. He describes how his death sentence meant not only the looming threat of execution but also 12 years of isolation without any human contact with loved ones such as his mother, son, and friends. His daily life consisted of receiving meals through a small slot in a steel door and spending up to 24 hours a day alone in a cage the size of a parking spot, often sleeping on a steel bunk. This solitude took a significant toll on his mental health and that of the other 400 prisoners on Texas’ death row, many of whom struggled with their appeals or sought ways to escape their grim reality before facing execution. His story highlights the cruelty and injustice of solitary confinement, which serves as a double punishment for those already condemned to death for crimes they may not have committed.
Angela Davis’s book Are Prisons Obsolete? offers a critique of the prison system, exposing its deep-rooted flaws. Davis argues that prisons are inherently flawed institutions that perpetuate social injustices, particularly racism and classism, rather than effectively addressing crime or rehabilitation. She calls for the abolition of prisons altogether, advocating for transformative justice and community-based support systems as more humane and effective alternatives.
While Davis calls for the total dismantling of the prison system, I take a different approach. Rather than completely abolishing the system, I believe it is possible to improve and reform it to better serve the interests of both prisoners and society. By maintaining the system and making targeted changes, we can address the challenges Davis highlights.
Incentives play a crucial role in the effectiveness of any system, including prisons. For-profit prisons can be beneficial when there is competition and choice in the industry.
By tying profits to the quality of the prisoner experience, the success of reform programs, and reduced recidivism rates, prisons can be motivated to provide better services and rehabilitation opportunities. Whether for-profit or non-profit, financial incentives drive improvement and innovation. My proposal centers on abolishing solitary confinement, which is an inhumane and counterproductive practice that exacerbates mental health issues and contributes to recidivism. Eliminating solitary confinement would create a more humane environment and promote a fairer justice system. Such changes can significantly improve the lives of prisoners and staff alike.
Instead of completely dismantling the system, I believe it’s more prudent to focus on fixing issues within the existing framework. By making subtle changes that enhance people's lives, we can improve the system without causing disruption. Disrupting the entire system could create unforeseen problems in society. Therefore, our focus should be on implementing meaningful reforms to strike a balance between humane treatment and financial motivations. This approach offers a more sustainable path toward a safer and more just society.
Striking a balance between humane treatment and financial motivations could prevent us from repeating the mistakes of the past, where profit overshadowed human dignity, as seen during the era of slavery in the 18th century. By focusing on a system that benefits all parties involved, we can work toward a safer and more just society.
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