What’s the purpose of prisons?

Look at the following five purposes of prisons.

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  1. Secure = people can't get in or out
  2. Punishment = justice is achieved
  3. Comfortable = prisoners are at ease
  4. Safe = nobody is in danger
  5. Reformative = prisoners learn how to be better citizens

Comments (475)

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  • Noone can deny that prisons are essential for the enforcement of social justice and peace. In order for a prison to be considered prestigious with fair and accurate judgement, it has to meet some specifications which play a catalytic role in the administration of equitableness and generally the proper function of this specifical prison. To begin with, in my perspective, i believe that prison officers has to prioritise several purposes more than others. Initially, the maintenance of securement and safety is the number one priority that prisons needs to have, as it consists the main manner to ensure that nobody is in danger and moreover that people can't escape. This can be achieved, if prison officer take their job seriously and the impose perpetual monitoring to make sure that prisons behave the desired way. Furthermore, punishment is the second priority prisons must have. They have to inflict penalts as a retribution for an offensive. This is the only way for justice to be achieved. Nevertheless, there is one purpose that prisons should prioritise the least and that is comfortableness. It is obvious that if a person commits an outrageous murder, the court will undeniably need to impose the corresponding penalty. So, it goes without saying that confortableness is the least priority prison officers bare with.

    1. Hello
      I also think like you because prisions are essential to have good life because if bad people are around us we can suffer a lot

      1. Hello!
        I agree with you because you can be in danger if you are near the most dangerous criminals in the world and it's not safe to let the prisoners leave the prison.

    2. I agree with you, educated revolution. Justice needs to be served for bad people, however sometimes judges mess up and make a guilty man innocent or an innocent man guilty. Sometimes justice is not served properly, or not served at all. Peace, however, is very important in prisons. If a prison has peace, prisoners would be at ease. If prisoners are at ease, prison staff will be at ease. If prison staff are at ease, then citizens near a prison are at ease. Prison staff should also be more productive, as some of these prisons have dangerous criminals. Maybe if you read my comment, you will think differently. It is important for prisons to manage at ease and for people to be served justice, so everyone must play their part.

  • I think prisons should focus on being reformative, as it helps decrease the number of reoffenders. Focusing on reformation will be expensive for the government, but it will be worth the outcome of prisoners being integrated back into society. Prisoners need this help to understand what consequences their irrational decisions have caused and who has been hurt by their actions. The prisons could achieve this reformation by providing therapy sessions for the prisoners or support groups with both people in the prison and past offenders who have turned their life around due to the program and the help they recieved.
    I think the purpose they should prioritise least is comfortable because if prisons become a luxury people will start going because it is nice. However I don't think they should be unsanitary, the prisoners should receive the minimum while still giving them a livable amount of food. It is important that prisoners realise that if you do something bad or illegal you don't get rewarded for your actions.

    1. you make some excellent points accurate outcome, well done. Why do you think focusing on reformation will be expensive for the government?

      1. I think that in the short term it will be expensive to reform prisoners, the government will have to pay for criminal psychologists and people to run group sessions for prisoners. However in the long term it has proven to be cheaper like in Sweden. Sweden's number of offenders in prison has dropped from 5700 to 4500 in the last year. This is a small number compared to their population of 9.5 million people. This decrease in prisoners has allowed them to close four of their prisoners due to their low reoffending rates. Their prison system focuses on reformation.

        Sources : Prison reform trust

        1. Hi accurate_outcome you are right.
          But, I think that money has nothing to do with reforms. Reformation is a form of character education. And it is not money for education but conscience. If the prison officials motivate the prisoners mentally and make them work hard. Then, prisoners can easily become honest people. I think it won't cost that much. Hope you understand. But don't forget to respond to my comments.
          THANKS.

        2. I agree with you that it will cost a fortune to reform prisoners but i think it would be a worthy investment to have people sent to prison for various crimes committed coming out as expert cooks, fashion designers, bakers, carpenters, painters etc. They will improve the workforce the nation and of the income as well.
          Having been reformed, they can even help reform other prisoners thereby reducing crime rate as seen in the case of Sweden.

  • It sends chills to my spine to find out that "Fito" could make his way out of a maximum prison. This could either mean that there was a personal arrangement to let him escape or the prison officers let their guards down.
    To me, I would say the top purpose of prison is for 'Reformative' purpose. The meaning of Reform means to improve a behavior in a system, organization or amongst individuals. It means that people who have been held in custody due to certain vices need to undergo reformations so as to make them better citizens and contributors to their nation. Prisions are meant to teach people who have committed a crime a lesson so as to prevent them from continuing the act and make them turn a new leaf.
    In my opinion, the least that should be prioritise inprisons should be the comfort of prisoners. How can one be called a prisoner and yet left to enjoy certain comfort? Then what is the essence of having them in a confined space? That means if the comfort level is top notch,then there would be more criminals because they will still feel at home in prisions.
    Finally, the safety of inmates should be put in check,because in most prisions, people loss their lives due to bullying from other inmates who see themselves superior to others. A lot of them are treated badly and subjected to harsh living conditions because the prision officers don't stay with them in their cell. Some others form their own gangs and make life a living hell for other inmates. They are meant to be safe and protected from harm while in custody, till they serve their jail term or any punishment melted to them by the law.

    1. I disagree because reformative approach can be a bit risky in fact a lot risky. As Fito actually escaped from a high security prison due join back with his gang and continue his illegal activities as well as hostages of police officers etc. On this aspect I would like to refer to Erich Fromm saying "Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction." This is exactly why many criminals even after jailtime are not able to change their goals as the greed they have gotten from doing these activities is now greater than their self-restraint and due to their greed and connections many criminals do not give attention to the values of society and continue to be on the 'terrible' path they chose.
      Correct me if I am wrong, I am open for questions.

      1. I disagree because if we teach the prisoners to be better citizen then , they would not even think about escaping . In my opinion prison is the place that is not only used for punishment but also to make sure that the citizen who made the mistake will never repeat it again ,So the main objective of the prison is reformation ." It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones .
        --Nelson Mandela ---
        Thank you.

        1. Hey brave_plantain,
          I completely agree with you. Prison is not just about punishing criminals but we also need to focus on reforming the criminals and helping them evolve into better people because if we do not try to reform the prisoners after they serve their sentence in prison they might just decide to return to their life of crime and then we would not achieve anything by sending criminals to prisons. But reforming and rehabilitating prisoners makes them changed people and when they are done serving their life sentence they might decide to be productive and might even make great impacts or changes in society. An example of a reformed ex-convict is the famous comedian and actor, Tim Allen who was arrested in Michigan for possession of cocaine. He was charged with drug trafficking and was paroled on June 12, 1981 after serving 2 years and 4 months in Federal Correctional Institution, Sandstone. After he served his sentence he turned his life around and made a glorious come back as one of America's favorite comedic actors.

          1. Do you think it was right that Tim Allen was given a second chance?

            1. Hi Olivia,
              I feel it was right that Tim Allen was given a second chance after he served His time in jail because I feel everyone really deserves a chance at redemption. Just imagine if Tim Allen hadn't been given a second chance to redeem himself, after all when he was done serving his sentence he decided to give up his life of crime. But imagine if people in the entertainment industry rejected him and chose not to give him a second chance he would not be where he is right now maybe he might have just decided to return to his life of crime and all the effort put in to reform him by the prisons would have been all in vain.

              Also your question got me thinking and then I realized. As individuals we should try our best not to discriminate ex-convicts and we should actually give them a chance to redeem themselves because if we continue to discriminate and criticize them we might as well just push them to return to their life of crime and all the efforts put in by prisons to reform and evolve the prisoners so they would be better people by the time they are done serving their sentence will all be futile.

              1. I agree because... not giving people a second chance only hardens them and make them more likely to repeat a mistake. Chances play a vital role in changing people and in the case of prison sentencing criminals for a specific amount of time (i.e. not longer than 1 year) so that they can go and fix what they have done wrong.

                Thankyou.

                1. Hello glad_outcome,
                  I couldn't have said it any better, everyone deserves a second chance and everyone should be given a chance to redeem themselves, judging ex-convicts and criticizing them is really unfair. Ex-convicts should not be judged or criticized because prison is a correctional institute, people are sent there in order to come to the realization that they did wrong and although it might be strict, it was created to help criminals realize that their actions are hurting the people around them and they need to be disciplined. Prison is not some kind of hell it is a correctional institute and just because someone was in prison does not give other people the right to judge, discriminate or criticize him because prisons are just a stern method of reprimanding someone who has done wrong but when convicted criminals are done serving their sentence they would come out reformed people, so they should be given a chance to redeem themselves and prove to others that they are now better people.

                  1. I stand with you on this point based on the fact that the way you treat people affects the way they will behave. When people do bad things and they are arrested, yes justice should be shown but we should tamper justice with mercy. Look for a way to improve their life's so that when they come out, they will also impact on people and learn from their mistakes. Just like Vernon Howard said, "The great solution to all human problems is individual inner transformation."

                    1. Hi thankful olive,
                      I strongly disagree with you because, if prisoners are treated with mercy they may become more comfortable and end up committing the same crime. like in the case in Ecuador, "Fito" the prisoner was able to break out of prison because he was allowed to be very comfortable to the extend of decorations in his prison room and also accessing cell phones and this is not meant to be so. And maybe with the help of the cell phones he was able contact his gang members. so, I think prisoners should be punished according to their crimes so that justice can be achieved. I also suggest that prisoners should be released when there is a great change in them. I'm open to questions. thanks.

                      1. I agree because...prisons in Ecuador were not well run and that why he was able to escape. I think there should be more security because like Ecuador many prisoners have many chances to escape. Prisoners shouldn't be given a second chance. In my view, each prisoner should get the punishment appropriate to the crime they committed; there should be no second chances for inmates.

                    2. Hello thankful olive, thank you for your point but ,l would like to strongly object the point you raised stating that it is the way that we treat people that causes them do behave in a such a way that they do. After a strong analysis you only supported your point from one point of view and that was the positive aspect of it. Yes ,you can be the kindest person you wish to be but is that really it? Don't you think that being a bit nice will let these prisoners take advantage of the soft spot they see in you? Just imagine being Fitu , you are already a certified criminal right? Now tell me, what small obstacle could come your way such that you fear carrying more malicious acts? Exactly, l thought as much. Being nice will just promote comfortability and to your surprise the prisons are no longer functioning in the way they are supposed to. We will just experience more crimes and honestly there will be no direction for us as a nation.

                      1. Hello great raspberry,
                        What an interesting point you've made here, I do see where you are coming from and just like I said before, no amount of punishment you give to an offender will change he's mind as far as he has set up his mind to continue doing what is wrong. And also, when you are nice to people especially criminals, there is a certain limit that it should reach. If not, they overstay their welcome. So, I actually support the point you made here but look at it as we are all humans and no matter the evil we have committed, there is still room to change. And it depends on how we are treated. Some people just want to know if they could still be accepted so I think at some point we all deserve mercy.

                      2. I agree. It is only in the 2% cases of psychopaths that Criminals are born. Criminals otherwise, are just a creation of society. They are forced to become evil minded, heartless, ruthless villains that hurt others. But now they are criminals! We can only blame social systems so far. But once a criminal is convicted, proven to be guilty, in most cases, he is beyond the stage of reformation. Being kind will only allow criminals to use you. They no longer have conscience. Thus, hospitality towards criminals, as an apology, for the former social system, as an apology for having made them "Criminals" will only lead to creation of more criminals. People will start losing the fear of justice system and crime will become rampant, because they know, that jailors and judges are kind and lenient. People will not be afraid of going because hey, how different is it from our normal lives?
                        it is proven in history that as time has continued to progress, Kindness has not reformed people for the better, but allowed them to exploit the kind. It is one of the primary reasons why the dominance of few keeps on growing - they don't care to repay kindness, they use it.
                        Hence, I believe the prison system must instil fear in the hearts of prisoners instead of a sense of comfort and relaxation.

                        1. Hello enthusiastic_honeydew, you seem to have a strong opinion about this topic. What, if anything, could change your mind about this? Do you think all criminals would treat kindness in this way?

                          1. Hey Hemma!
                            I am not sure if anything could exactly change my mind about the fact that Crime would definitely increase in the presence of extreme kindness.
                            Not all, but most criminals would treat kindness this way. Very rare have reformed. But these rare are not all.
                            Most criminals turn to crime because of any of these 2 reasons -

                            1) They are compelled to do so due to some inevitable circumstances
                            2) It gives them pleasure

                            Those who are compelled to will not give up crime even in the face of kindness because they CAN'T! It is their only source of livelihood. They have responsibilities towards people they love, responsibilities than can only be fulfilled with Crime. Thus, while these people will be grateful for the kindness, they will only exploit them further. They will not change their ways.

                            Those who seek pleasure in crime will only seek more pleasure in using this offered kindness, comfort for their own advantage. They will simply let themselves run free, unbridled now, more so than ever.

                            What I mean to say, is a general statement:
                            "Crime will run rampant if too much kindness is there."

                            Most criminals will exploit it, use it, they will turn worse before kindness.

                        2. I disagree because.... Giving a prisoner is a second chance is a bad idea, because each day they will commit and new crime, and if they feel that everyday they will commit a new and they will be given a second chance crime will more and more bandits. Take a look at a country like Netherlands they don't have prisons isn't it amazing?

                          1. It is fantastic how you explained your answer well but unfortunately, I don't agree. I disagree because everyone deserves a second chance. Providing prisoners with a second opportunity gives them a chance to change their ways and become a part of society again. While they are in prison, access to education, job training, and counseling programs can help them deal with the root causes of their criminal behavior and develop the necessary skills and support systems to live a productive life once they are released. Studies have proven that rehabilitation and reentry programs can greatly reduce the chances of prisoners committing crimes again after they are released. By addressing issues like substance abuse, mental health problems, lack of education or job skills, and social isolation, second chances can break the cycle of crime and imprisonment, benefiting both individuals and communities.

                    3. Hey thankful olive
                      It is good to temper justice with mercy but my question is when all prisoners are given comfort to make them feel guilty and change their life, do you really think all the prisoners will change?

                      1. Hello unbiased planet,
                        that's a good question. Now you see as we are all human, we are also different. Not everyone has the same type of mindset. Everything is based on your mindset and the way you want to live. When I say temper justice with mercy, there is a limit to the comfort you give especially to prisoners. Temper justice with mercy. You will still treat the prisoner as a human, show the prisoner that because he has a stain, does not mean he is forever filthy, they may see there selves as very horrible people. Show them there is more to it than that, etc. But still let justice be served.

                  2. I strongly disagree with you because, it is not all prisoners that deserves a second chance because some prisoners take it as another means of committing more crimes which may put the environment in more harm than good. So I think that it's best to see alot of improvement before letting them go.
                    Now I think you understand me.
                    THANKS.

                    1. I disagree because... Giving a prisoner a second chance means making them reformative in a community, consider the story of shaka Senghor, who turned his life around after serving time in prison and he is now an advocate for criminal justice reform and mentorship. Also the case of susan Burton, As she transformed her life after being imprisoned and later founded organizations to help formerly incarcerated women reintegrate into society. All I'm saying is that prisoners should be given a second chance to be reformated.
                      Thank you

                  3. jubilant accordion
                    I agree because... you have stated valid points and I will like to add a little more to it.
                    Firstly, I would say that prison is not a place where criminals are to discriminated. Prisoners are to be given freedom to interact with other citizens, and not isolated after released from prison.

                  4. I strongly agree because... second chances are supposed to be given to everyone. We citizens break lots of relevant and irrelevant rules and if every single mistake is taken seriously I don't know anyone who would not be in prison. We citezens break rules like no littering, go when the green
                    light is shown, don't drive without a license etc. And you never know some
                    people in prison might not have committed a crime but might have been a suspect. It is good records of prisoners are been tracked so if they break the second chance they would have to go through severe consequence. Take this scenario. Someone has been taken to prison for jewellry theft. The person will now know how horrific prison could be and would never committ a crime again so they wouldn't end up in prison.

                2. Hi
                  What if you give a very dangerous criminal a second chance and let him go into the city what do you think will happen

                  1. Well that was a critical question confident_construction. but in my own opinion, I think that if you give a very dangerous criminal a second chance and let him go into the city, I think the criminal will continue getting worst by the day because the criminal will use the second chance as an excuse or opportunity to commit another offense that might cause more harm than good in the country and society.

                  2. I think that if this happend without a strong correction in the prision the prisionero will continue doing bad things

                3. I agree because... Giving people a second chance is important because it:
                  1. Leads to positive outcomes.
                  2. Help citizens learn from their mistakes.
                  3. Enables them to become productive community members.
                  4. Empowers better choices.
                  5. Fosters forgiveness and empathy.
                  In conclusion, offering second chances embraces growth and redemption for those who made mistakes. Thank You 👍

                4. It is better to give prisoners a second chance than to make a prisoner stay in a prison, just because they did something wrong doesn't mean that they should not have a second chance. Everybody deserves a second chance no matter if you are an inmate or you are a lawbreaker you still deserve a second chance. But people's actions actually harm the society it is not good to break laws but nobody should have to serve life imprisonment just because he stole something or transported something illegally. It is not good but everyone should have a second chance, even the criminals.
                  THANK YOU.

              2. I agree because...
                Yes everyone deserves a second chance of redemption.
                But i also think some of this convicts should be guided by some mental assistance by counsellors so that the thought of commiting crime would and completely disappear and also because of the horrors of prison
                Like the fighting and the punishments and also the kind of people they meet in jail.

                Thank you

                1. Yes, I correlate with you here. See for example, a lion goes out attacking people and causing mayhem and the lion is captured and locked in a cage and after some time, without mental assistance in any form, the Lion is set out again to everyone. I don't think any impact was made there. When people are arrested, they should have assistance psychologically, mentally, emotionally, etc. They should receive help. Because rules in a place are made to be followed and not to be broken. So, I don't think it normal for a human to get up and start breaking rules. There is obviously a reason so they should be helped.

                2. I completely agree with you! Offering mental assistance and counseling to individuals who have committed crimes can be incredibly beneficial. It helps address the underlying issues that may have contributed to their actions and provides them with the support they need to make positive changes in their lives. It's important to create an environment that focuses on rehabilitation and helping individuals reintegrate into society, rather than just punishment. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

            2. I believe that Tim Allen deserved a second chance and when he had the chance he displayed a good example showing that everyone could change but it just depends on their mindset, and that prisons aren't supposed to be terrible and torturing places but reformative and rehabilitative centres to help turn one's life around from a life of crime.
              THANK YOU!!!

              1. I completely agree with you and I couldn't have said it any better. Tim Allen is a perfect example of how prison can completely reform criminals into better people. Prison gave him a chance to reflect on his actions and through the discipline he received in prison he became a better person and immediately he was released he decided to redeem himself and prove to everyone that he is now a changed person. He put his past behind him and decided he wanted to be a better person. Prison helped him realize that he did wrong and that he could right his wrongs by becoming a better person and desisting from his life of crime. This is proof of how prison is just an area for discipline, reformation and rehabilitation and not a place for torture or torment. Prison is not some kind of hell, it is just a correctional institute created to make criminals better people.

              2. Hello wondrous_mode!
                I agree with you and think that the life of Tim Allen is a testament that prisoners can change and that prisoners are reformative places, instead of torture centers in which they are taught of being, and as you said a change of mindset is needed to turn away from a life of crime. This can only be possible if the prisoners are treated humanely and given a sense of still having a life to live. One of the major purposes of prison is not only to serve justice but it is to teach the offender about living a life outside prison, so rather than looking at them as bad people and offenders we should see them as people who if given the right platforms and opportunities could change the lives of many people for good and become better people in the society
                Thank You!!!

            3. In regards to whether it was right to give Tim Allen a second chance, I think everyone deserves a second opportunity. Tim Allen have had some controversial moments in the past after having been at the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport for possession of over 650 grams (1.43 lb) of cocaine and after serving two years and four months in Federal correctional institution, but if he has shown genuine remorse and made efforts to change, I think it’s was safe to consider paroling him, after all we all make mistakes, some might be worse than others but what really matters is how we rectify our mistakes. Plus, forgiveness and redemption are important values in our society.

            4. I didn't think it was right for Tim Allen to get a second chance because everybody does things wrong and need to learn from their actions. I don't believe in second chances, as I have grown up I heard a lot you do the crime you do the time. However I believe if he was sorry the first time he wouldn't have done it again..

              1. I disagree.
                I believe second chances is a relatively subjective matter, that depends on the extent to which one was wrong and how apologetic one is.
                While some people do not deserve a second chance, it would not be fair to deny second chances to everyone. Some crimes are just too heinous to be forgiven, and these people are punished rightfully by life-imprisonments. To say, they lose their 2nd chances.
                But those who can cope with a prison and reform, deserve a new chance at life. These people are ready to start over. So their opportunity for a second chance should not be taken away from them.
                Tim Allen did not get a 2nd chance in the form of his sentence being shortened. He suffered the same as all prisoner's. He got a second chance before he readily reformed.
                So everyone deserves a 2nd chance, after they have borne the punishment they deserve and are truly willing to change.
                No one should suffer more than he deserves. But the opposite is true as well. No one should suffer less than he  deserves.

            5. I agree because prison should mostly be about reformation, as people need to made better for society. If this had not been the case then we would have more fugitives to deal with as normally most people are affected by what they interact with and what they go through personally. if some people ended up living without their parents because they were executed for petty crimes that could have been rehabilitated then what's to say they themselves would not end up becoming criminals? So it was right that Tim Allen was given a second chance because he ended up becoming a good influence on others and a great example to people that they could really change and turn their lives around for the better.

            6. Hi Olivia,
              The way I understand it humans change, that is why it was the right decision to give Tim Allen a second chance, because after prison he had a benefit on the lives of so many people.

            7. Yes definitely a person deserves a second chance this is the basic right of a person. If this chance had not been given to Tim Allen after he was released from prison he would again started his addictions. A similar live example in front of us of Robert Downey Jr. He was addicted to drugs but the director of Marvel gave him a second chance and now he is the highest-paid actor at Marvel. The Second Chance is the Golden key to make a person better. This example teaches how a person can be changed if he gets a second chance.

            8. Hello Olivia,
              To be honest I don't think it's a bad idea to give prisoners or criminals a second chance to develop themselves or grow. No one in the world was born as a criminal . circumstances lead them towards that direction. Research has repeatedly shown that those who become criminals often have a traumatic past in childhood where they may have been or were abused. Therefore it's fair to say that the environment that they grow up in was never suitable for them to grow as a normal human being. But In the Tim Allen case, a public figure is accused of doing something illegal and we have to understand if the person feels bad or regrets his actions because a second chance can be given to those who show remorse and are willing to improve . Tim Allen, like many people in the public eye, has faced controversy and setbacks during his career. Whether someone deserves a second chance is often subjective and depends on a variety of factors, such as the nature of the misconduct, the individual's subsequent conduct, and public perception. Because he's already been punished and spent a long time in jail, I think it's only fair that he comes out and get a second chance as a new member of society. But in the case of second chance you have to consider that all criminals are nit forgivable and in some cases criminals have to face the consequences of their actions

              1. I definitely agree with you. Many criminals have tragic backstories. They might have been abused and neglected in their childhood. They might have been too poor to even afford food. I believe that no child should be going through such things. Sometimes, there might be 2 children, both with potential. However, one is raised in a kind and welcoming family while the other one is raised in a toxic environment. What happens when they grow up? The first one is more likely to achieve his/her dreams. The second one might develop a bad attitude towards the world and is very likely to commit crimes. All while they both had the same potential, maybe even the same ambition. What mattered was the environment they grew up in. So, maybe we could somehow lower the crime rate, by solving these root problems. Poverty is one huge problem. It is the root cause of many issues. In some cases, the parents can't afford to even raise their children, so they have to give them up for adoption. If no one wishes to adopt them, then they will be sent to an orphanage. That's another issue. Most of the orphanages around the world treat kids so badly. Many of the children there face unimaginable things. Their education there isn't too good either. No wonder so many grow up to do exactly what we don't want them to. For them, it is the only way of surviving. Unfortunately, some of them even grow up to have some hard feelings towards other people that have been in friendlier environments during their lives. Most importantly, it is not their fault. It is the way they grew up and the lack of opportunities that they had. I think that with more commitment, we could give these unfortunate kids a fair chance to a more fulfilling life. Do we want less crime? Then let's eliminate these root problems. What do you think?

                1. Hey marvellous_hedgehog
                  I firmly believe that children thrive in a safe environment. The environment in which children grow up plays a vital role in shaping their mentality and personality. Therefore, there is a need to acknowledge and prioritize the creation of a nurturing environment. While I recognize that not all problems can be easily solved and not all crime can be eradicated from society, I firmly believe in the potential for change and the ability to reduce the occurrence of such problems. By addressing the root causes of these crimes, and focusing specifically on the developmental experiences of children, we have a significant opportunity to have a profound impact on the future of society and the lives of individuals. Giving disadvantaged children equal opportunities to live more fulfilling lives is vital. If our real goal is to reduce crime rates, it is crucial to address these underlying issues. By addressing issues such as poverty, lack of education, and inadequate support systems, we can create a more just and equitable society where individuals have the resources and support they need to thrive. This proactive approach benefits not only these children, but the well-being and safety of society as a whole.

          2. I agree because... All prisons aim is to change a criminal to an individual who is fit for the society. A prison wouldn't just keep a person hostage in other words away from their loved ones. If a prison is not able to reformate a person then the aim of a prison has been defeated. People are kept away from their loved ones because they can cause harm to the society.

            1. Exactly, prisons were created for a purpose, originally prisons were created to detain prisoners awaiting trial or capital punishment but the concept of using prisons for reformation and rehabilitation came about in the 18th century. The idea was to provide prisoners an opportunity to reflect on their actions and to be disciplined. The purpose of the correctional system right now is mainly for retribution, deterrence, incapacitation and rehabilitation. Prison is not a place for torture, the government system aims to achieve a certain objective by sentencing criminals to jail and to be honest I am completely in support of this correctional system because I feel if every prison decides to aim at reforming and rehabilitating their prisoners then most prisoners will come out of jail reformed people. Prison is not a place for abuse or maltreatment it was created to rehabilitate and discipline criminals.

              1. Hi, jubiliant accordion,l disagree. That prisoners should be given second chances as this will motivate them to commit more crimes which is dangerous to a country or state . according to the few points i have, as "fito" the prisoner in Ecuador have escaped, Ecuador is in a dangerous situation if I must say because him escaping from prison means him committing more crimes,so I strongly disagree with prisoners given a second chance. Thanks.

                1. Do you believe that all crimes committed are equally as serious? If so, why?

                  1. Hi Molly O,
                    I disagree that all crime is equally serious than another, a crime such as fraud is way less serious as compared to murder.
                    In conclusion all crimes committed are all not equally as serious to the other.

                    1. I disagree because... When we think of prisons, it often conjures up images of a dark and foreboding place where evil lurks. However, the true purpose of prisons remains largely unknown to many. Allow me to clarify what prisons are actually intended for.

                      Prisons are actually built for retribution and servers as a punishment for wrong doing and time spent in prison is decided by the severity of the crime committed, if so sever it will in most cases lead to life imprisonment

                      Moving on, prisons serve as a warning to those willing to do the same telling them or informing them what is at stake if they go against the law and also servers as justice to the victims , I also think that prisons in addition also helps separate the criminals from the open world preventing the build up of cases and anxiety in people .

                      Prisons in all are there to serve as a place for redemption,deterrence and punishment, I personally think prisoner shouldn’t be judged by their actions but be encouraged to live a better life style in order to make the world a better place because they are just like us everyone makes mistakes but everyone has a second chance.

                      And now to the main topic the priority of prison officers is to make sure no one gets in out to secure the prisoners don’t have any access to weapons and stuff.

                  2. Hi Molly O,
                    I disagree that all crime is equally serious than another, a crime such as fraud is way less serious as compared to murder.
                    In conclusion all crimes committed are all not equally as serious to the other.

                    1. I disagree because... When we think of prisons, it often conjures up images of a dark and foreboding place where evil lurks. However, the true purpose of prisons remains largely unknown to many. Allow me to clarify what prisons are actually intended for.

                      Prisons are actually built for retribution and servers as a punishment for wrong doing and time spent in prison is decided by the severity of the crime committed, if so sever it will in most cases lead to life imprisonment

                      Moving on, prisons serve as a warning to those willing to do the same telling them or informing them what is at stake if they go against the law and also servers as justice to the victims , I also think that prisons in addition also helps separate the criminals from the open world preventing the build up of cases and anxiety in people .

                      Prisons in all are there to serve as a place for redemption,deterrence and punishment, I personally think prisoner shouldn’t be judged by their actions but be encouraged to live a better life style in order to make the world a better place because they are just like us everyone makes mistakes but everyone has a second chance.

                      And now to the main topic the priority of prison officers is to make sure no one gets in out to secure the prisoners don’t have any access to weapons and stuff.

                  3. Molly O, when considering whether all crimes are equally serious, it's easy to frame it as an absolute yes or no. However, I do not think that the seriousness of a crime is a one-size-fits-all concept. In this particular case, it is important to determine whether the conduct was reasonable. While it is true that some actions of people with a criminal history can fade from memory and true transformation is possible, we must recognize that some criminal behavior cannot be ignored. While recovery is possible, it is important to recognize the seriousness of some crimes and their lasting impact on society. Although each type of misconduct constitutes a violation, the severity varies based on many variables. In my opinion, crimes that cause serious harm, such as murder or sexual assault, are often viewed as more serious crimes than non-violent crimes, such as theft or traffic violations. The frozen perception is that people emphasize the gravity of violent crimes because they have a huge impact on victims and communities. However, I also recognize the importance of context and individual circumstances. Factors such as emotion, mental state and mitigating circumstances can influence the perception of a serious crime. Also, leaving decisions without considering factors such as grief, likelihood of rehabilitation, and risk of rehabilitation can lead to direct intuition.

                  4. Molly O, when considering whether all crimes are equally serious, it's easy to frame it as an absolute yes or no. However, I do not think that the seriousness of a crime is a one-size-fits-all concept. In this particular case, it is important to determine whether the conduct was reasonable. While it is true that some actions of people with a criminal history can fade from memory and true transformation is possible, we must recognize that some criminal behavior cannot be ignored. While recovery is possible, it is important to recognize the seriousness of some crimes and their lasting impact on society. Although each type of misconduct constitutes a violation, the severity varies based on many variables. In my opinion, crimes that cause serious harm, such as murder or sexual assault, are often viewed as more serious crimes than non-violent crimes, such as theft or traffic violations. The frozen perception is that people emphasize the gravity of violent crimes because they have a huge impact on victims and communities. However, I also recognize the importance of context and individual circumstances. Factors such as emotion, mental state and mitigating circumstances can influence the perception of a serious crime. Also, leaving decisions without considering factors such as grief, likelihood of rehabilitation, and risk of rehabilitation can lead to direct intuition.

                2. Hey thankful_blackcurrant,
                  You make a good point, but you do not seem to get what I'm saying. Prisoners should be given a chance to redeem themselves in the society in the sense that after they are done serving their sentence. They should be given a second chance to prove to the people around them that they are now changed and reformed people. If you say prisoners do not deserve a second chance how exactly will they be able to prove that they are now reformed people and if they are not given a second chance they might as well just return to their life of crime. The least we can do for ex-convicts is to give them a chance to redeem themselves, even though they have done wrong they should be given a chance to prove to the people around them that they are now changed people and have left behind their old lifestyle.

            2. yes, I definitely agree with you that the aims for all prisons is to reformate criminals to become useful people in the society. Their work is not just to hold people hostage to be taken away from their families but instead to transform them into doing good. I also feel that the prisons are not really doing their jobs well because in Nigeria, I heard that most prisoners well being are not taken care of, from their feeding and everything else is nothing to write home about. These prisons are overpopulated and some of those who were convicted of minor cases gets in contact with some hardened criminals and the unconducive situations and contacts in the prison only worsens the situation and some even become hardened criminals when they eventually get released. I believe that jails are there to show everyone the consequences of extremely bad behaviors that are against the law of the nation but I also think that there is so much to do to improve their welfare to achieve positive results in the long run.

              1. That's a very thoughtful view, eloquent_pie. What would you do to improve prisons and the welfare of prisoners?

                1. One thing I feel should be done to improve the welfare of prisoners is that the government should try their possible best to prevent overcrowding in prisons. Overcrowding is a major problem faced in prisons in Ecuador. Ecuador's prison system has been overcrowded for decades. Then prison chief Eduardo Moncayo, said that the Litoral Pennintentiary was the most overcrowded facility in the country with 9000 inmates in a facility designed for 5000 inmates. Overcrowding is one of the major causes of violence in Ecuador prisons. It was reported that CNN found 30 inmates sharing a cell made for 10 inmates in the Ibarra pennintentiary. Due to the overcrowding in the prisons people sleep in the corridors. This is inhumane treatment and unfair treatment even if the inmates are criminals they are still humans and they deserve to be treated like humans. The government should really try and put in effort to build larger prison facilities or they should transfer inmates to other prison facilities if there is insufficient space because it is unfair that prisoners should suffer in prisons due to insufficient space.

                2. According to, The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime thinks that prison reform is necessary to ensure that the human rights of prisoners are protected and their expectations for social re-adaptation increased, in accordance with relevant international and national standards, norms and principles.
                  I want to speak on ways prison could improve the welfare of prisoners which could include:
                  -Prisons should always work on improving and enhancing the welfare of prisoners by organizing reformative and rehabilitative classes to help reform and change their lives from a crime filled one and also build their mindset positively.
                  -Organizing vocational classes to see that one to learn a skill or vocation; prisons should always see to it that a prisoner learns at least a vocation during their sentence to help them to secure job opportunities when released.
                  -Prisons should also always put the health of the inmates in consideration by providing high quality healthcare and endeavor that they live a healthy life while serving their sentence; when considering the health aspect, they shouldn't only be concerned with the physical aspect but also with the mental and psychological aspect of a prisoner.
                  -Prison environment should be conducive for prisoners; prisoners should be able to eat a well-balanced diet to avoid starvation and mortality.
                  -And they should also promote contact with prisoners' and their family member.
                  THANK YOU!!!

            3. I beg to differ because, one can reform another anywhere, but the prison was designed to seperate those who pose a threat to other in the society. The purpose of a prison runs deeper that just changing a person, but it is in fact to work on that person behind the safe and sound prison walls. Some may not ever change their ways due to their mental state or personal values and
              beliefs.
              Yes, people are kept away from their loved ones, but did it ever occur that this is because they have the almost guaranteed tendencies to endanger even the ones they love?

          3. Hello Jubilant_according,
            I agree with you because this is what i've always been trying to say. Prison does not revolve around just getting justice and punishing criminals, but helping them migrate into a better person. If prisons do not attempt to reform prisoners while they're in prison, they will probably might just do something to come back to their crime life and would have not gained anything but prison time again. Prisons actually focus more towards rehabilitating imprisoned people, prisoners can actually get a change and become productive people once they are released from prison. For example, Daniel Manville was imprisoned and then got out and also became a lawyer along with becoming a prison reform advocate. This shows that prison can really change someone if they are dealt with correctly.

            1. Hey dazzling_computer,
              I could not agree more, trying to enforce justice does not just revolve around punishing the criminals but we should also try and put in a conscious effort to reform and revolve the prisoners because some criminals might just become jailbirds or they might just return to their life of crime and continue to cause harm to the people around them and their environment, but when we decide to punish and also reform the prisoners we will have affirmation that at least we have tried our best to change these prisoners so when they are done with their sentence they are most likely not to return to their life of crime and try and become better people\citizens. These reformed criminals could even make great changes in the society that could be of great advantage to us all

              1. Yes Jubilant_accordion,
                This is exactly what I think should happen. Getting justice doesn't just go around punishing criminals, but there also needs to be an attempt to reform the prisoners. Lots of prisoners serve time and come back because they don't learn anything. If there are attempts to change the criminal's character and reaction to actions then there will most likely be no issue in the criminal after the time served. Even if the prisoner doesn't learn at least we know that there were attempts to fix the issue. Prison can really make better citizens if used correctly.

        2. I totally agree with you. Reformation is the way to move forward in the world of prisons. According to Sadiq Khan “Letting people out of prison without professional staff to oversee their rehabilitation is irresponsible.” If prisons lack reformation for their prisoners what is the use of a prison. Reformation of prison inmate means correcting, educating, re-orientating and rehabilitating the inmates so that they could become better citizens when released from the prison. It is not hidden that crime is increasing and if prisons aren't doing what they're meant for then there is absolutely no need for the existence of prisons. Some countries such as Norway and China have adopted rehabilitation as their main form of criminal justice program it has had a positive impact on the Norway's crime rate and its economy as Norway has one of the lowest rate of cases of convicted criminals reoffending. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, more than 600,000 people are released from prison each year, but studies show that about two-thirds of those folks are likely to return to prison within three years and this might be due to the inhumane treatment done in prison instead of rehabilitation and reformation of the prisoners.

          1. That sounds very interesting, forgiving_goat. Can you give some examples from Norway and China of what makes their systems better?

        3. I agree because prison is supposed to change the mindset of criminals. Prisoners should not be treated in a cruel manner because most times the tend to want to escape if the are treated in a bad manner. Prison should reform citizens and also to help them understand that what the did was wrong. Prisoners should be respected while the are in jail and the should not be treated like the do not matter anymore because of the crime the committed.

          1. I disagree with you, @clever_redcurrant. I do not believe treating prisoners in a bad way will encourage them to escape. I do believe that no one wants to find themselves in a prison. I suggest that instead of focusing on the main point with no strategy would prove ineffective.
            Instead of just "reforming" them while treating them with respect. Prisoners should be encouraged and taught about the rights and wtongs in this life. They should be shown that they are welcome and they should be exposed to the fact that their whole life isn't over just because they have been to jail. Encourage them and show them career options regarding their place of industry and so on.
            Thanks you.

          2. I do concede with you. And just like Stephen .R. Covey said, "Doing the right the right things for the right reason in the right way is the key to quality life." when you treat criminals like they are still humans even after the terrible things that they have done, and you give them hope for a second chance, they will feel loved and they might end up regretting what they have done and seek for a better life. But that is if luck ends on our side because some people are just drowned in greed and evil. But I feel that nothing is impossible.

        4. Very right because prisoner should be treated well. Treating them kindly will give them the motivation to stay in prison and if you show kindness to them, they may realize what they have done wrong and will strive to be a better citizen. I believe that everyone deserves a second change to correct their mistakes and learn to be better. "You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar".
          ~Giovanni Torriano~

          1. I couldn't agree more even though prisoners have committed crime they should be treated with kindness because showing kindness positively impacts others and this could really make the prisoners give thought to their actions and they might realize that they have done wrong and they need to change their ways because they were brought to jail because they posed as a threat to the people around them.

            I feel showing kindness to people would really play a great role in reforming prisoners because I decided to personally carry out a survey and 90% of the people I asked said if they offended someone or have done something wrong and the person they offended or the people around them still show them kindness they begin to rethink their actions and they will decide to apologize or right their wrongs. So you see showing prisoners kindness could move them to rethink their actions and they might decide to right their wrongs

          2. Hi friendly synthesizer, you have a good point but I humbly disagree and also agree with you. There is a saying that says too much of everything is bad. I believe that when prisoners are shown much kindness, they do not realize their mistakes and strive to change rather they tend to become relaxed and comfortable therefore urging them to escape from prison and commiting more crimes. I am not saying that prisoners should not be shown kindness at all but the amount of kindness shown should be balanced with the level of punishment given to the prisoners. In conclusion, I believe with this prisoners would be able to realize their mistakes and strive to change to better citizens.
            THANKS

        5. I'm not too sure that teaching them will really have a powerful effect brave_plantain. You see, all the prisoners that we see today weren't just born and decided to turn to a life of crime. Something might have happened to them, right? If a prisoner is taught against his crime and is released, they might not even change or the lesson might not stay long with them. Certain situations might cause the person to go back to their life of crime. Reformation really is important but it is really not as effective as punishment. Teaching them to be good citizens is good but the question is do they want to be good citizens? If they choose not to then the moment they get out of jail, they'll run right back to square one. Is reformation really the best option?

        6. I agree with you because if prisoners are reformed,they would not try to escape from prison,instead they will stay in prison and serve the punishment for their wrong doings because they have been taught how to be better citizens.

        7. I dont really agree with this point of yours, yes prisons were made to correct people as well as punish them for there crimes respectively but not to make them feel like the dont have a life outside the prisons, prisoners should be shown a bit of love and affection, so that the will gradually understand the need for change to becoming better people someday and not turning prisons into beating centers. Sadly, often prisoners are not provided with any sort of treatment or rehabilitative programming for their social ailments which led them to engage in crime in the first place.

        8. I agree because according to my research quotes on quotes. ' A prison is a secure building designed to hold inmates as retribution for their crimes or suspects as they await trial. Prisons serve various purposes, including retribution, incapacitation, deterrence, and reformation. However, early prisons rarely focused on rehabilitation. “You are not free the day you walk out of prison; you are free the day you walk out of ignorance.”
          ― Matshona Dhliwayo

        9. I confidently agree with you brave_plantain because if you are punishing the prisoner constantly they will be suffered and think or try escaping from the prison.
          The main way is reformative, because reformative is not only punishment of the criminals but changing them to better citizens.
          I am looking forward to corrections.
          Thank you.

        10. I completely agree with you, prison is not place where only punishment should be given. If we only try to give punishment to the prisoners than they will never improve in their life. We should focus in reforming prisoners rather than giving more punishment. If we will try to reform them to be good citizens than they will not involve in criminal activities again and again.

        11. Absolutely right!!
          I strongly agree with you prisons should be a reformative place as it gives them mindset of being a better citizen to their nation. In my own perspective ,i think prisoners should be given a second chance it requires a change in mindset from seeing prisoners as criminals to seeing them as people who have made mistakes and deserves a think again.
          I think the reasons we still have higher rate of crimes is that ,people released out of prison go there to influence youths out there to engage in such immoral act,but if the prison serve as a place for reformative,correcting,reorientating,and educating the criminals to become better citizens ,it would have been more better.Besides it creates a more safer conditions for both people living outside and inside of prisons.
          Prison should not only be a place for punishment but a place where people can have a second thought and become better citizens when released out of prison,in order not to cause more chaos or crimes that is why we have some organisations that pay visits to the prion to give them counsel and they are given opportunity to be remorseful of the action that brought them to prison and they have the mindset to live their life as a productive member.
          So there forever,prisons should focus more on reform rather than punishment,because the major purpose of prisons should be reformative first in order to secure any other purpose.

        12. Hi
          I agree with you brave plantain because you made point. If we teach the prisoners to be a better citizen, then the prisoners will not think on escaping from the prison and the prisoners can think of becoming a better citizen through that way the country can be peaceful and taking prisoners to the prison is not the only way to punish prisoners for example prisoners can be punished by fining and through that way prisoners would not even think commiting crime.
          Thanks.

      2. I disagree because... being restricted to movement and desired comfort e.g. food is already a punishment to law breakers in prison. Therefore, I feel prison is for reformation. It is to discipline law breakers and change their mindset about life. It is a stricter way to show them they can't get everything they want; especially not in a way that harms other citizens or threaten their own rights. I'm not saying they should be pampered but they should also be enlightened on the consequences of their actions, not only to their personal lives but to other citizens and the country as a whole.

        1. i would also like to disagree with this point prisons were not designed to be torture centers rather they were made to be correction centers and it is also the fualt of the people for night training up prisoners to be good citizens

          1. Yes charming_artist.
            Prisons are not designed for torturing people but they are for helping them in seeing their mistakes and changing their lives for the best. Criminal shouldn't be tortured when not necessary and shouldn't be pampered either but they should be enlightened, they should be aware of the consequences of their actions and should be ready to pay for their crimes. Prisons are also designed to protect the public by removing individuals who have committed crimes from society. Prisons also aim to deter potential offenders by demonstrating the consequences of criminal behavior. The goal is to promote personal growth and prepare individuals for successful reintegration into society upon their release.

            Thank you.

            1. I agree because...
              WHERE IS A PRISON?
              A prison can be defined simply as a correction room.
              Purpose of a prison is keep criminal and corbe criminal act .
              Other purpose is to help safeguard society by punishing and rehabilitating individuals who have been convicted of crimes. The specific goals of imprisonment can vary depending on the jurisdiction and the type of crime committed, but generally include:

              1. Deterrence - Imposing punishment for crimes is meant to deter others from committing similar offenses.

              2. Punishment - Criminals are punished by losing their freedom through confinement.

              3. Rehabilitation - Confinement aims to provide the necessary resources and programs for inmates to reform themselves and become productive members of society upon release. This can include education, vocational training, and access to mental and physical healthcare.

              4. Restitution - Criminals may be ordered to make restitution to their victims or community in some way, such as paying a fine or performing community service.

              5. Protection - Imprisonment can serve as a protection measure for society as it separates dangerous individuals from the community.

              The ultimate goal of imprisonment should be to help individuals understand the repercussions of their actions, and challenge them to change their mindset and behavior with the help of the resources and programs provided. The punishment should meet the crime, and ensure that justice is served fairly and equitably for all.

          2. What exactly do you mean, charming_artist, when you say it's the fault of the people? Can you expand on that?

            1. To answer your question ma'am, the prisoners might not have had a reasonable up bringing because of the people around him or those who influenced him we know the story of the saint Albans poisoner (graham young) it was because he hardly had anyone to look after him that he turned into a megalomaniac so it may be because of a prisoner's upbringing that may lead to his criminal uprising.

        2. I disagree because...
          Its not everytime a prisoner will serve is punishment get out of jail and start life afresh.
          I think aside the punishment there should be a mental rehabilitation centre where criminals can get menatal treatment before been released back in the society

          And sometimes if you enlighten the criminals abut what they have done it might not take any effect on them.

          I think they should work more on their mental health while still punishing them

        3. Well said committed writer,but I will also like to disagree with your comments because being imprisoned doesn't make you different from others living a normal life.Prisoners should be treated the same way as people who live outside.Facing the consequences of their actions seems fair enough,but allowing them go through so much pain and struggle makes them emotionally down also.So I thought of the workers in the prison should reduce the hard labour being placed on them.

      3. I agree because all of these reforming activities that prisons carry out may not affect the prisoners in the slightest or in any way. No matter how many times a criminal get money, he/she will never get satisfied. They enjoy gaining money through stealing, making them addicted to getting money the wrong way. And even though the reforming do work, and they turn a new leaf, they may go back to their old ways, because they are already addicted to it and think that they cannot earn a living the right way.

        1. Quite a say grounded seal but come to think of it not all prisoners who go to jail return back the same.Some prisoners during their term of imprisonment miss their loved ones so the thought of repeating what he/she did that led them in jail will not want repeat itself.
          Not all prisoners get satisfied with what they did, it may be they need the money urgently and no means could be of help to them so they got the idea of doing what they did.
          To stop all this activities of criminals we should make job opportunities vacant so that the unemployed must engage in a useful way.

      4. This question actually has more than one answer, but I feel reformative is the best. Reforming someone doesn't mean punishment, justice and safety are excluded. Punishment is a reformative tool itself. We just shouldn't be too cruel when punishing offenders. It should be a by-tool to make sure they have a lower chance of committing crime again. This way, justice is also achieved. Criminals are also isolated in prison to keep other citizens safe. A good prison actually does good for both criminals and the public, safety for the public and reformation for the criminals.
        Prisoners can only decide to escape when they are treated too cruelly. For example, restriction to see friends and family.
        Prisoners have rights too. Do not look down on them or engage in human rights abuse. I think the only rights of theirs that should be restricted is that of freedom and total or desired comfort.

        1. I agree that the purpose of prison is reformation but not mental torture, the best punishment to give to an offender would probably be hard labor because at least they would still be contributing to society and learning their lesson at the same time.

      5. I disagree because I think that the main reason should be to teach the prisoners how to be better citizens because, its not everybody that was born with a sliver spoon in their mouth and sometimes the only way they can get by is to turn to a life of crime and violence but if they can learn how to be better citizens and treat people with respect while learning how to survive without illegal means, then that's just better for everyone because don't forget that some people want to change and that we are not all the same, we shouldn't judge all prisoners just because of on person's mistake.

      6. I disagree as if we did more things inside of a prison for the prisoners to be better people then they wouldn't of had to think about escaping and instead they would accept the punishment and be a better person when they get out. We also need to make sure that they learn a lesson for there mistakes and they won't learn from there mistakes if there are being supported to get out of jail.

      7. I agree with diligent emotion because just because the reformative purpose helps the prisoners become better citizens, some escape and not follow what they were taught on how to become good citizens. Also some people like Fito sometimes don't learn from what they do. So that's why I agree with diligent emotion.

      8. Your thinking in reforming criminals as a risky move is only true if the way used is bad. For example in the prision of Pendleton prisioners a given cats if they are well behaved, in that prision almost all prisioners are behaving correctly, this may prove that greed is not the problem in reformation.

    2. Very balanced view fun_ant. I noticed you didn't mention Punishment in your response. Do you think this is an important role for prisons or do you think Reformation, Safety and Security are all that matter?

      1. Hello!
        I think that a balance between punishment and reformation should be reached before a prison can be said to function well in the sense that a prison, in my opinion, is there to teach prisoners( that their actions are not good and that these actions can hurt others) and this can be done by depriving them of some privileges that they would have enjoyed in the outside world but also prisons are not meant to just punish people. Regardless of the magnitude of the offense committed by a criminal or offender he? or she is still human and this is where I think a lot of prisons are missing it, yes the offenders are meant to be punished but not in an inhumane manner. I hope you see it from my point of view.
        Thank You!!

        1. I strongly agree with you gregarious bee. I agree with you because prison yards in some countries aren't focusing on reforming the inmates. They instill so much punishment and pressure on the prisoners. Sometimes harsh punishment doesn't really work in correcting some erroneous misdeeds. Letting them(the inmates) know their mistakes and realizing it is mostly important in reforming them. Talking to them in a calm and cool manner, showing them that there is room for transformation, protecting them and safeguarding can be useful in most cases.
          Punishment can also be used for reformation but it should be balanced alongside safety and protection.

          1. Absolutely, I completely agree with your insightful perspective on prison reform. It's crucial to focus on rehabilitation rather than just punishment. Treating inmates with respect, understanding, and providing support can lead to better outcomes and help in their transformation. Balancing punishment with safety and protection is key to fostering positive change in the prison system.

    3. Hi,
      I agree because... I believe that the main purpose for prisons is to transform bad citizens to good ones so I go with the fifth purpose of prisons which is "Reformative = prisoners learn how to be better citizens". One way in which crime can be curbed is not only by strict punishments but also by making those who commit crime to change. Prisons should not only be seen as a place where criminals are held but also be seen as a place where people learn more about their country, their civil rights and duties, learn to manage conflicts because of living with different people in a confined environment, self reflection which makes think about his/her actions and consequences of those actions. I feel that if such things happen in prisons it will better our world and reduce the rate of crime.

      Thank You.

      1. I like how you’re reflecting on some of the mechanisms of reform (self reflection, conflict resolution, etc). I’d love to hear your views on what “learning to be a better citizen” really means. At what point is a prisoner reformed? And what parts of an inmate’s prison experience are most likely to drive that reformation?

        1. Firstly i will like to thank you for the opportunity of answering this questions. When i spoke about being a better citizen i simply just refer to learning how to interact well with others in your environment, carry out civil duties, learn to make an honest leaving(that is, away from crime), etc. Also I believe that the point in which a prisoner is reformed is when he/her is able to apply those things they learnt in prison into their lives so as to make them better. For example the hand work skills which the prisoners learn in prison helps them to easily find jobs or even start to be self-employed when freed from prison, this jobs will be able to help the prisoners have a means of livelihood. Lastly you asked what parts of an inmates prison experience drives their reformation. I feel that the part of the inmates prison experience that drives their reformation is the experience of personal reflection. Personal reflection is something that will be able to drive the inmates reformation because when someone who is in prison thinks and reasons about the actions which he/her has done that landed them in prison, it makes the person want to change so that they will not do such mistakes again.

          Thank You.

    4. Interesting point fun ant, safety of inmate in prison should be a priority.some of the offenders in prison committed just little crime like self defense,forced labour , delayed tax payment.And some people became prisoner in other to be protected.

      They are cases where ,people are asked to do certain job which is very dangerous but they kept on persuading the person, until it becomes life threatening,such person has no choice but to commit a crime and become a prisoner,in other for him/her to be safe.

      Another reason why they need to be protected is because; being harsh on them or getting bullied by inmate will only instill more anger and rage in them, because the fill it not a safe place for them so they can do anything thing to come out from their and have a negative mindset. And it can be very dangerous to the society.
      They should be treated with love , care and protection ,so they will have a positive mindset and won't feel inferior in the society.because rage spread toxic fume.

      I personally see prison as a sign of hope to prisoners, because I feel they have been given a second chance to life. So therefore they should be protected in other for us not to loss great minds in the society.
      Many prisoners who became great men and women,if they were not protected we would have missed their great impact in this world.

      So therefore I think "safety" should be a priority .


      Thank you.

      1. You made a good point admirable_butterfly, I like the way you elaborated the importance of safety in prisons but let's look at things from a different point of view, prioritizing safety simply implies that the prison is a place where offenders are kept safe, away from the outside world. The basic aim of prisons is for reformation, that's why I often refer to them as correction centers and not prisons, reformation should be key, so as to purge them of that sense of violence and crime and inculcate them with the sense of productivity and cooperation. Instead of trying to keep them safe, why don't we try to change their violent nature thereby correcting the root cause of crime in the society. If they are corrected, safety will be achieved because the ones responsible for the unsafe environment have been corrected and reformed, so through the process of reformation, safety can be attained. After the offenders have been through the process of reformation and rehabilitation, they can then be imbued with skills by providing them with vocational training and education, allocating recreation time for mental games to increase their intellectual capacity so as to be to handle complex tasks in their field of work and to evade any form of violence and conflict in the society when they have been released. This way, safety is achieved, crime is reduced and they become good citizens to their country, thereby boosting the economy and becoming assets to the country.

    5. I agree with you because the most important goal for prison officers is to help prisoners become better citizens.
      I believe this is crucial because after their time in prison, they will rejoin society. If they don't receive guidance they might continue with their bad behavior.
      But I think punishment should be the last resort in prison. Sometimes, punishment doesn't really change inmates, it can make them more stubborn. If image fill the desire for revenge it can lead to worse outcomes.
      Focusing on rehabilitation can better assist prison staff in creating positive impact on the lives of those in custody.

      1. interesting points precious swan. What do you think 'rehabilitation' means in this context? Can you give some examples of the sorts of activities prisons should provide to prisoners and why you think it would help them?

        1. What I mean by rehabilitation in this context is guiding the prisoners to make better choices.
          For instance, when people enter prison they might feel overwhelmed and start thinking negatively. Some may believe they are disliked, leading to their imprisonment. By having specialist talk to them and guide them, their mindset can change and they can emerge as better citizens.
          Another approach is to show them the negative consequences of their actions, helping them understand the impact. Convincing them that what led to their imprisonment was wrong which can lead to positive change.
          Rehabilitation is above making prisoners realize and accept that they are in prison because of their past mistakes and encouraging them to strive towards making better decisions.

    6. I agree because... Reformative approaches in prisons aim to rehabilitate offenders, reducing the likelihood of reoffending. this benefits society by promoting their ability to lead law-abiding lives upon release. It also aligns with the "I agree that reformative approaches in prisons aim to rehabilitate offenders, reducing the likelihood of them reoffending. This benefits society by promoting their ability to lead law-abiding lives upon release and aligns with the idea that punishment should be constructive and address the root causes of criminal behavior. I am looking forward to seeing more progress in the corrections system. I believe punishment should be constructive, addressing the root causes of criminal behavior.
      Looking forward to corrections
      Thank you

    7. I disagree because if we try to teach a prisoner to be a good citizen he even not think to escaping the parison .I think that a purpose of parison is not only to punish the prisoner. It also have the purpose to make the prisoner to become a good citizen so not do that type of mistake again . As the parison should even try to make the Fito a good man ,there are chances that he not do illegal activities such as hostage of police officers as well so, i think that prison even try to make the prisoner better so they not do that type of things for their satisfaction.
      tranquil_lemon
      Thank you

    8. I agree because... As Fito is a dangerous criminal they should have been on a better look out on him

    9. I agree to this because, if the prisoners are not reformed and they ended up out of the prison or escaped,they would even become worse than they were before and that can put a lot of lives in danger, this is because they would be out there bullying and killing innocent people and even for revenge, they would also be a threat to the nation as a whole, but if they were reformed, they would accept their guilt and be ready to diversify into a newly changed citizen.
      In conclusion, if they were reformed, they will be a useful vessel to the economy and even right their wrongs.

    10. I agree as with a reformative approach prisoners have a chance to reflect on their crimes/mistakes, improve their quality of life and improve the amount of possibilities for their future.

    11. I agree with your point and I think Fito had connections with some of the officers in the prison or even great leaders which gave him the opportunity or helped to escape .Prisons are made to correct people and discipline them from their mistakes ,but i think people feel comfortable .Some prisons serve perfect dishes ,prisoners sleep on soft and comfortable bed ,prisoners even have sports[play football, basketball, tennis.....} . Some prisoners don't even have homes or jobs so they prefer to live their lives in prison because they have no one in their lives to even support them.

      1. Thanks for pointing this out splendid_rambutan, you know, one thing that often baffles me is the too much comfort and preferential treatment some prisoners get while in custody. A prison is not supposed to feel like home, there are supposed to be certain limits of enjoyment and freedom that they should get. yes! I know they are human and deserve second chances but some have even gotten over 3 chances and they keep carrying out their criminal activities.
        To me, I feel that if a criminal is convicted of a crime more than twice, then their form of punishment should be stiffened so that they will know that it is supposed to be a reformation ground and not a place to live like demi-gods.
        Thank you.

    12. I agree too fun_ant. You raise important points about the purpose and conditions of prisons. Prisons must prioritize reformative measures to help individuals become better members of society upon release. This includes providing education, vocational training, and counselling services to address the root causes of criminal behaviour. Additionally, ensuring the safety and security of inmates is essential to prevent violence and promote rehabilitation. While some level of comfort may be necessary for basic human dignity, it shouldn't detract from the punitive aspects of incarceration. Balancing these priorities is challenging but necessary for effective prison management and ultimately, reducing recidivism rates.

    13. It's certainly alarming to hear about incidents like "Fito" escaping from a maximum-security prison. Such events raise questions about the effectiveness of security measures and the integrity of prison systems. Ensuring the safety of both inmates and the public should be a top priority for prison authorities.

      I agree with your emphasis on the reformative purpose of prisons. The primary goal should be to rehabilitate individuals and help them reintegrate into society as law-abiding citizens. This requires providing access to education, vocational training, counseling, and other resources that promote personal growth and positive behavior change.

      While comfort for prisoners shouldn't be a priority, basic human rights and dignity should still be upheld. Harsh living conditions and lack of safety can exacerbate issues like violence and recidivism. It's crucial for prison administrations to address these concerns through proper supervision, security protocols, and measures to prevent bullying and gang activity.

      Ultimately, a balanced approach that prioritizes both rehabilitation and safety is essential for the effective functioning of the prison system and the well-being of inmates. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this important issue

    14. I absolutely agree with your point fun_ant that prisons are meant to be more secured than comfortable if not the prisoners will abuse the prisons and other inmates.
      My question for you here is do you think that prisoners will reform their ways and become responsible citizens if physically punished or will they be responsible citizens if they are engaged in occupational, psychological and educational program?

  • In my perspective, I consider security, punishment and reformative. The presence of supervision ensures the prisoners cannot escape, prevention them from resuming a Life of crime. Additionally, through punishment, individuals learn valuable lessons, reducing likely Hood to repeat mistakes.Also reformative, citizens learn how to be a benefits to the society so they can help to solve social issues not cause them.These aspects are crucial in in maintaining a secure and reliability environment.
    Thank you.

    1. I agree with you,reformative, security and punishment are the I feel we should focus on.Reformative approach to punishment should be the object of criminal law,in order to promote rehabilitation without offending community, security is very important we can only safe be when we are protected If you are not secure that means you are not safe and punishment is an integral part of criminal justice and social security and peace when a criminal is punished that the only time justice is served.

    2. I agree because... a prison's main priorities should include security, punishment, and rehabilitation.
      1. security: Ensuring a state free from danger or threat is vital. With proper security measures in place, citizens can be shielded from criminal activities, fostering a safer society.
      2. punishment: inflicting Inflicting penalties as retribution for offenses is crucial. A sense of accountability through punishment can deter inmates from engaging in further criminal activities, creating a deterrent effect.
      3. reformative: Focusing on improvement, especially in behavior or personal development, is essential. If inmates have the opportunity to learn and reform, they may be released earlier or with a fresh start, contributing positively to society. Thank you. Creative_personality for this statement.

    3. If someone has committed a crime it means they have the thought process of being able to do this you cant get rid of someones mind humanely

      1. I disagree, because...

        sometimes, people commit crimes that aren't inhumane, although not exactly humane. Maybe somebody stole something because of an unfortunate situation or couldn't afford necessities. Their minds could be easily "fixed" (I say with *heavy* quotations) with some therapy and maybe even financial support.

  • I think....
    The 1st one should be the biggest priority, because if prisoners escape, they could end up doing something worse. And if someone gets in, they could hurt someone. Or even break other prisoners out! But, besides that, All of these need to be in a prison, or it will not make it a good prison. Here is the order I think. Secure = people can't get in or out
    Punishment = justice is achieved
    Reformative = prisoners learn how to be better citizens
    Safe = nobody is in danger
    Comfortable = prisoners are at ease.

    These are all important, but I think this order is a good one.

    Prisoners can go into Jail for many reasons, some are chopping down trees even, without permission. Police officers take charge in prisons, they need to focus and pay attention. Prisoners are put in Jail sometimes because they have robbed, or destroyed homes, But people need to realise that deforestation is crime, without permission.

    Thanks! ❤

    1. You mention that people go to prison for different reason. Can you imagine the order you've shared being different depending on what crime has been committed? Or for the reasons behind that crime?

      1. @Tiff,
        I think that the order would have similarities, but it would be different, If the crime was deforestation without a permit, It should be the order I stated, But if It was something like robbing a bank, the order would be different, this would be the same for many crimes, (Murder, Theft, other crimes!)

        Thanks, Tiff!

        1. do you think there could ever be an example where cutting down trees without a permit might be acceptable? Should it always be punishable by a prison sentence?

          1. Hi,

            Yes, if it is needed to cut them down, but not thousands, It would be okay to cut down trees, but not always, if you do it in a small amount, then yes, it is allowed, but if it is a large amount, then they should be sent somewhere, not always though.. Sometimes cutting trees down is needed, for materials, etc.

            I hope you can understand. Thanks!

          2. Any group or any person that `is seen or caught cutting down trees without permit should be punished or sentenced to prison for years .This is because if a person is aware that cutting down trees{deforestation }is part of the causes of climate change and when the person goes ahead to do it ,then that person should be punished severely for doing the wrong thing.

    2. Hello!
      I also agree with you I think that the major reason for a prison is to be secure. A prison is a place where criminals or bad people who commit offenses unjustifiable or unacceptable by the law are kept to keep people secure or protected from these criminals who want to hurt people, and property or destroy places. So I think that prison has to first of all secure then it becomes safe and when it is safe then justice can be served, then reformative activities can take place and then the prisoners can feel a sense of comfort.

    3. I I strongly agree with you because keeping everyone safe is the main job of prison officers, this means making sure that people inside the prison, both imitates and staff are protected from harm or trouble. It helps create a stable environment allowing the prison work better and keep community .
      In my perspective option three should be prioritised least because making prisoners comfortable is not the main focus because they are in prison as a punishment for their the priority is to keep them safe, help them learn from their actions and become better citizens in future

    4. I liked the order you have used for the priorities but you may want to reconsider the second and third one because if people in the prision are punished and not reformed the punishment will only be seen by criminals as an annoying place and will only think of commiting more crimes when they get out of there.

  • Hi,
    Comfortable, Reformative or anything like it would not help in stop crime. Because in a society, community or even a locality will contain people of different status, race, lifestyle etc. And many believe that all of them should work together and create harmony among all. Personally I want to believe it but with the facts clearly shown to me I cannot. Crime will always happen among these societies, communities as one will always resent the other for their status, environment, money, what not. And those who cannot stand these differences will often yearn and develop greed for that certain resource or fame. And due to it unfortunately commit a crime. As Erich Fromm said "Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction." No matter what type of program or support one gives them they will always yearn for more and its common as they would want the best for themselves and/or their families.
    But there is a way to solve this and that unfortunately is cruel and harsh but it is proven this is the best medicine for no crime no matter what and that is Punishment. And for this particular reason is what prisons are built for. And through punishment Safety, Security of people are ensured as the criminals are being punished are now afraid of committing a crime. As for a better future a good amount of fear and cruelty is necessary.
    Thank you

    1. You raise an interesting point about deterring people from committing crimes in the first place. You say that fear of punishment by imprisonment is proven as the best deterrent for criminals - can you tell us what evidence there is to support this?

    2. Interesting perspective diligent_emotion - and clearly and cogently expressed. I did wonder whether you had explored the evidence from scientific and social research on the relative effectiveness of Comfort and Reformation versus Punishment in preventing re-offending?

    3. Brilliant idea! diligent emotion. But I would like to disagree because if the amount of cruelty and harshness is intensive the inmates would not see their offense as a mistake.
      Punishment would take a part in reforming them but not all cases needs punishment. For example, if a teenager who has kleptomania was detained, do we really think harsh punishment will make him/her realize the mistake? No, what I think him/her will need at that moment is therapy.
      Therefore in my opinion, safeguarding their rights as well as protecting them should be a part of the reformation.
      THANK YOU

    4. I disagree, because...

      it is possible for reformative forms of discipline to be very effective. Although, it depends on what crime the person committed. If they committed a crime like theft, it would be very easy to teach them not too, and how to deal with the reason they stole something, which is most likely because they can't afford what they stole. I see where you are coming from, though, when you say that some people cannot be taught how to stop committing crimes, or stop thinking like the way that they do. When people commit crimes like 1st-degree murder, it would be hard to change their mind, seeing as though it is already "messed up".

      Thank you!

  • I think the most important thing is to make sure that prisoners cannot escape from or enter the prison. If the police officers do not keep a close eye on this, crime rates in the area could increase, and dangerous criminals might be set free. It can be very risky to allow criminals to move around freely. When it comes to the comfort of prisoners, I believe it should be the least important aspect, considering that they are in prison to serve their sentences. However, I would like to emphasize that this is only my opinion, and others may have different views on the matter. Furthermore, I think that prisons act as a deterrent to discourage people from committing crimes.

    1. Thanks for your comment. You've focused on dangerous criminals. Would you feel the same about all crimes? For example, what about tax evasion?

      1. I'm not sure, but isn't that also a crime? Anyone who breaks the law should be treated equally by the justice system, shouldn't they?

        1. I'm not so sure about that, contemplative fly. I understand your point of view when you say that anyone who breaks the law should be treated equally, but that doesn't mean they should be punished equally.
          When I say treated equally, I mean that they should be judged fairly. It is the right of every human being to be tried fairly in the court of law. It is everyone's right to fair hearing. The rule of law does say that a person accused of any offence is presumed innocent until a court of competent jurisdiction presided over by an impartial judge finds the accused guilty.
          On the other hand, equal punishment cannot be meted out for different crimes. I suppose it's a bit like baking a cake. If your batter is small, your cake will be small too. But if you mix a lot of batter, you'll end up with a big cake. The law allocates different punishments for different crimes. The magnitude of crime should and does depend on the magnitude of the offence. It wouldn't be fair if someone who exceeds a speed limit and someone who has been convicted on account of drug dealing got the same punishment. It would either be that the drug dealer wasn't punished enough or the over-speeder was punished too much.
          It should always be taken into consideration that prisoners are people too, not animals.

          1. Very well argued, invigorated_anteater. The comparison of the speeding driver and the drug dealer is a great way of puting it! What punishments can society use as an alternative to sending people to jail?

            1. Thank you.
              In my opinion, not all crimes punishable by incarceration can have an alternative punishment. But these crimes are mainly serious crimes, like arson, drug trafficking and child abuse. First of all, criminal offences are different from civil offences. Criminal offences are, like I stated before, really serious crimes like human trafficking. Civil offences are more of illegal actions, like libel and slander. Some are punishable by jail time, but not all.
              However, I think that for some civil offences, jail isn't necessary. An example of a punishment that can be given instead of incarceration is community service. For civil offences, instead of jail, offenders can be forced to volunteer in their community for a few months to one or two years, depending on the gravity of the offence.
              Another is house arrest. Any one who disregards the law can have his or her rights to freedom of movement temporarily suspended, so that they won't be out in the community causing havoc. During that period of house arrest, they should be counselled and made to pursue wholesome activities, in order to reform them into respectable members of society.
              The above mentioned and more are examples of punishments alternative to prison sentence. But I strongly feel that they should be restricted to civil offences, and minor civil offences at that. I also feel that if the person continues to repeat their offence, they should eventually be given jail time. Criminal offences should be punishable by incarceration. I say this because some people may decide to substitute jail for torture or something worse, which would not be good for the society. The offenders will suffer, and on top of that may develop a strong hatred for society and become even worse citizens.

        2. I’m not so sure about that, comparing a criminal act like murder with a petty crime like tax evasion is very unrealistic. Placing the perpetrators of both crimes in the same group is illogical because the danger the murderer poses is greater than the danger the tax evader poses.Yes, I believe that crime is crime and there shouldn’t be an exception to it but don’t you think there should be a particular system by which they grade it. One big mistake made in prison systems is placing a serial killer who has a reputation of being ruthless in the same cell as a petty thief, there’s a tendency that the petty thief who is going through reformation would experience a backslide because of his constant communication with someone who has a darker mindset than his. Though crime is crime and there’s no exception to it, I still believe that prisons all over the world should find a system of grading the prisoners by their crimes and distributing them into their different cells in respect to their grades so that even if reformation is considered, there wouldn’t be any backslides, instead all inmates in a particular crime group can be reformed in a gradual concurrent way. If this is done alongside the government’s intervention in prison infrastructure and surveillance, I believe that the prison system in Ecuador will be improved.

        3. I disagree, contemplative_fly, because...

          not every crime has the same severity. Like murder is much worse than stealing because you can't afford necessities.

      2. There is a reason why different crimes attract different punishments. Prisons are meant to serve as a place where prisoners reflect on their bad deeds and work towards improvement. In court, some judges might consider some criminals heartless and unable to change that is where life imprisonment comes into play. The gravity of one's crime determines the period of stay in jail for that person. I therefore believe not in strict punishments in prisons but learn more about the prisoner and get the right approach to change the prisoner.

    2. Well said contemplative fly.
      Prisoners shouldn't be given total freedom of movement. If they are allowed to move freely they won't see a difference between their normal daily lives and live in the prison cell.
      While doing that also,I think prisoners shouldn't be treated in an inhumane way also so as to prevent their right if not all.
      So in my opinion, I would say a prison should be made in a way that when the inmate becomes an ex convict, they wouldn't want to near the gate of prison in their lifetime.

    3. I appreciate your comment @contemplative_fly. I agree because prisoners are meant to to be imprisoned for the sole purpose reformation- to help the criminals to be good citizens.
      In class today, we talked extensively on the influence of prisons on ex-convicts.
      It helps them to have a new sense of reasoning because of feeling of self condemnation and guilt they had while in the prison yard of course they want to be free from all of that.
      Once freed, they can be some of the most patriotic people because of the lessons learnt from the dungeon.
      In conclusion, the prison yard's officers should put their guard on to make sure that the main purpose of prison - reformative purpose is accomplished for the sake of the culprits.

    4. I can see why you think security would be the most important aspect of a prison; however, I think reformation would be the most focused on aspect of a prison. While security would be secure, and prisoners wouldn't be able to get out. You have to think about the mental aspect of feeling locked inside of walls. Prison isn't a punishment centre exactly, it is more so a reformation centre for troubled ones. We should focus more on reformation rather than security because although security is... secure, reforming will actually leave the prisoners a better person than just being locked inside of a box. I do agree that comfort should be the least important part of a prison, since prison is meant to be somewhere to be fearful of going.

  • Hi,
    First all of all what is a prison? A prison is a secure confinement use to impound people who have been held in custody by a judicial authority or basis, normally people found guilty of committing a crime or felony are made to serve sentences in this prison confinement. To me all these points stated should be somehow incorporated into the aims or objectives for a prison. Okay like in the case of the point secure, a prison has to be made extremely secure to restrict the inmates from escaping or from those who want to help them escape from getting access to their prison cells because each inmate was put in that prison cell for a reason, a reason of which they had to be separated from the whole world as maybe the crime committed can affect people greatly.
    In the case of punishment, like the point said justice must be achieved, the victims of these people will or may not find peace unless their offenders are punished adequately, these people commit crimes and every crime has a corresponding punishment or consequence of which each of them will have to face.
    Then lets come to comfortability, though a prison is meant for the punishment that doesn't mean that they should live and be treated in an inhuman manner, though they have offended people, they are still humans and they deserve to be treated like humans, they should have things like suitable and adequate toilets, suitable water for multi purpose use and good and healthy food.
    The safety also of everyone present in the prison should be paramount, For example the prisons should be secured from external forces and dangers and also the prison attendants and the other prisoners should be able to be kept safe from other high ranked prisoners who serve as a serious threat to everyone that are in the prison.
    And finally as for the reformative aspect, one of the main objectives of a prison is to reform the inmates to not only be better citizens but also better people, John Howard's philosophy on this aspect is that the objective of imprisonment, he believed, was reform and rehabilitation, not just punishment, and that is the honest truth. So in my opinion all these points are to be incorporated in a way in all prisons and their systems.\
    Thank you!

  • I feel security, punishment and reformation could be more focused on.
    Firstly, the security of a prison is a very important factor to look at. If prisons are not made secure enough then criminals would be escape anytime they want. An example is Fito who escaped from the prison in Ecuador. If these criminals escape they can go back into the society and commit more crimes which would cause total chaos in the society. Secondly, punishment is important. Through the punishment of criminals victims are assured that they are getting justice for what happened to them. The primary duty of a prison is and supposed to be for the punishment of offenders of the law, prisons are meant to teach criminals a lesson for the wrong they have done. In addition reformation is a must. In prison, if criminals are reformed into better citizens of the society when they get out they become better people and find something better to do with their lives. Prison should be able to teach prisoners skills that would be helpful to them when they leave the prison and also organize things like counselling sessions for the prisoners as a prison is meant to punish criminals and prevent them from committing more crimes.
    To me the comfortability of the environment should be the least of concerns in prisons. if prisoners live in a comfortable environment they might start to take the prison as their second home and they wouldn't mind returning there over and over.
    Also prisoners should be safe from things like bullying from their fellow prisoners as some people have died through this.
    I understand crime would always continue in the society but if prisoners experience a different life in the prison whereby they are made to understand that crime isn't the only way to succeed in the society it would go a long way in generating more responsible people.

    1. Hi forgiving_goat,
      I concur that security needs to be the first priority of prisons. Punishment and reformation are also quite important. Yet, if someone is convicted of a serious crime and they didn't do it, it may lead to serious mental effects, which relates to safety. Reformation is a good idea on paper, but criminals may use skills they learn in continued criminal activities if they get out. Like if a criminal learns programming, they can take their knowledge and figure out how to hack a computer. Finally, comfort absolutely should be the least concern, and you have great logic behind it. Lastly, one bit of constructive criticism, you could have easily made this shorter, either removing words or removing unimportant words.

      Thank you for reading.

  • According to my own understanding, prisons are where we keep offensive people to help them repent on their ways of life.
    It is also meant to be a punishment zone or correctional zone where offensive people are been amended from their negative behaviours.

    1. I'm not sure about this because... Not all prisoners are guilty, as seen in the case of the "Central Park Five." In 1989, five teens were wrongly convicted of a crime they didn't commit. This shows flaws in the justice system. Such mistakes highlight the need for fair investigations and the use of solid evidence to avoid innocent people facing undeserved punishment.

  • Hello everyone, I agree with the five purposes of prison mentioned above, but I think of one purpose it can serve is setting an example for the society. Crimes happen because people deviate from a moral path and opt an easy way to reach the final goal, like more money. They lack guidance
    so they choose the criminal way achieve their goal.
    Prisons can serve as an example for the society and the unguided people, they can learn from the examples of the prisoners, why they committed the crime,what made them commit the crime, and set a path apart those wrong paths. They also serve as an example for our life, that an easy way out may lead to bad consequences, while an earned way, something we work hard for leads to better results.
    I hope I have explained my opinion correctly please add on if you feel I left something out

    1. hello, I agree with you. However, I question the overall influence that prisons have on society, If prions are there to set an example, what example are they really setting? When people think of jail, they think of a place where people go when they do something bad. That's really all they think about. My point is, no matter what people say about prison, they cannot change the way people feel about it. Another thing, with the rate of people that believe prisons will traumatize kids, it makes you wonder how it can positively influence the world.

      1. Yes, your point is completely correct and I agree that in the present moment it might be like this,but you can set an positive point of view here.
        People often think that prisons is a place you go because you do bad things but if you put a deeper thought effort, if someone educates those people showing how going to prison can realign with the prisoners with the society, about the reformative statistics it can change their perspective over time from prison being a prison being a bad place to a reformative place. This type education will prevent the trauma caused to kids you mentioned, and they may as well
        start developing empathy, which is a very good attribute for the human's well being. So in a nutshell, educating people about prison will enable them to change their perspective and help them to celebrate second chances in life.

  • Prison officers have a big role in ensuring the safety of the prisoners in the prison.
    Well, the other purposes are of very great importance, but I think that the top priority of a prison warden or officer should be the security and safety of the prison, because a secure prison can ensure the safety of prisoners and the public.
    Also, when the prison is secure the prisoners will be safe and also comfortable.
    And the reformative aspect is also a very vital aspect to put in consideration by the prison officers because the prisoners need to be reformed so that when their sentence is over, they would be law abiding and very good citizens.
    I also think that punishment should be least prioritized because when a prisoner is going through reformation, punishment could also make one have mixed feelings, but although punishment is used to help inmates recognize and realize their mistakes and the consequences of their action.
    Other purposes such as rehabilitation should be introduced.
    Thank you!!!

    1. Wondrous mode I agree with you, but I believe comfortability as a purpose of prison should be the least because when criminals feel comfortable when they are released, they will continue in crime because they know that if caught and sentenced to prison they'll feel they will be comfortable still in prison. I believe punishment is more important than comfortability as a purpose of prison, not that I support corporal punishment but because I know for every crime there must be consequences.

    2. Thank you for your response. You say prison officers need to prioritise reformation. Can you think of some ways this could be put into practice?

      1. Hello fellow topical talkers.
        I would like to reply to you comment which says "Thank you for your response. You say prison officers need to prioritize reformation. Can you think of some ways this could be put into practice?".
        Okay, so, the reformation process can be implemented in penitentiary through such ways:
        - Education: Inmates should be provided proper education and vocational skills training.
        - Encouraging positive interactions: Positive interactions between staffs and inmates should be highly encouraged.
        - Offering help for people suffering with mental health problems.
        THANK YOU!!!

  • In prison or jail, prisoner are kept so that the prisoner won't again repeat the activities and while being in the prison, they can improve themselves to be a great citizens of their nation.
    But what if the prison aren't secure enough? The prisoner can easily escape from the prison and even do much more worse things than before. In order to make sure that the prisoner won't escape, the police who is in charge should pay more attention and take their job seriously.
    Every prisoners have their own reasons of being in the prison. Some reasons may be small but other reasons may be big like murdering, etc.

    1. Interesting point around improving yourself in prison. What do you think prisons can do to help prisoners achieve this goal?

      1. We know that everyone has their own hobby. Someone like to draw, someone like to write stories, poems,etc and other like to do other activities. So, the prisoners can involved in the things that they like to do. By this, the prisoners can improve themselves.

    2. I agree because... Keeping a close eye on prisoners is crucial for everyone's safety. If they escape, it can lead to problems and danger. Vigilance is important to prevent bad things from happening. Regular checks and attention are key. It helps in making sure things stay under control and everyone is secure.

      1. Yes, it's right that the police should keep a close eye on the prisoners but in some prison, they are taking it lightly. So, many of the prisoners have escaped the prison and if this keeps happening then it will be dangerous for everyone. It's police duty to do regular check and give attention to everything the prisoners do for everyone's safety.

        1. I absolutely agree with you because it's the main duty of police to keep keen eyes on the prisoners everyday.

  • The purpose that should be at the top priority of a prison should be punishment. This is because a large number of prisoners where I am in the U.S tend to be repeat offenders in their first year out of prison. I think if prisoners are really given a lengthy consequence, they’ll think twice about committing whatever crime they were planning on committing.

    What they should focus least on is comfort. If prison is meant to be a punishment in of itself as a form of justice, it isn’t meant to be comfortable. This also stops people from purposely committing crimes so they don’t have to pay for housing or just living in prison because it’s cheaper than most things with inflation nowadays.

    A purpose that should be up there along the other purposes is standards. Prisons aren’t necessarily meant to be comfortable, but aren’t supposed to be very dirty or have prisoners feeling neglected with their health needs. There are many horror stories of how guards will ignore prisoners in distress, and be unnecessarily cruel. Prisons should have cleanliness, food, and health standards while also being a punishment and reformative place for prisoners to learn from their wrongdoings.

    1. Thanks for your comment. It's great to see differences in opinions within your class!
      It's interesting that others have used the repeat offender statistic to argue that prisons aren't working.

  • I believe that the most important purpose of prisons is for prisoners to be reformative because it helps prisoners to be better citizens when they come out of the prison.
    To the citizens it makes them more secured and they begin to feel safe, because social vices would not be going round their environment.It still surprises me that "Fito"could escape from prison without the consent of the the warders it could really had been a planned event between a warder in the prison cell.

    1. Can you give some examples from communities trying out reformative programmes?

    2. I share the same line of thought with inventive_signature that the main focus should be reformative because, if a person has committed a crime serious enough to warrant jail time, they should have the opportunity to receive therapy and psychological testing to help them regain employable skills and reintegrate into society as contributing members. These corrective actions must be taken, like giving them access to counselling, education, and job training, to treat the underlying problems that gave rise to their criminal activity, with these abilities and networks of support, they can effectively reintegrate back into society and lower their risk of committing crimes again.

    3. I agree because I strongly think that the reformation and social rehabilitation should be the main priority of prison officers, so that prisoners can be released from prison as law-abiding and self-supporting citizens. This crucial to reduction of reoffending and protection of the public. Most at times prisons and prison wardens, primarily focus on the punishment side of a prison and so they tend to neglect the reformative part of it all. A prison, yes is there to punish offenders of the law and serve as a means for justice to be served, but if that reformative part is not there it will be like pouring water on a rock, because a prisoner except he or she is on life sentence will surely come out to the public and if that change is not impacted, if they were not able to reorient and reorganize the prisoners mindset he or she will go back to engaging in that immoral, criminal and self-destructive life style.
      So, for the fact that Fito escaped and is still perpetrating those evil practices he was doing before he went to prison, it means that the prison wardens failed in achieving that reformative purpose of a prison.

    4. I can see why you would say reformation is a viable route for prisons to focus on. However, many reformative programs now fail to do what they set out to achieve. Because of this, I believe something to focus on security. security around prisoners assures justice is served to those who truly deserve what is to be denied, freedom. You can be comfortable, but you will be starkly reminded on your wrong doings and why justice is to be done. It is hard not to be reminded of the ability to be free, and that’s a way to punish those while also trying to reform them.

  • In the above druthers I like all druthers but among them punishment , safe and reformative should be the biggest priority. At first punishment , People are doing a lot of activities which are hostile of law and regulations which make them to go in prison. Giving punishment to prisoner is good thing because if they won't be punished they will get intend to do more and huge miscalculations . So guilty should be punished.

    In my opinion second priority is safe , according to my perspective when the prisoner are at prison small bunch of crime is reduced in that place. It's safe when all prisoner will be in prison and none will affect none with their crime . People who are innocent they will be safe and they will get peaceful life. My last conviction is reformative where reformative approach to punishment should be the object of criminal law, in order to promote rehabilitation without offending community. Reformative help prison to improve a behavior in a system, organization or amongst individuals. It means that people who have been held in custody due to certain vices need to undergo reformations so as to make them better citizens and contributors to their nation. Prisons are meant to teach people who have committed a crime a lesson so as to prevent them from continuing the act and make them turn a new leaf.

    Thank You!

  • Matters like this remind me of the crime shows and movies I've watched. The atmosphere of fear the citizens feel, it makes falling asleep become a risk. The whole matter about Fito's escapade calls for a reconsideration of what a prison should be, I personally feel that the whole essence of having a prison is for offenders to be corrected and not just to face justice. Yes, victims of the offenders' crimes would feel a strong sense of revenge or punishment towards the offenders but we should also understand that the 5th option of reformation should be prioritized over the others. I believe that if they should be corrected calmly with the aid of a psychologist they wouldn't feel the urge to escape or even cause commotion in the society.

    The least prioritized option among those mentioned above should be the one of prisoners being comfortable. If all other options are met and the reformative option prioritized to be done calmly, the idea of escape won't really be conceived in their minds. Instead they'll have a sense of doing good and avoiding crime, if all prisoners are reformed, the crime rate in Ecuador will definitely drop.

    According to my research, I found that the major problem in Ecuador's prison system is poor infrastructure and insufficient surveillance systems. If there was a stable infrastructure with carefully monitored prisoners, the escape of Fito would have been less possible. There would definitely be a better Ecuador if the above solutions are implemented.

    In summary, the option of reformation should be implemented but in a calm and secure way, the government should also improve the prison infrastructure and surveillance systems of Ecuador.

    1. This is a really balanced response - nice work. Do you know of instances where reformation has been successfully implemented and managed in other countries?

      1. Before I proceed I would like define the word "Recidivism", this is a case whereby ex-convicts who were released from prison turn back to a life of crime. A good case of reformation producing positive results is the case of Norway. Norway through the use of reformation have been able to reduce their recidivism rate to a very low level. By comparing their recidivism rate with that of the United States, I found out that they have a 56% less recidivism rate than the United States who are having a recidivism rate of 76%. Another good case is that of Netherlands, Netherlands set up a program called "Re-integrative Shaming" whereby offenders are taken to visit victims of their crimes and made to understand the gravity of their actions, this has reduced their recidivism rate by 50%. Other examples of these are Singapore who use reformation through a program called "Restorative Justice" and Germany who named their program "Resocialization", these are cases whereby reformation have worked in prisons and reduced crime in the society.

        As my colleagues have expressed their different opinions, this topic got me thinking " What about the prisoners who were unjustly imprisoned maybe due to a case of implication? Should they also face the same judgement as the guilty? Is there something that could be done about this?"

  • A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where people are confined against their will and denied a variety of freedoms under the authority of the state, generally as punishment for various crimes.In my opinion, all the purposes of prisons mentioned above are correct but the primary or main function of a prison is reformation.Reformation means to correct,rehabilitate,and educate inmates so as for them to become better people. Therefore if reformation is the primary aim/function of a prison people will become better and turn away from crime.

  • Crime refers to any act that violates the law of the country and is punished by the legal system. It can include various harmful offenses such as theft, assault, fraud,corruption etc.
    Prisons are a form of punishment and preventions,discouraging criminals from committing crimes again in their life as well as aiming to protect society by removing dangerous individuals from the community making a controlled situation in the community additionally criminals can reflect on their actions, learn from their mistakes, and have the opportunity to live like a normal people in society again. Therefore all the of the purpose written like safe,secure,punishment,comfortable ,reformative should be given top priority by the officers as well as there's not a single purpose which should be given least priority to make our society a better place to live in for the betterment of humanity!!

  • Hi,
    I feel that all of them are important. But punishment and reformation are they ones that stand out for me. I even feel that the work hand-in-hand. The aim of reformation in prisons is to try to sanitize the mental state of offenders. Meanwhile, the aim of punishment is to apply treatment to the offenders, training them to have the ability to return to society and function as an ethical citizen of his/her own country . I have also found out that'' the reformative theory of punishment seeks to bring a change in the attitude of the offender so as to rehabilitate him into a law-abiding member of the society.''
    I least prioritize the idea of ''comfortable'', if prisons go really soft on their inmates, i feel that the prisoners will forget the main reasons of why they are in prison in the first place which will eventually make them to feel too relaxed , which on my part isn't right.

  • Well, firstly, prison is a place where prisoners are kept until their release time. In prison, prisoners are taught how to be a better citizen in our society. It is a platform for prisoners to be reformed into a better person in our society. In prison, only prison officers should be allowed to enter a prison. It is really unfortunate that 'Fito' was able to make his way out of prison. But this could only mean danger to the local citizen of Ecuador and further risk of crimes in Ecuador. The escape of such a prisoner only means either it was an arrangement to let him escape or it is negligence of the prison officers not being attentive. Not only are the incident of ‘Fito’ but there many successful escapes attempts by prisoners fighting against the law, which is unfortunate. Danelo Cavalcante, a 34 years old prisoner, who had a successful escape from Chester Country Prison in Pennsilvania crab-walking up to the roof of the prison, evaded the authorities for nearly 2 weeks. And another escape story is the successful escape by two convicted murderers, Richard Matt and David Sweat, broke out of the Clinton correctional facility in Dannemora, New York with the help of a prison employee 'Joyce Mitchell'.
    So, now on the point, The purpose 'Reformation' and 'Punishment' should be the top priority of prison snad punishment system. All the prisoners sent to a prison had attempted crime out of greed or to save their status or for revenge. All these prisoners might regret their act at last and might need a chance to improve themselves. And for most of all, it is really crucial and most essential act for a prisoner to be punished. For such crimes, they must need to be punished for better understanding to what they have act. The realization of one’s mistakes/ bad deeds and regret is the greatest punishment for criminals. There are many ex-cons who have made a good change after suffering in the prison. Charles Colson, the former Special Counselor for the president Richard Nixon was sentenced for 1-2 years in prison. He made a change for the good while suffering in the prison. Following his release, he organized Prison Fellowship, a national ministry which helped many prisoners to reform.
    Secondly, the purpose that should be at top priority is 'Security' and 'Safety' as sometimes the prisoners agent might get in prison helping the prisoner to escape. The only people who should be able to access the prison should be prison officers. Prison officers are well-trained for the protection of prison and prevention of escaping prisoners. There must be safety, so that everyone is okay. As a part of escape, prisoners sometime start a fight causing harm to themselves. Prison officers must be attentive to prevent possible fights between prisoners.
    Thirdly, the least priority should be given to 'Comfort'. Prisoners should not be given comfort, apart from basic facilities, because in prison, they must suffer for the crime they attempted. Prisoners having comfort causes more crimes in the society. If they are comfortable inside the prison then what is the difference between their homes and prison cells.
    Suggestion: For more effective and preventive solutions for no possible escape attempts, prison officers should be capacitated and get counseled every week. At last, I would say the 'Punishment' would be the most effective medicine for prisoners to reform. Prisons should have all those purpose done accurately. I hope there would be less successful escapes after officers become more attentive and responsible after the escape of 'Fito'.

  • I feel the main priority of a prison should be;
    Reformative = prisoners learn how to become better people. I say this because we all know the other name for a prison is a correctional centre. Also it helps in making the world a better place by changing people one by one
    Personally I feel all of them are supposed to be prioritised, but I guess it should be that prisoners are comfortable because it would not aid to the punishment.

  • For people in any country, the goal of prison ought to be paramount. To ensure the safety and security of both prisoners and staff, prison officers should place securing the jail as their top priority. Prisons often use high walls, fences, and occasionally electric or razor wire fences to restrict unwanted entry. Monitoring the perimeter for intrusions is done through surveillance equipment and routine patrols. Given this and Fito's ability to flee, it seems necessary to take additional measures to ensure the location is adequately guarded.

  • I think reformative as a purpose of prison is the best because when an individual or when people commit offence and are prisoned for their offense,reformative as a purpose of prison should come in place,that is,if they will eventually be freed or if they come out they should be a changed person not coming out the way they were.Prison officers should ensure that they do not still possess that criminal behavior in them.

  • What I think prisons should make their top priority is security. I think they should prioritize security the most because, for instance, we cannot have anymore gang leaders, serial killers, or anyone that has committed a horrendous crime. People like them (including Fito) are the most wanted and they should be maximizing the security around the prison. It's scary that Fito escaped from a maximum security prison. People outside the prison need safety from those inside. I know that some people can come out as a new person when they get out of prison, but the people that have been convicted of crimes that are horrendous should be kept locked up. But for the prisons lowest priority, in my opinion should be comfort. Why do I think that? It's because, why would a prison be comfortable since it is a facility that holds criminals? And to be exact, why would it ever be comfortable since the most wanted criminals can be convicted there with the other criminals? And to close it out, I don't think there are any more purposes that can be listed.

    1. you make some interesting points unparalleled blueberry, well done. Do you think it is also important for a prison to be reformative? Why/why not?

      1. I think it is also important for a prison to be reformative. Well for starters, if a prison is not in contemporary condition or not in standard condition, the people in the prison could escape due to the low security protocols and damage the prison even more. If the prison is damaged due to the prison not being in contemporary condition, the people who visit the prison to meet family members and etc could get seriously hurt since the prison is in shambles. That's why it is important for a prison to be reformative.

  • I personally think that the main purpose of a prison is for the punishment. Through punishment, justice is achieved. The prisons are there to prosecute wrong doers, to make them realize their wrong actions and punish them accordingly. Without prisons, wrong doers would simply be sent away with a warning and that might not be enough to stop them. Punishment is the imposition of a penalty as a retribution for an offence. In this case the penalty is revoking one's freedom. Apart from punishing the prisoners, the victims will also get justice if they have been wronged or hurt in any way. If any wrong doer is punished for their crimes then there will be justice. If there is justice then there will be peace.

  • Hello,
    It make my blood curdle when I found out the news about a prisoner making his way out of a well known and amazingly protected prison is the country of Ecuador. This can mean it may went two ways, or more.

    Scene no.1: Prisoners may have planned an escape a long time ago and had recently activated the plan to escape successfully.

    Scene no 2: Whilst escorting the prisoners, the prison security officers let their guards down, the prisoners went under the radar and managed to escape. My points might not be the reason for this escape, but it is the reasons for many escapes ever recorded.
    To my knowledge, prisons are not given as 'punishment' but rather as a short or long period of time where the person will get reformative information. This period of time is used to make prisoners better citizens. It is a place to teach people to prevent doing the act and make their life better.
    I think the most important aspect when holding a prison is secureness. When there is constant news going around that prisoners are fleeing from prisons left and right, prison commissioners should take notes when they are given news about prison outbreaks from other prisons. To inform to you all, I cannot pick a option that should be the least focused on. A prison should be perfect in all angles and in all aspects. When i picked secure, I didn't mean to say the others are not relevant. Every option is as important as 'secure'. This was my opinion on this discussion and this horrifying event. If you have any doubts and any sorts of questions about this discussions, you may comment on. your own opinion.

    Thank You...!

  • I think safety in prisons should be top priority. The prison service has a common law duty all around the world. This law is that they should all care to protect those in their custody(prisoners) from injury and harm, especially from abuse and neglect. This means that prisons must have processes to create and maintain an environment where prisoners in their care are safe. What people do not understand is that prisons are also correctional facilities. A prison is a secure building designed to hold prisoners as punishment for their crimes. Prisons serve various purposes like reformation. Prisons were created not only to punish rule breakers but to change them. The fact is, people will only change in a safe and secure environment. The highest priority of any correctional facility is to provide a secure and safe environment for inmates.
    The least priority should be comfortable. Prisons are created in order to change law breakers. For change to occur prisoners would have to get out of their comfort zones. We all like our comfort zones because they're, well, comfortable. Prisons were made to create change as well as to punish lawbreakers. I really don't think that can happen in a comfortable environment. There is a well known rule in nature, that rule is, you break the laws and you get punished. This rule has been around since the beginning of time. Though it is important I really believe it should be least priority because if prisoners are not uncomfortable, change will never happen.

  • In my opinion, the top priority for prison officials to look out for should be reformation, because it is the main goal that prisons be aiming at. It has become a thing of concern because most prisons serve as centers for rehabilitation. Therefore, prison officials should focus partly on reformation so the prisoners would change their ways and become good citizens of their country. In that manner, they could also train and groom others who they will come in contact with.
    I further feel that the least priority prison officials should focus on is comfort because when these prisoners get too comfortable, then they won’t see the need to change from their wrong ways. I think a prison is a correctional facility so for every crime committed, there should be a penalty.
    Finally, one aspect that wasn’t mentioned and I feel should be looked at is an isolation facility for all prisons. This is because, most people need a place to stay alone to reflect on their wrong doings, in that manner, they need to have quiet times apart from others and they should be denied several benefits so that they could realize their wrong.

  • In my own opinion, i think that the main purpose of prison or correctional center as I like to call it is to reform.
    Reforming prisons, rather than solely punishing, is crucial. Providing education, counseling, and skills training enables inmates to reintegrate into society, lowering reoffending rates. This approach values human dignity, tackles root causes, and proves cost-effective, fostering a safer, rehabilitated community. Embracing reformative measures in the criminal justice system benefits both individuals and society at large, emphasizing rehabilitation over retribution for a more effective and compassionate approach.

  • I think the Purpose of Prisons:

    Punishment
    Deterrence
    Rehabilitation
    Retribution
    Public Safety
    Restitution


    Top Priority for Prison Officers:
    The top priority for prison officers should be Rehabilitation. Focusing on helping offenders address the root causes of criminal behavior, providing education, vocational training, and support systems can contribute to their successful reintegration into society. This approach aims to reduce recidivism and build safer communities.

    Least Priority:
    While each purpose has its importance, a lesser priority may be assigned to Retribution. Prioritizing revenge or moral retribution may not contribute as effectively to long-term crime prevention and societal well-being compared to rehabilitation and deterrence.

    Additional Purpose:
    An additional purpose that could be considered is Restorative Justice, which emphasizes repairing the harm caused by the crime. This involves bringing together offenders, victims, and the community to work towards understanding, reconciliation, and restitution, fostering healing and preventing future offenses.
    I also think people need to think that deforestation is crime, without permission.

    Thanks.

    1. This is a very well reasoned argument hopeful analysis, well done. Can you think of any examples where deforestation might not be a crime? Is it ever acceptable?

  • My top 2 priorities would be reformative and punishment. Between the 2 it all depends on the kind of crime. If we are talking about killings, assassinations, severe child molesty then for me is punishment. No human has the right to take the life of another person and it is totally disgusting to even think about crimes including children. Then when we are talking about crimes concerning robberies for example criminals need to assess what they have done, to do their self awareness and evaluate their life again.

    1. Hi @peaceful_mode, it is interesting how you have separated different crimes. Can you elaborate on your point about criminal self-awareness?

      1. Hey chloe.

        In my opinion I strongly believe that It's important to know why you did something wrong, especially for those who break the rules. When these people realize why they did bad things, it helps them take responsibility for their actions. This self-awareness can make them less likely to do it again, which is good for everyone. It's like solving a problem from the inside out. This way of thinking is also consistent with the idea of ​​making amends for bad things by making them better, which is great for healing and peacemaking. When someone who has done something wrong understands what they have done and wants to change, it can help the entire community feel safer and more trusting. So it's not just about punishing them, it's about giving them a chance to correct their mistakes and become better for themselves and society. But I also firmly believe that there are people in our society who, while outwardly human, harbor malicious and reprehensible intentions at heart. These people are evil in their thoughts and actions and are simply monsters. It is important to acknowledge that these people should not be ignored and that they do deserve consequences for their actions. It is important to recognize that not all crimes should be condoned; rather, appropriate punishment and action must be taken to correct wrongdoing and uphold justice.

  • The primary concern when it comes to prisons should be security. It is crucial to ensure that prisoners cannot escape or be breached by external parties, as this could lead to an increase in crime rates and the release of dangerous criminals. Allowing criminals to roam freely poses a significant risk to public safety. While prisoner comfort should not be the highest priority, as they are serving sentences, it is important to note that this is just my opinion and others may have differing views. Furthermore, I believe that prisons serve as a deterrent to crime, as the fear of incarceration can discourage individuals from engaging in criminal activities. This highlights the importance of maintaining a secure and effective prison system that both protects society and provides a measure of justice for victims. However, it is also crucial to consider the potential for rehabilitation and reform, as well as the impact of incarceration on individuals and communities. A balanced and compassionate approach is necessary to ensure that prisons serve their purpose while upholding ethical and humanitarian standards.

    1. Hi @clever_ladder, that is an interesting point you made about prisoner comfort, can you give reasons for your view?

      1. Sure! Here are a few reasons for my view on prisoner comfort:
        The role of prisoner comfort in the criminal justice system is a complex issue, and there are several reasons why I believe it should not be the highest priority. Firstly, the primary purpose of prisons is to protect public safety and administer justice, not to provide a comfortable living situation for inmates. Secondly, limited resources should be prioritized for programs and services that reduce recidivism and promote rehabilitation, rather than for creature comforts. Additionally, providing excessive comfort or luxury in prisons could be seen as unfair to law-abiding citizens, especially those struggling to meet their own basic needs. Some might argue that a certain level of discomfort or austerity in prisons is necessary to deter crime and reinforce the idea that criminal behavior is not acceptable. However, it's important to note that while prisoner comfort may not be the highest priority, prisons should still provide basic necessities and humane treatment to ensure the health and dignity of inmates. This can include adequate food, shelter, medical care, and opportunities for education, exercise, and social interaction. Overall, a balance must be struck between justice, deterrence, and humane treatment in the design and operation of prison systems.

  • Prison, in general is a place where criminals and people doing works against law are kept. It is declared after someone is confined of crimes. Some of the purposes of prisons are mentioned above. I am going to express some of my opinions towards it.
    I think prison officers should give more priority in forming the reformative prisons. It is essential to give punishment to those who do high class criminal activities. It will scare people not to do such activities. But also if we provide a good environment to prisoner in the prison and involve them in different activities that increases their skill, then it will be a better option for us. It doesn't make sense to give death penalty to the prisoners. Instead we should give them training regarding some jobs. It will create a good mindset in prisoners. Prison officer should less prioritize in giving harsh punishment to them and showing them inhuman character .

  • hello
    from my point of view, in order of priority prison should be the secure first because if a prisoner is to escape from prison, as in the case of 'fito', it can be a serious threat to the lives of people living in that area if care is not taken. ten the least is that they should be comfortable, because if h the prisoner is to comfortable he or she will think that he can commit crime over and over again he or she will just go to a comfortable prison and enjoy.
    Thank you !

  • The top priority for prison officers should be the reformative purpose of prisons—ensuring that inmates have the opportunity to learn and develop the skills necessary to become better citizens upon their release. While maintaining security, ensuring punishment for wrongdoing, and providing a safe environment are important aspects of prison management, the ultimate goal should be the rehabilitation and reintegration of individuals into society. Prioritizing reformative efforts can contribute to breaking the cycle of crime, reducing recidivism, and fostering a safer and more just society. The least priority should be the punitive aspect, as a sole focus on punishment without opportunities for rehabilitation may hinder the potential for positive change and societal reintegration. Additionally, the list does not explicitly include the goal of reintegrating prisoners into society successfully, which is a crucial purpose that aligns with the broader concept of rehabilitation and should be emphasized in prison systems.

  • The main purpose of prison is to serve as a form of punishment for individuals who have committed crimes. It is also meant to protect society by removing dangerous individuals from the community. Additionally, prisons aim to rehabilitate offenders, providing them with opportunities for personal growth and skill development to reduce the likelihood of reoffending.
    Got it! Another purpose of prison is to deter others from committing crimes. When people see the consequences of illegal actions, it can discourage them from engaging in similar behavior. Additionally, prisons can provide a sense of justice for victims by ensuring that offenders face the consequences of their actions. Ultimately, the main goal is to maintain law and order in society and promote a safer community for everyone.
    When prisoners are provided with opportunities for rehabilitation, it can help them become better citizens. By offering education, vocational training, and counseling programs, prisoners can develop new skills and gain a better understanding of the consequences of their actions. This can lead to personal growth, improved decision-making, and a greater sense of responsibility. Ultimately, the goal is to equip prisoners with the tools they need to reintegrate into society successfully and lead productive, law-abiding lives.
    Sure thing! When prisoners engage in reformative programs, it can have a positive impact on their behavior and mindset. These programs focus on teaching important life skills, promoting self-reflection, and addressing the root causes of criminal behavior. By addressing issues such as addiction, anger management, and lack of education, prisoners have a better chance of breaking the cycle of crime. This can lead to reduced recidivism rates and a higher likelihood of becoming law-abiding citizens upon release. It's all about giving them the tools and support they need to make positive changes in their lives.
    Absolutely! Another perspective on the benefits of rehabilitation in prisons is that it can help prisoners develop empathy and a sense of accountability. Through therapy, counseling, and restorative justice programs, inmates can gain a deeper understanding of the impact their actions have had on others. This can foster a desire to make amends and contribute positively to society upon release. By addressing the underlying issues that led to their criminal behavior, prisoners have a chance to grow emotionally and morally, increasing their chances of becoming responsible and contributing citizens. It's all about giving them a second chance to turn their lives around.

    1. Well conducted comment caring_spring.
      The main purpose of a prisons is to establish a secure and highly controlled environment for the confinement of individuals who have been found guilty of committing crimes. By effectively segregating those who have violated laws from the general population, prisons help maintain social order and ensure the safety of society as a whole. It is a means of punishment that not only reflects the severity of the offense but also aims to deter future criminal behavior.
      Moreover, prisons can also serve as a form of protection for inmates themselves. By fostering a structured environment and implementing strict rules and protocols, prisons help maintain order and reduce the risk of violence or exploitation among inmates.
      While the central focus of prisons is to serve as a punishment and protect society, it is equally important to strive for meaningful rehabilitation. By offering support and assisting individuals in their efforts to change, prisons contribute to the overall goal of reducing recidivism rates and promoting a more secure and law-abiding society.😁😁

    2. Nice comment caring_spring.
      The primary objective of a prison is to establish a safe and regulated setting for the confinement of individuals who have been found guilty of criminal activities. It functions as a means of punishment and works towards safeguarding the community by segregating and detaining those who have violated laws. Moreover, prisons may also offer avenues for rehabilitation and reintegration through initiatives such as educational programs and counseling. They serve as a platform for individuals to reflect on their actions and strive to make a positive change, ensuring that they can reintegrate into society as better individuals upon release.

  • A prison's primary focus should be on punishments. When inmates experience consequences for their actions, it reinforces the idea that repeated offenses lead to continued punishment, especially when the consequences are stringent. Prioritizing comfortable punishments could convey a lenient environment, potentially encouraging further criminal behavior. Thank You

  • Just like Fun ant,Its usually impossible for one to break out a ,maximum security prison cell without an inner hand help. And even with an inner hand help, there should have been more guards on duty and effective security cameras to find out whoever must have helped him out.
    Such are the duties of a maximum security sector :And if they were completely vigilant, Would Veto have the opportunity to escape?

  • Maintaining the security of the inmates should be the prison guards' first responsibility; providing comfort for the inmates should be the least. In my opinion, prison guards should focus more on securing inmates than on providing them with comfort because, in the former case, dangerous inmates like Fito won't be able to escape and, by keeping them in, they may learn to be better citizens. In the latter case, though, inmates may not even want to be released because they will have an easy life behind bars and it is claimed that the government spends a lot of money on a single prisoner.

  • I think prioritizing one of these purposes over the others entirely may not be appropriate, as they often overlap and complement each other. However, the least priority might be given to the exclusive notion of a prison as purely a punitive institution without considering rehabilitation. A system solely focused on punishment may not contribute as effectively to long-term societal safety and the reduction of recidivism.

    Thank you!!!

  • In my opinion, the top priority of prison officers should be ensuring the safety of individuals both inside and outside the prison facility. The primary purpose of a prison is to protect society from potentially dangerous individuals, thus, creating a secure and safe environment is crucial. By maintaining strong security measures, such as effective surveillance systems, proper inmate classification, and adequate staffing, prison officers can prevent escapes, gang violence, and other potential threats.

    Next, the reformation and rehabilitation of prisoners should be prioritized. While incarceration serves as a form of punishment, it should also offer opportunities for offenders to learn from their mistakes and develop the skills needed to reintegrate successfully into society. By providing educational programs, vocational training, and mental health support, prison officers can contribute to the reformative aspect of imprisonment.

    Justice and punishment should also be a priority, as it is essential for offenders to be held accountable for their actions. However, it should not be the sole purpose of prison officers. While punishment can deter future criminal behavior and provide closure to victims, it does not necessarily guarantee societal safety or successful reintegration.

    Regarding prioritizing least, ensuring prisoner comfort should be the least prioritized purpose. While it is important to treat prisoners humanely, comfort should not surpass the other goals of imprisonment. Allocating excessive resources towards comfort may divert attention and funds from security measures, rehabilitation programs, and proper inmate supervision.

    One purpose missing from the list is the concept of restitution. Restitution involves offenders making amends for their crimes by compensating their victims or the community in some meaningful way. Encouraging prisoners to take responsibility for their actions and contribute positively to society through restitution can further promote their reformation and help restore trust and balance within the community.

    In conclusion, the top priorities for prison officers should be ensuring the safety of individuals inside and outside the facility, followed by promoting reformation and providing opportunities for prisoners to learn and grow. While punishment and justice are important aspects, they should not be prioritized over safety and rehabilitation. Additionally, the concept of restitution can offer another purpose for prisons, emphasizing accountability and support for victims and communities affected by crime.

    1. I totally agree. The purpose of prisons shouldn't just be about the safety of those on the outside of the prison but also about the rehabilitation of those in the inside so that by the time their possible prison sentence has been completed, they can be changed persons and not come out to repeat the same actions for which they were put in for.

      1. how do you think a prison might rehabilitate its prisoners, positive weaver?

        1. One way I think prison can rehabilitate all in it is by providing programs for the prison inmates. For example, people who are professionals in talking to people(for purpose of the rehabilitation process), therapists and other who are professionals in that field can come in and discuss with them regularly as they can. When they are constantly reminded of the grave consequences of their actions and that it is not actually the end of the world, that they can still be better, when they eventually come out or have finished their prison terms, they won't be likely to repeat the actions that led them there in the first place.

  • I feel one of the main aims of prisons should be to reform inmates but there should still be a balance between reforming prisoners and punishing them for the crime they committed. Reforming the inmates would be a great advantage to us all because the inmates will leave prison changed and better people and to the victims of the crime committed by prisoners, punishing the prisoners for the crime they committed will give the victims of the crime justice. They will feel safe and secure because they know that the people that victimized them are in the prisons being punished for the wrong they did.

  • Hi there!
    The purposes of a prison system are multifaceted, and their efficacy often depends on societal values and perspectives. "Secure" prisons, where individuals can't get in or out, are generally considered necessary for maintaining public safety and preventing potential harm from incarcerated individuals. "Punishment," when aligned with principles of justice, aims to hold individuals accountable for their actions and maintain societal order. "Safety" is a fundamental goal, ensuring that both inmates and staff are protected from harm. "Reformative" prisons, focusing on rehabilitation and teaching inmates how to be better citizens, align with a more progressive and forward-looking approach to criminal justice, aiming to reduce recidivism and contribute to the social reintegration of individuals. The perception of "comfortable" prisons, however, can be controversial, as it raises questions about the balance between humane treatment and the severity of punishment. Ultimately, the effectiveness of a prison system depends on finding a nuanced and ethical balance between these purposes, striving for justice, safety, and rehabilitation.

    1. Hi there, I like how you consider the element of balance between different goals. How do you see these goals (security, comfort, punishment, reform, etc) reinforcing (or negating?) each other: Can you deliver effective punishment while making people comfortable? Can you achieve true rehabilitation into society while you’re isolated from it?

  • One of the most basic purposes of prisons that I think is missing out of the list, is it acts as a deterrent to crime. Few people want to spend any amount of time in prison, so the theory is that men and women will not commit crimes due to the harsh conditions of confinement in prisons. The same goes for repeat crimes. Prisons aim to deter individuals from committing crimes and to punish those who have committed crimes. The idea is that if people know that they will be punished and denied their rights to movement for committing a crime, they will be hesitant to do so. While there are factors regarding upbringing, need, and culture that still push people into crime, prisons are at least a moderately successful deterrent, albeit this does not span all types of crime. For example, many who commit murder do so in a fit of rage or passion. As such, a possible term of imprisonment would not act as a deterrent to them.

  • Another thing is that a prison is a correctional centre and not a center for comfort and that is how Feto had access to cell phones and a wonderfully decorated room. Such surroundings aren't ment for prisoners because they cant change from their bad ways if they are in a comfortable environment. They feel that such environments encourage them to continue in their evil ways if they dont feel pain in the prison where they are to learn to change .
    Imagine the state of Emergency that is currently in the US because of Fetos escape.If they had done the work of a prison, Would this have happened?

  • I am very shocked to find out that "Fito" could make his way out of a secure prison. This could either mean that there was a personal arrangement to let him escape or the prison officers let their guards down. I think that the purpose of prison is reformative purpose as the prisoners can learn to be a better person and improve their behavior. If this purpose is done, everyone can be safe and they will find justice. Reformative purpose can also make the world a better place to live on. It will help prisoners to prevent them from continuing the same mistakes or crime again and again.
    But I also want to add that to make sure that prisoners cannot escape from or enter the prison is also a purpose. If the police officers do not keep a close eye on this, crime rates in the area could increase, and dangerous criminals might be set free. It can be very risky to allow criminals to move around freely.
    At last, I want to say that I respect all the of the purpose written like safe, secure, punishment, comfortable, reformative. The most important ones for me are secure and reformative. They should be given top priority. If all this priorities are done, our society can a better place to live in for the betterment of humanity.

  • The purpose of a prison is to ensure that

    1. What i want to say is that the purpose of a prison is to ensure that others are not supposed to develop what prisoners have already developed .
      finally, i will also have to say that prisoners are not supposed to be comfortable in prison because they will always find a way to escape from prison.

  • The most important purpose of every prison officer is the ability to secure the prison yard as a whole because as a prison officer, he is expected to take various responsibilities in the prison yard. Prison officers are always trained to be careful and ready at all times to always protect and secure the prison yard against any clueless attack that will come up in the prison yard.
    In the prison, the least purpose that should be put into consideration is the comfort of the prisoners. As a prisoner who is captured,he or she is not supposed to be treated like the way he or she is being treated at home.
    The purposes are all documented but in this case, it was not applied and taken care of and so it then contributed to the escape of Fito.

  • Hi guys,
    Regarding the 1st question,the top priority of prison officers should be safety.Ensuring that both staff and inmates are not in danger is essential for maintaining order and preventing incidents such as violence,riots or escapes.

    The least prioritized purpose in the given 5 purposes would be punishment because it would totally depend on the perspective and approach of the officers.However,I feel that punishment should be the least prioritized purpose since prisons should aim to rehabilitate and reform inmates rather than just punishing them punishment is necessary to keep society’s discipline and structure in order like If a person breaks the law or violates social standards or commits a crime or any kind of physical,economical,sexual or mental harassment..It is only fair to provide justice for the victim and I also think there should be fixed punishments for certain crimes to provide justice for culprits too because to me justice should be given to everyone whether they did a crime or not..

    Regarding the third question,I think there are other purposes of prisons that could be added to the list such as deterrence(preventing crime by showing the consequences of criminal behaviour),restitution (compensating victims for their losses) or community protection(keeping 'dangerous' individuals away from society)...Thank You!

    1. Hi jubilant leaf,
      I strongly agree to your point in the second paragraph because prison is meant to be known as correctional center for offenders. The punishment and intimidation experienced in response to their offense are meant
      to transform their characters.

  • I believe the most important purpose is the reformative purpose which is to make prisoners better citizens. I say this because if you make the prisoners better citizens they won't do whatever crime they did. There also wouldn't be any crime since the prisoners aren't doing anything bad anymore.

  • What I think prison officers should care more about is Punishment and Reformative. When criminals go to prison they serve time as a punishment, sometimes behind this the real punishment is spending time away from your loved ones or the humiliation and shame you receive.
    When a person goes to prison and faces their punishment, they would want to be better people so that they don't have to go through the punishment again or some prisons have programs to teach the prisoners to be better people and sometimes provide education for prisoners.


    I do not think the prison officers should really pay attention to how comfortable a prisoner is as it is part of the punishment for them to be uncomfortable. So, I do not think this is something officers should really care about.

    I think one purpose of prisons is for them to be fair. The prisoners should be treated according to the level of their crimes, from robbers to serial killers.

  • The prisoner is sent to the prison as (and not for)punishment for whatever crime he or she committed and one of the core mandate of the prison is to reform the prisoner while in custody via educational, vocational and spiritual skills so that he/she becomes aware of the consequences of their actions and refrain from committing another crime in future especially after being released back into the society.

  • I think helping prisoners address the underlying issues that led to their criminal behavior and providing them with education, vocational training, and mental health services can contribute to their successful reintegration into society. Retribution is generally considered a less priority in modern correctional systems.

  • When anyone commits a crime, they are sent to prison as a punishment and also to make them realize their mistake so that they don't to the same crime again. It's like to give them a chance to learn from their mistake, to change themselves and reformative.
    So, for me the main purpose of prison is to secure and control the offender, to give punishment for their wrongdoings, and lastly reformation of the offenders.
    The offenders are taken to prison so that they can't to any more harms to other and to control them. As the offenders did a crime so they have to pay a price for it. To make them pay for their actions, there is punishment for them in the prisons. Being capture in the prison can never be a punishment of the crime they did. They have done a very bad thing and still we provide them 3 times food and a place to sleep. How can this be a punishment? I think there should be different types of punishment according to the crimes they did. OfCourse everybody shouldn't get the same punishment. They should get punishment according to their crime.
    I think there is no need to make prisoners comfortable. There should be arrangement for the necessity things only. And it could be good if we can make arrangement for study in prisons. Because we know education can purify one's mind. So, I think that every prisoner should be given books on how to be a good citizen or books on moral and human values and many more to read whether they prefer it or not. We can also arrange quiz on those topics and can also give them reward so that they wholeheartedly learn the lessons of the books.
    And lastly came the main role of the prisons that is the reformation. We have to make them realize their fault and to make sure that they don't to that type of work again. Here we have to teach them the further consequence of doing the crime again and also have to encourage them for doing good works. We have to divert their mind from wrong path to good path. The reformation is the most crucial and important part of the prisons. If anyone failed to reform themselves then it's totally a waste to spend the years in prison. For these reasons we have to make good arrangement for reformations of the criminals and take them back to the right track. I think this is what the role of prisons should be. Lastly, everyone must follow the laws and work accordingly.

  • In my opinion, the one that should be the top priority of prison officers is "reformative.". This is because a focus on rehabilitation contributes to public safety by working to prevent individuals from returning to a life of crime after their release. As a matter of fact, prioritizing rehabilitation would contribute to the development of a healthier community. So, I think the top priority of prison officers should be reformative.

  • I think another purposes that are missing are : i. protection: this has to do with keeping dangerous individual away from the general public to ensure the safety of the society
    ii. Entrepreneurship also becomes integral to the prison system as inmates are involved in diverse vocational activities like; tailoring, carpentry e.t.c initiated by the government.
    This engagement aims to equip them with skills fostering self sufficiency upon release, enabling them to earn a livelihood independently.

  • According to my own understanding prisoners should not be treated too comfortably because it might be through the comfortability that motivated ''fito'' to escaped by bribing the security

  • To my mind, the purpose that should be prioritized the least is "comfortable.".The reason for this is that emphasizing comfort might be misinterpreted as a lax or permissive approach to imprisonment. This means if the prisoners feel comfortable behind bars, they will not change, or they will have the same mentality and not feel any regret for the crimes they have committed.

  • I think the fifth option should be the top priority because by that so prisoners will get to be better citizens and will mend their ways. The main purpose of prison is to punish and rehabilitate individuals who have committed crimes in order to have only good citizens in a society and hearing about the news related to fito scares me alot because how was he able to escape from prison after all the tight security it's a wounder that he escaped.

  • well i think that the top priority of the prison guards and the warden should not be on one specific prisoner it should be on all of the prisoners beacuse they are all dangerous. but if some of them are really dangerous they should be kept in whith thier most trusted guards, the one's that can not be bribed or dragged to the wrong path. i think none of them should be prioratised less than the other because
    they can escape and regrup then try and release the most dangerous prisoners and.that would be a catasrophy. yes they should be 'prioritized' which means none should be unguarded than the other. and they should be given less time to comunicate and plan for thier escape and more time to think about thier mistakes, and there should be more reforming periods so prioners can the good path and leave thier old evil scary path.

  • As an enthusiast of true crime, with a keen interest in the realms of law and criminal narratives, I believe that emphasis should be placed on punishment, primarily due to my observations from numerous cases. In many instances, prisoners seem to exhibit little remorse for their actions, raising questions about the effectiveness of reformation alone.

    Justice should take precedence, mingling punishment with opportunities for reformation. While acknowledging the existence of genuinely remorseful detainees, the focus should be on a balanced approach, ensuring that the consequences of their actions resonate with the severity of the crime. This dual strategy aims not only at rehabilitation but also at addressing the impact on victims' families and society at large.

    In contrast, the least prioritized aspect should be comfort. The degree of comfort should align with the nature of the prison; high-security facilities, hosting individuals responsible for severe crimes, warrant lower comfort levels. In contrast, lower-security prisons should provide moderate comfort, emphasizing humane conditions without surpassing the standards for those outside prison walls.

    In essence, prisons serve the dual purpose of reflection and punishment, making it important to strike a balance that fulfills both objectives.

  • I agree with 5 because prison were made for people to be better citizens so everyone will be safe and happy and the prisoner's won't do such awful thing's because they already know the punishment for what they have done so their'll hopefully won't do it again but because some people try to escape prison so two thing's can happen from here they get caught and justice is served so year's are added to their sentence or they escape but no one will give them a job and they will be on the run!

  • in my opinion, i think the top priority should Punishment, Because it teaches people to stop disobeying the law of the country. Punishment will also help achieve justice for the offended. Punishment also leads to Reformation in most cases because the prisoners learn their lessons and change their evil ways.

  • I think the purpose that should be the top priority of prison officers would be (5) Reformative, because if prisoners are going to learn how to become better citizens, they will need to go through all the purposes. The purpose I think should be the least will be (3) comfortable, because some prisoners will never be at ease even when they have been released or they are still in prison, and I think these are the most important purposes for an officer's priority.

  • In my opinion, the top priority of a prison officer should be safety. Making sure that nobody is in danger is crucial for both the inmates and staff

    The purpose that should be least prioritized is comfort. While it may be important to treat prisoners with dignity and provide basic necessities, providing excessive comfort might undermine the ability idea of punishment and deterrence.

    To add on the purposes mentioned another importance of prison should be deterrence. By imposing punishment and consequences for criminals behavior, prison aims to subdue criminals from committing crimes. This can help protect society and prevent future offenses

  • Hello, I believe that the purpose of prisons are for reformative reasons because i think that prisons should be a place where bad people are put away to make places safer from them but also to bring justice to the person. But, most importantly to teach prisoners to be better citizens so that communities are safer. But i believe that when prison environments are bad and prisoners aren't taught how to be better, the point of prison is defeated because the prisoners won't change and might even become worse due to the environment. So i do believe that to some extent that prisons should not be comforting but also shouldn't be terrible and unsafe environments because prisoners should be taught how to be better people. I also think that prisons should be prioritising security because when i hear about the prison escapees it makes me disappointed because i know that the communities near aren't safe because the security at the prison was bad. People should be able to feel safe knowing bad people are being held in prison and so when they manage to escape it seems as the prison doesn't really care about the safety of others because someone that should be incarcerated is now out doing what got them there in the first place.

  • According to the 5 purposes of prison,we can all see why prisons are set up.Justice must take place in any society,so prisons are established to correct breakers of the law.I feel that the purpose that should receive more priority is Reformative. This is because it would be pointless if offenders of the law are confined for several years and they come out the same way they entered.There should be change and a sense of remorse for what ever action that brought them there in the first place.I feel that the least should be comfortable.No punishment should be comfortable.They can enjoy a little comfort but if it is too much,they will forget why they are there and therefore destroy the idea behind why the government established prisons.

  • Keeping certain people incapacitated in prison definitely serves a purpose for public protection, their removal from society can reduce the harm that is posed by them to the public. It is also important to have a system which acts as a deterrent for committing crime and for those who are repeat offenders, retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation. Each of these goals has received varied levels of public and professional support over time. The original purpose of a prison was incapacitation. Early prisons mainly detained prisoners awaiting trials or capital punishments like death, banishment, or slavery.

  • The top priority of prison officers should be rehabilitation, as it aims to help inmates reintegrate into society as law-abiding citizens, reducing recidivism. The least prioritized might be punishment, as an excessive focus on punishment alone may not address the root causes of criminal behavior.

    Other purposes that could be considered include deterrence, to dissuade potential offenders, and protection of society by keeping dangerous individuals incarcerated.

    I'll be interested to hear others' perspectives on this debate.

  • In the context of the five purposes of prisons outlined—secure, punishment, comfortable, safe, and reformative—the top priority for prison officers should be safety. Ensuring the safety of both prisoners and staff is fundamental to the overall functioning of a prison. A secure and safe environment forms the foundation upon which other goals can be pursued.

    While safety takes precedence, the least priority might be placed on the comfort of prisoners. While humane treatment is essential, it should not overshadow the primary purpose of imprisonment, which is to address legal consequences and maintain societal safety. Striking a balance between humane conditions and the core objectives of imprisonment is crucial.

    Additionally, one purpose that seems to be missing from the list is "rehabilitation." Rehabilitation goes beyond reform and emphasizes the process of helping prisoners reintegrate into society successfully. It involves providing educational and vocational opportunities, counseling, and support systems to reduce the likelihood of reoffending.

  • Hey there! I totally agree with you that the top priority of prison officers should be the "Reformative" purpose of prisons. It's important to provide inmates with the necessary resources and opportunities to learn from their mistakes, develop new skills, and reintegrate into society as better citizens. This approach focuses on rehabilitation rather than just punishment. As for the least prioritized purpose, I would say it's the comfort of prisoners. While basic human rights should be respected, the main goal should be to create an environment that promotes growth, accountability, and positive change. What are your thoughts on this?

  • I think that the first one should be our priority. I think that they need to be secure as if you want to punish its not 100 percent that they will stay. Obviously they should stay safe. You don't want to kill them and end up in their position. I would want to keep them comfortable but not too comfortable because then they'd never want to leave. I also think that they should be taught to be reformative as they might go back into the world to be horrible people.

  • I think that prisons have many purposes as:
    It helps to educate the civilian so that he does not commit this crime again. This is considered one of the most important reasons for establishing prisons because society will then live in safety and stability as a result of the decrease in the number of crime perpetrators and offenders,

  • I think that safety is the most important. In a prison, there must be ensured that both prisoners and guardians are safe. This means that:
    1.The guardians don't harm the prisoners
    2.Prisoners don't harm each other 3.Guardians are not harmed by the prisoners.
    There are only 3 basic rules that should be applied in probably every prison. I think that it is important to also prevent future dangerous situations from happening. For example, when somebody escapes, there should be some safety measurements to ensure that the police officers are safe. Of course, the officers already know that their job is dangerous. They know what they got into. However, it seems unacceptable that police officers are being kidnapped after Fito has escaped. If criminals don't fear the authorities, then we have got a huge problem. I believe that we have tons of examples of what money and power make of people. It really is terrible.

  • What I think is the top priority of prison is security. When ther is security in the prison, prisoners won't escape. What I think is the cause of fito's escape was lack of security,I think there was more comfort than security in fito's prison which led to his escape and to even talk of smuggling cell phones, this shows that there is no security in that prison. In addition, I think the least priority of prison is comfort if prisoners are too comfortable they

  • To begin with, prison is a place where criminals are legally held for a crime that they had comitted. In my opinion, prisons are Refomative, which is to reform people who kill or steal to be in better behavior which means better citizens. For example, prisons should teach prisoner's a lesson about stealing or killing to prevent them from doing it again and again. To me, the least priority for prisons is the comfort of a prisoner. How can someone who comitted crimes be held in a place where they feel like they're at home? That means that number of criminals would increase due to the idea of enjoying their time in prison. All that I'm saying is that prisoner's shouldn't feel like they're at a luxurious hotel, no they are at a place where they are being held for a crime they comitted.
    Now, prisons should take into consideration the saftey of inmates, since many of them lose their lives due to occuring fights wether it is between a group of inmates or between two of them.

  • Hello,
    A prison can simply be defined as an institution that is built to keep law breakers [Prisoners] away from the general public to reduce the harm in the community. For me the main purpose of a prison is to reform a prisoner, we need to change the character of the prisoner so if the get out of prison would not repeat what they did before.

    1. how would you change the character of a prisoner, brave reindeer?

      1. Well to my understanding when we treat them like they are not humans they will still have that mind in them that the way we are speaking to them is a way they are meant to talk and treat citizens , but if we threat them like the are part of our community, when we show them the wrongs and the right they will change.
        In Nigeria my country, the criminals are school dropout or people who did not even go to school and the unemployed so due to the hardship they go into criminal activities for example kidnapping ( the most common) due to this they get cut and get to jail. If the government give more job opportunities and give students the importance of education I personally feel the rate of crime in the society will reduce.
        In essence what I am trying to say is that prisons do not always do the transformation we all also have a role to play.

        1. you make some well reasoned points brave_reindeer, well done.

  • Establishing a comprehensive and efficient criminal justice system necessitates a holistic approach that addresses interconnected priorities such as safety, punishment, comfort, security, and reform. Crime, being a persistent aspect of human existence, underscores the critical need to recognize how these factors permeate every aspect of our lives. Unfortunately, in today's world, justice often takes a back seat due to widespread corruption within the legal system, eroding public trust in the law and government. To solve this problem, a strong focus on security is required to deter criminal activities. At the same time, we must pay attention to punishment, clarify the consequences of illegal acts, promote accountability, and exert a strong deterrent effect. While I am a strong believer in maintaining a delicate balance in an effective criminal justice system, I believe the focus should be on the punishment sector more. This focus on punishment is rooted in the belief that clear consequences for criminal behavior not only promote accountability but also serve as a powerful deterrent. When individuals face the consequences of their actions, society instills a sense of fear and understanding, which are important components in discouraging illegal behavior. Public awareness of punitive measures is a coercive force that creates an environment in which individuals understand the potential impact of their actions, thereby making a significant contribution to the overall safety and integrity of the community.

  • The purpose of prisons is to educate and stop immoral behavior in criminals. Prisons are made to rehabilitate criminals and reduce the amount of criminal activities happening in our society. To make them not to be idle and learn to do good things. Prisons are places were criminals are to be punished but also were reformation takes place. Prisons are also made to give criminals a second chance. Prisoners should not be let out after serving their jail terms because the can add to the problems of the society. The main purpose of prisons are rehabilitation, reformation, punishment, security and repentance. Prison warders should treat prisoners like they treat themselves because if they bully and beat prisoners will force fully not agree to do what they want. To me prisons in Nigeria are not working because if prison warders are actually doing their jobs they amount of criminal activities in Nigeria have supposed to have reduced by now. Prisons are also supposed to teach prisoners that every bad thing they do they will always be consequences in life so they should get whatever the want by doing the right things. Prisoners should not be left comfortable and prison officers should keep an eye on prisoners in order to let them not to escape.

  • One important purpose of prisons is to ensure security by preventing unauthorized entry and exit. This is crucial for maintaining public safety and protecting society from potential harm. For example, high-security prisons are designed with fortified structures, surveillance systems, and strict control measures to ensure that individuals convicted of serious crimes are securely confined. This helps minimize the risk of dangerous criminals escaping and causing harm to the community.

    Additionally, the reformative purpose of prisons aims to rehabilitate inmates and equip them with skills to become better citizens upon release. Programs such as educational courses, vocational training, and counseling are implemented to address the root causes of criminal behavior. By focusing on rehabilitation, prisons strive to reduce recidivism rates, allowing individuals to reintegrate into society as law-abiding citizens. For instance, studies have shown that access to education and vocational programs in prison can significantly lower the likelihood of reoffending, promoting long-term societal safety and well-being.

  • I think prison should focus more on the performance size of things because we want the people who do bad things to be better and join back in society as a better human I think they shouldn't Focus as much on the Prisoners are at ease and they're comfortable side I mean everybody deserves to be comfortable we would never treat anyone like an animal but some people in person did bad things so they don't deserve to be asked comfortable as us so just make it like a little harder on them while were forming them into better humans ,I don't think there's another purpose of Prisons we need to add but a good addition would be education for prisoners because some of them are uneducated on the way and just let them know how what the law is .

  • The safety, and reformative state of the prison is the thing they should prioritize. This is because if the prisoners are not safe then they might believe they are getting treated wrong and get angier at guards for that. This could lead to prisoners trying to escape or attack a guard so they should keep the prisoners safe in the prison. Next the reformative part of the prison is very crucial because if they do not change after prison they will keep on breaking the laws so they should try to reform the people there so that when they come out of prison they realize what they did wrong and do not do it again.

  • Prison should be a place of correction for offenders who are guilty of crime. It should be a place where they make a great turn around meanwhile it should not be a place of enjoyment rather more of punishment for their crimes. The case of Fito has disregard the purpose of prison because according to my research, Fito’s prison room is more like an exclusive hotel room which has more access to enjoyment that other inmate. He has held different parties in the prison and with no doubt he will have access to other illegal connections while in prison.His escapade is most likely a planned one because according to research, the prison has enough security watch guard who are protecting it. So his escape is most likely a planned one because he not only had escaped one but twice. If he is receiving such treatment in a PRISON,he won’t see his act as an illegal one and would want to continue penetrate more into it. So a prison is more of punishment than enjoyment to reform there mentality

  • All five purposes of prisons are exceptional, no doubt, but I believe that number 5 (reformative) should be a precedent most while, conversely, number 2 (punishment) could be less prioritized. Although the five purposes are more than sufficient, prisons should also have some sympathetic purposes.

    Prioritization should be in reformation because it teaches the prisoners to be better citizens. If prisoners learn how to be better citizens, their actions will likely reflect that, meaning prisoners can join a civilized society soon.

    Despite this, I believe that punishment could be less prioritized. Prisons do not need to scare convicts but to reform them. If prisoners fear the punishments, this will not help their development to become better citizens but help the development evolve worse people. I have seen on the news where jails and prisons mistreat prisoners, a very despicable act. And it does not help that the prisoners do not end up reforming but become more aggressive. An example of this is Yoshie Shiratori, a prisoner who escaped from prison several times, one reason being the mistreatment he suffered from the guards.

    As for sympathetic purposes, I found that most correctional facilities are not compassionate to their inmates. Most inmates do not treat each other well, and neither do the guards. If prisons focus on sympathizing with prisoners, they will likely figure out why the convict committed the crime they did, which could help reduce crime rates.

  • Determining a top priority of a prison is complex. Each of the above point is equally important but when it comes to prioritise on the most I think safety comes first. If nobody can get in or out of prison then it will be safe for both prisoners and staff. This includes physical safety from violence or accidents to psychological safety such as mental health issues and abuse. Reformative should also be prioritise in prison because it will help people to come out as a better version of themselves. It will help them realise the mistake they did and way of improvement. While these two should be in the first priority other purposes should also be focused to not harm the freedom of any person. Other than these studying the cause why the person caused crime should also be done because it helps to understand the prisoner better and help to reform them as a better citizen.

  • Greetings,
    Prisons basically have a lot of positive and good purposes. Prisons are not only for giving punishment to a person that has attempted crime once or more than that , it's main purpose is to make them motivated and a better citizen and make them ready to give the contribution they can for the betterment of their nation and themselves. The purpose of prison is also to ensure the security of other citizens, it's to make prisoners realize and stop doing crimes,prison is made to give justice as well as many more things.
    Thank you

  • I believe that 1. and 4. should be prison officers first priority as prisoners are bad people who did very bad things arms let’s say that a killer was put in prison the officers first priority should be to keep the citizens safe from the criminals. This also links to 1. which is to be secure. If the police want to keep us safe they should make sure that the prison is well secure and make sure that the prisoners have absolutely no chance of getting out. I believe that police should make doors to the cell where the prisoners live and that they should hand the food to them through a window that can open instead of them getting out to receive their food as this is very hazardous because what if when they get their meal they run off without the police watching. Another priority I think should be no.1 is 5. because if the police do not teach the prisoners to be better citizens then they will just repeat what they did if not even worse then what they did and this could then lead to havoc as there are many people in jail right now and once they let them all out there will be chaos if they don’t teach them to be respectable, responsible citizens. To do this one police officer can take them into a room to do some training one on one and one by one. On the other hand,

    1. do you think everyone who commits a crime should be sent to prison funny fish? Are there other ways they could be punished?

  • According to me prison officers top priority is reformative . One should get a chance to correct himself/herself,many of them are released after a certain period . The basic objective of putting the prisoner into a prison is to give them time and make them realize that what they did was wrong. Converting them to productive citizens is more beneficial rather then just wasting thier potentials. Indeed prisoners are courageous their strengths can be diverted into a different direction.

    I believe that leaving prisoners at ease would least favorable as what they have done is surely wrong and nothing can cover it

  • The top most purposes that should be the priority of prison officers are to ensure safety and security of the prison offenders let me explain better. The safety and security of inmates, staff, and the public should be the paramount concern for prison officers. This includes preventing violence, maintaining order within the facility, and minimizing the risk of escape or unauthorized activities that could endanger individuals both inside and outside the prison walls. Ultimately, maintaining safety and security within the prison setting is essential not only for fulfilling the duties of prison officers but also for promoting the overall welfare and stability of the prison community.

  • The prime purpose of a prison is punishment.
    The proper definition of a prison is where people are legally held as a punishment for a crime they have committed or while awaiting trial.
    People go to prison because they have done something extremely wrong and worthy of an extreme punishment.
    Some might argue that being in prison is mainly for reformative purposes. However I belive that facing the punishment and hardcore treatment in prison is reformation manifested already. Once they get out of prison who would want to go back to such a place after all the problems He/She faced. I believe the worse the punishment the more effective it is.
    If prison is regarded as a place for reformation I doubt anyone would take it seriously. What would be the point of actual correctional facilities?

  • A prison is a secure building designed to hold inmates as retribution for their crimes or suspects as they await trial. Prisons serve various purposes, including retribution, incapacitation, deterrence, and reformation.
    In prisons today, rehabilitation, deterrence, incapacitation, and retribution are all elements that provide a justice to society. Prisons effectively do their part in seeing that one if not more of these elements are met and successfully done. If it were not for these elements, than what would a prison be good for? It is highly debated upon whether or not these elements are done properly. It is a fact that these are and a fact that throughout the remainder of time these will be a successful part of prison life. When a prisoner enters a prison, it is presumed he is guilty of the crime he was charged with. If this is true, the prison has an obligation to do something about this criminal.

  • In my own opinion, a prison should be a place were inmates can reflect on what they did wrong and learn how to be better citizens with the help of the prison officers. I also think prison officials should teach the inmates and give them a better chance at life by equipping them with skills that will make them productive citizens once they go out of jail. I believe that a prisoner has his passion or something positive he or she loves doing that will make them feel happy. In as much as there a have disobeyed the law, they should not be neglected as everyone deserves a second chance.

  • Prison and prison officers have many purposes, but I believe that people's safety should be the top priority. I believe safety is the top priority because the country's citizens should be able to live in the country without feeling any fear that a criminal could harm them at any time. The country's citizens should be able to live in the country at ease, not in stress. Another reason why I believe safety should be their top priority is because the safety of the country can have major impacts on the country. The citizens might want to leave knowing the country is not safe, the GDP per capita will decrease, tourists would avoid the country, etc.. I believe that prisons should prioritize inmates being comfortable the least. Prisoners should not be very comfortable in prison as prison is a punishment, not a place to relax. I do not think that the list forgot any purposes of prison, I believe that the list contained the most important and most known ones.

  • The way I see it, prisons usually serves two main purposes out of these five that is the purpose of 'Reformation' and the purpose of 'punishment'. There are some crimes which should not be pardoned and the wrongdoer should pay for their sins, prison for such perpetrators act as a punishment setting up an example that justice will be provided to every victim and every wrongdoer will be punished. Whereas there are some crimes which can be forgiven or maybe are performed due to certain circumstances, in this case prison serves as a place of reformation by providing rehabilitation to prisoners and changing their lives for better and making sure they don't repeat the same mistake ever again. The prison officers should prioritize both the tasks equally to make sure that prisoners are punished as well as they are reformed to be a better person.

  • I don't think prisons are made to be very comfortable. They only should have the basic needs of a person, they aren't made to be luxury houses but rather corrective centres. If prisons are considered to be convenient more people would purposely commit crimes just to forget about their worries. They would also commit crimes to get free food, education and shelter. I say prisons should only have the basic needs of an individual.

    1. Providing inmates with opportunities to learn new skills, access education, and receive psychological support can help address the root causes of criminal behavior. The emphasis should be on creating an environment that encourages personal growth and change rather than making prisons comfortable for the sake of comfort. Studies have shown that access to education, vocational training, and mental health services within prisons can significantly reduce recidivism. By addressing the root causes of criminal behavior and offering opportunities for personal development, the criminal justice system can contribute to breaking the cycle of crime.

  • prisons are meant for correcting individual mistakes which is reformative. A person who commits crime is usually meant to undergo his or her punishment in the prison. People are sent to prison restore them from their bad behaviours and make them better persons. Aside locking them up, Correction in prison can be done through different means. E.g through therapy sections, limited food, etc. Some individuals who commit crime suffer emotional trauma. Sometimes i feel if some prisoners knew better, they wouldn't have committed some crimes.

  • Hello,
    My opinion for the purpose of prison will be shared. The sole purpose of prison is to punish criminals for crimes they have committed, protect citizens from crime, and rehabilitate those individuals to be honest, law-abiding citizens once they are released back into the public.
    Many people would not dispute the fact that prisons are created for different purposes. For instance, punishment and rehabilitation are the most significant ones. Some may assume that prisons have only one goal, which is either punishment or rehabilitation. Arguably, jails should serve all purposes for prisoners regarding the severity of the crime that they committed. Punishment includes retribution for crimes against society, depriving criminals of their freedom, and incapacitation which refers to the removal of criminals from the community. Meanwhile, rehabilitation activities involve giving educational classes in jail, training job skills, and treatment services with a psychologist or social worker, and are designed to change criminals into law-abiding citizens.
    One of the most commonly applied types of punishment for a convicted offender is imprisonment and deterrence. Prison was a saving grace for some offenders, pushing them to change their criminal behavior and make apologies for their crimes. In this context, the punishment model is justified to prevent the crime from occurring again. Moreover, in some jails, conditions are terrifying; thus, ordinary citizens may accept that prisons are terrible places and, as a result, be aware of committing the crime.

    1. I agree with the fiery_currency. In my opinion, steps should be taken to aid in the reformation of prisoners in addition to the punishment they receive in jail. Additionally, unless the family of the victim indicates differently, I think that criminals should be held accountable for crimes like kidnapping and death. This serves as a comfort to the victim's relatives. Punishment is the first thing I prioritise because it implies that people who commit crimes will be held accountable, which will teach others a lesson and prevent them from doing the same act again. Reformation is required so that they can be readily reintegrated into society after being freed.

  • It is heartbreaking to hear that such a dangerous criminal escaped from a prison cell. Fito's escape seems to have cause lot of tension as the president has declared state of emergency which shows that his escape is really fatal. Which leads me to choose secure and safe as the main purpose of a prison. A prison is supposed to be a secure place whereby no one is allowed to go in and out and is also safe as nobody is in danger but the escape of Fito says otherwise. A prison is supposed to be a place whereby criminals go in to serve term for crimes committed and is also safe and secure. It's not a place for offender to feel comfortable so I disagree with comfortable been a purpose of prison as this makes people want to commit more crimes .

  • I honestly can't believe that something like this is happening and I am getting to know about it now. The fact the "Fito" is now out of prison is so scary and we must acknowledge the fact that because he is out, there is danger around every corner in Ecuador. This brings me to what I believe should be the first priority of every prison; Safety.
    Of course, a prison is meant for those in it to learn the consequences of their actions through punishment, remormation and so on. Regardless, I believe the main reason that the prison was created was to separate those that can cause harm to innocent civilians.
    Be it emotional, psychological or physical harm. Society's must be rid of such a menace. This is why some even go to jail simply for online defamation. We must uphold the safety of the people as the most important thing.
    We shouldn't forget that the prison is also meant to protect its contents from each other as well. The prison is filled with people who have committed offences ranging from serious to mild.
    Remember that if we are to leave those detained in prison to mingle with innocents, then we would have an alarming crime rate as well as hearing the news of people getting injured, killed or harmed everyday.
    No one would have peace of mind and won't be able to live with assurance.
    In conclusion, the main priority of a prison, I believe, is to prevent exactly what is happening in Ecuador right now.

  • I sincerely believe that prison officers should make prisons a safe place for all .
    Reason is ,the individuals who are there are humans,regardless of whatever crime committed.
    Some inmates over there are innocent,that is they might be sent tgere because of the injustice of others.
    So inagine going to a place where you dont know if you would get out alive and most of all for a crime didn't commit.
    All I'm saying is a safe place is an environment with a free , peaceful atmosphere.
    The government could also make use of this calm environment by enlighting the prisoners the need to live a Peaceful life,crime free,and good and helpful citizens of a country.
    Sometimes what we hunans beed is a little push.
    I also believe that a safe prison would give the prisoners no reason to escape.
    These are reasons why i believe a safe prison should be highly prioritize.

  • Personally, the order I would have all 5 purposes of prison would be number one security. I say security should be number one due to in order for people to get arrested, the prison must have a good security for them to not escape. Nest I would say Punishment, I say punishment because they had to get in jail for a bad reason and I believe they should pay for their action and if not they will continue doing what they are doing. Next I would say safe, I would say the safety because no matter what they did they should also remain safe. Then after safe I would say reformative. I say reformative due to the fact that they have to change their doings so they should learn how to behave. Lastly I would say comfortable. I say comfortable last due to the fact they have to be in prison for doing something bad. The last thing they would be thinking about is being comfortable. They will want to focus and get out and change for the best.

  • The purpose of prisons is a secure building designed to hold inmates as retribution for their crimes or suspects as they await trial. Prisons are also meant for punishment to get justice achieved for their acts. Prisons are also meant to be comfortable for the prisoners to feel at ease in their cells as they spend time in jail. They are also meant to be felt as safe whether it is people outside in society that no longer feel threatened by the felons out in their community any longer or fro the prisoners that feel safe in their jails. Prisons are also very much reformative, the felons learn to be a better fit in society whilst they spend their time in jail. This will help them in their future if they are able to get released from jail which is not always the case.

  • Prison officers should focus on everyone's safety, not just the citizens outside of prison, but also the prisoners themselves. It is crucial to keep prison as safe as possible, which is ironic for a place full of criminals. If the prisoners themselves are put in danger constantly, and always feel unsafe, makes becoming a better person more complicated than it needs to be. Prisoners were placed there for their wrongdoings and bad choices. In prison, they have a second chance to realize that there are better ways to live, that benefit them and the people around them. How are they supposed to do that when they are constantly surrounded by violence? People can be easily influenced by their environment, a safe environment would be the best for them, and for society. The greater amount of good people the better the society.

  • I think that the top priority of prisons is for safety. I say that because prisoners should also be shown mercy because even do they have done something wrong, they should be safe. In some prisons, some people die because they kill each other and some of them won’t have the opportunity to change their attitude and behavior. So to conclude, I think prisons are supposed to be safe for people.
    On the other hand, I think the least priority of prisons is reformative. I say that because, the officers cannot change the mindset of the prisoners, changing mindset is personal and is a choice everyone has to make. The prisoners will chose to change their mindset to be better or to continue doing wrong things. So I think that the officials should not stress themselves on trying to change the prisoner’s attitude.

  • In my opinion reformative should be given the most priority as we need to make sure that a criminal doesn't not only receive punishment for his wrong deeds but also become a better citizen of the society. Rehabilitation of prisoners should be the top most priority.

  • The purpose of the prison is complicated,surronding punishment, mental healing,and protection.firstly prisons serve there taking punishment for breaking the laws and aiming to spread violation, rehabilitation is also a critical role, seeking to help prisoners to acquire skills,stays away from crime and reintegrate into society , in addition prisoners serve discouragement , sending message to possible offenders about unlawful actions.
    Lastly , prisoners are given civil protection by physically separating to those people who show threat to others aiming to balance between punishment and rehabilitation remains a challenge as societies evaluate the effectiveness and ethics for penal systems

  • In my own perspective, I think that one of the major priority of prison is Security. When there is security in prison the prisoners would not escape but if there is more comfort than security in the prison, prisoners would find it easier to escape. This is why Fito escaped from prison. Another priority of prison is Reformation. The essence of prison is to make the prisoners change from their bad deeds. I think the least priority of prison is comfort because if prisoners are too comfortable they can smuggle in electronic devices. I think what led to the escape of Fito was that he smuggled in cell phones which he used to communicate with his gang. In addition punishment is another priority of prison. When prisoner are punished justice is achieved and when justice is achieved the citizens will have peace of mind but if prisoners are not punished there is no justice.

  • Personally,I think that prisons should prioritise reformative methods, because it's possible for some prisoners by rehabilitation programs to develop skills and the mindset needed to reintegrate into society in a positive and productive way.
    I won't ignore the fact that there is a chance of recidivism but, my optimistic self says the higher stakes are the positive ones.
    I guess that comfort would be the least prioritisation necessary for prisons.
    I would recommend for prisons to prioritise their prisoners' mental an physical health as prisoners have souls too that can be changed by the right methods.
    Thank you.

  • It surprises, shockes my brain that "Fito" has escaped from prison and now he is free. It means that the guards took this thing: that the most wanted illegal goods seller is caught in the prison so they have to keep eye on them he can escape any time lightly.
    Now in my opinion the top purpose of prisons are like this:-
    1. They have to give more activeness towards the prisoners.
    2. They have to give them all essential things that they want.
    3. They should take care of there health so they have to make there gyms, library, etc.
    4. They should provide them that things by which they can get job just like business by the computers.
    5. They should keep more security cameras to keep eye on them.
    6. They should give them fun sometimes sometimes.
    7. They should give them punishments also.

    So the conclusion in my opinion that purpose of prisons is not only to treat the prisoners badly they should give them a chance to to be good. If they didn't become good they should try to make them good without punishments and if they don't become now also then after they should start t give punishment. They should teach them to give respect to others.

  • Hey there! I totally agree with you that the top priority of prison officers should be the "Reformative" purpose. The main goal of prisons should be to help prisoners learn from their mistakes, develop new skills, and ultimately become better citizens when they re-enter society. By providing education, vocational training, and counseling, prisons can play a crucial role in rehabilitation.

    As for the purpose that should be prioritized least, I would say it's the "Comfortable" aspect. While it's important to ensure basic human rights and safety, focusing too much on providing excessive comforts might undermine the idea of punishment and deterrence.

    One purpose that might be missing from the list is "Restorative." This involves helping prisoners understand the impact of their actions, making amends to victims, and promoting healing within the community. It's an important aspect of the justice system that aims to repair harm and build stronger relationships.

    Remember, this is just my perspective, and there are many different opinions on this topic. Feel free to share your thoughts or respond to other students' comments!

  • Good day everyone,

    The top priority of prison officers should be ensuring the safety and security of the facility. This is because a secure and safe environment is fundamental for both staff and other prisoners, allowing for effective rehabilitation efforts, maintaining order, and preventing escapes or violence. Safety forms the foundation upon which other goals, such as punishment and rehabilitation, can be pursued.

    One aspect that might be prioritized less is the comfort of prisoners. While kind treatment is essential, the primary focus often lies in maintaining security, safety, and achieving the goals of punishment and rehabilitation. Prioritizing comfort over other aspects may compromise the security and effectiveness of the correctional system.

    One additional purpose of prisons is discouragement. Prisons serve as a deterrent to potential offenders by demonstrating the consequences of criminal behavior. The fear of imprisonment can discourage individuals from engaging in illegal activities.

  • In my opinion, the most prioritized item on the list should be "secure". Nobody should be able to get in or out. This means that a situation like when Fito escaped from a maximum-security prison would have been more easily avoided.
    The least prioritized, in my opinion, should be "comfortable". Don't get me wrong. Prisoners, as well as being punished and reformed, should also have a suitable living space. I'm just saying that if I had to choose the least important, it would be this, because I just feel that the others are a little more important. Like punishment. Especially serious criminals need to be punished for what they've done. To give comfort a higher place would be like saying the comfort of a hardened criminal was more important than their punishment. And safety. It is important to ensure that prisoners are safe and that those who come in contact with them every day are equally safe. And reformative. Prisons should be a turning point in people's lives. Prison should be a place where people who have been incarcerated can change their ways. It is more important to reform someone that to ensure their comfort. The prisoner's environment must be conducive, but it doesn't need to be comfortable.

  • Traditionally, prison means a place in which persons are kept in custody when trail is pending or in which they are confined as punishment after conviction. The meaning of prison is different for different people like for law abiding person it is a place where criminals end up and for criminals it may be a vague peril or an unavoidable humiliation and for social inadequate it may be a shelter and for some isolated persons prison may be a place where they can find some appearance of championship and for prison officer prison is a place of work and for the psychologist it is a career in studying behaviour and for other persons it is an experience which slows up time, which crows them together, sets them apart and changes the course of their lives. It heps them to change their mistakes.

  • From the list above of the purposes of prisons , I think that rehabilitation services should also be considered because some illegal activities are due to mental illnesses that even our own companions are not aware of .Secondly, these so called criminals need to be reassured about the positivity of living with others in society, how to handle and control issues such as emotional distress which will encourage illegal actions that may result to consequences .I believe that prisons are not all about punishment and isolation but it it is supposed to be a form of restoring one to health or normal life through training and advice .Moreover, abilities such as interaction, problem solving and memory should be improved

  • According to me, the top priority of prison is to give punishment to those declared guilty by law and help them reflect upon themselves to become better citizens. For this, it is important that the prisons are in good condition and the prisoners get necessary facilities.
    It is also necessary that the security system is good so that prisoners don't escape from there before completing their sentence, like Fito did.

  • The points written above are so true. Among them the most prirotityful one which I think is the 5 no. matter. In that we get that prisoners get the lesson in which they can be a good citizen. This point is actually too important. Because its more important to understand the mistake s/he has done and be good in that matter that to punish him. By this he would be good than before and we would get a new persionality which would be more helpful for us in Future. It may happen that the person who made a big crime has got his mistake and trying to be good and became it too. Now he will help other in that matter which was his crime in past.
    Thank You

  • I believe prisons should not be comfortable places, I think this as most in prisons have done something wrong keeping that in mind; prisons should be centred around punishment and re education instead of giving prisoners a comfortable and fun time after they committed a heinous crime.

    1. I understand your point about prisons being centered around punishment however several studies show that prison being a punishment doesn't work. However, rehabilitation does lead to lower reoffense rates so prisons should be focussed on one OR the other not both.

  • In Sweden, the aim of prisons is to rehabilitate prisoners rather than as a deterrence or punishment. Swedish prisons are nicer and cleaner. You are provided with a clean bed, an oven, and a washing machine. They are basically apartments. Prisoners have the chance for a proper education, have a job or learn a new skill.
    Does this work?
    Yes. The reoffense rate of Swedish prisoners is only 20% compared to the 44% of American prisoners. This shows that most prisons aims of deterrence simply does not work.
    In conclusion, prisons should focused on rehabilitation rather than deterrence.

  • I think that prisoners should not feel comfortable in prison. They are being punished for their crimes that they committed before so this means that they should not be comfortable. As a child if you were punished by making you more comfortable, would this stop you from doing it again? It means that they would do the crime again as they know that the punishment isn't bad and they can feel safe and comfortable. For example if someone committed murder and felt safe and comfortable there is no reason that they shouldn't do it again.

    1. harkworking_laboratory's comments support my belief that comfort should be the least important consideration. Those who have committed crimes ought not to be lavished with attention or maintained in luxurious surroundings; otherwise, they would continue to commit crimes as they believe that jail life is comfortable, which will further devastate society. I made feeling safe my top priority because everyone, everywhere, no matter where they are or they go, needs to feel safe. Everyone's personal safety must be given high importance by the government.

  • In my opinion prison should be first and foremost about reformation and rehabilitation. Punishment and security should be the last thing we're worrying about. We live in a society where committing crimes is treated as a cardinal sin and failure of the person. I think we should instead treat crimes as a failure of society for the person. We should focus on helping people who steal to get jobs. People who have committed assault to manage their emotions and opinions for the betterment of everyone. Of course there are times such as murder and other horrific acts where people do deserve to be locked up but that doesn't change the fact that we still need to help people recover.

  • I believe that prison security is of high priority. I believe this because it not only keeps citizens and workers safe, but it also makes the victim or the victim's family feel at ease because they know they got justice. Furthermore, knowing the person who committed a crime may wreak havoc can be a big responsibility to handle. Therefore, making it more difficult.

  • I personally think that the highest priority of a prison should be the <<Reformative>> one. I believe that the point of the prison is to provide the criminals with opportunities to start a new life. So a good prison should have education for a successful reentry into the society. To continue with all the priorities i read above are needed at a prison but the least one needed is the <<Comfortable>>. Comfort is very important but not as much as the providing opportunities for a new life.

    1. I partially agree with your point.
      The top priority of all purposes should be punishment, justice is achieved through punishment .
      Stigmatization is one of the challenges of being imprisoned
      Effectively addressing crime in prison requires challenges the prevailing belief that imprisonment condemns individuals.
      This stigma often prompt people to relocate upon relay seeking to conceal their identity due to societal judgment.

  • In a group interaction with my friends, we concluded that security is the top priority of prison officers. Security in prison helps prevent prisoners from escaping. security guards can be put in place to monitor what the prisoners are doing. I think every prison should have a CCTV camera to ensure security in the prison. I wonder how in a big prison Fito could manipulate his way out. If there was a CCTV camera in the prison there would have figured out how he escaped and ways to correct it. The prison officers should be detected to check who is walking hand in hand with prisoners.

  • A prison is basically a facility that has been designed to accommodate individuals who have committed crimes. According to me, the prison serving the purpose of being secure is most important. This is because it is important to ensure that once a criminal has been caught, they must not escape otherwise the whole agenda of arresting them has gone to waste and at the same time, this will also ensure public safety and having a secure prison system will discourage individuals from engaging in criminal activities. The purpose of prison being comfortable should be prioritised the least as a prison is a place where the criminals are made to repent for the bad deeds they have committed and should discourage individuals to commit crimes. Having a comfortable prison does not serve these purposes. However, it is important to understand that a prison is not meant to be luxurious, but at the same should meet the basic standards for accommodating a human. A prison also serves the purpose of discouraging individuals from committing crimes.

  • Hey
    The top priority of a prison officer is to secure the prison in a way that no body get in or out of the prison. In a prison there should be advanced security i.e there should be well qualified officers, there should also be CCTV in every area of the prison. Again there should be less comfort in a prison for example, prisoners are not allowed to come in contact with cell phone. Any form of interaction with the world, i.e friends, family or gangs should be restricted. Also prisons are meant for criminals to be reformed to better citizens of the world which makes reformative the second top priority of a prison. Therefore, when a criminal is imprisoned it provides safety for the citizens in the society. I will go with comfortable as the least priority of a prison.

  • As we know in the incident in Equador the insufficient amount of security in the prison caused for an escape so top priority is staying secured or more incidents like this may happen. Also reforming is important. Because we also need to send some of the prisoners to the citizen life. Also some prisoners with long term sentences don't go with the flow like we do. So, reforming is also important. But in my opinion comfort should be least important. If you give a person comfort he would want more. Also prisoners can feel same way and lead to escape thoughts. On the other hand to keep comfortability we need a lot money because there are not one prisoner. That's why comfort should be least important. I think that's about my opinion.

  • I think Fito escaped because the prison was too comfortable than secured which was how he could smuggle in a cell phone that he used in contacting his gang. Maybe in the prison, the security officers were not well paid or probably greedy, so Fito could have bribed them and they helped him escape undetected. Security should be the top priority of prisons and security officers.

  • It makes me tension free by knowing that the prisoners are in the prison. A prison is simply important for the country's innocent people. Because in many countries the prisoners are mostly thrown into the jail due to robbery cases. So, as we need our justice so, the robbers were put into the jail.
    Also, jail or prison is important to teach the prisoners lessons.
    And my opinion is that we all should stay away from crimes and the help the police to arrest the criminals.
    Thank you

    1. It's clear you think prisons are for protecting the wider public and for punishing inmates, composed_starfish. But what about prisons' capacity to reform, so that when prisoners are released they don't re-offend?

  • I will say that security will come first, this is because if a prison is secured no one will be able to go in or out. Then Comfortable will come last because everything other thing comes before comfort in the prison.

  • The prison is not meant for only reformation why said is because in some prisons they torture their prisoners and I disagree with the prisons that torture because in process of the people may die

  • In my own decision fito made his way out of prison.thismeans that there is a personal arrangement that has been made between fito and his gangs on how he could escape from prison.

  • Out of all these purposes prison officers should most be concerned about is making prisoners reformative. One reason is to make sure they don't make the same mistakes getting out as they did getting in prison.It is very important to learn from your mistakes and see what you can do better for them to not happen again. Doing things like community service or counseling in prison can show real difference to the officers and help when trying to get out maybe.
    Something they should be least worried about is prisoners being comfortable. In my opinion if you do the crime you do the time. prisoners should not feel comfortable while there .They should be very uncomfortable because they are there for a reason and need to realize that it is not a good thing that they are there. I do not think there are other purposes of prisons missing from the list.

  • I think secure should be the top priority of prisoners. I think that because prisoners might get ahold of drugs and start drugging people. So they should protect what comes in and goes out. I think they should least prioritize reformation because you can't force people to be better citizens if they don't want to. I think what they didn't add was Deterrence, deterring those who commit crimes. Which means to prevent the occurrence of.

  • It is something really very horrible that Fito, one the biggest drug dealer, murderer and a kidnapper has escaped from the prison which means that something is really missing in prison. What does society think of when they hear the word “prison”?
    Unfortunately, prison is far more luxurious than people would think. Instead of punishment for breaking the law, prison has become more of a relaxing facility to prisoners. Prisoners are treated with too much leniency because they are given more luxuries than a homeless person would have, and prisoners spend their time in jail doing everyday activities that are the opposite of punishment.
    According to me, a prison is something which has balance of both reformation and punishment. A prisoner must not be comfortable, he/she has done something against law that’s why they are in prison. People are sent to prisons to punish them for their wrong deeds, people are sent to prison to teach how to be a better citizen, people are sent to prison to take them on the right path, prisons aren’t built to provide comfort to murderers, kidnappers, drug dealers etc... If a prisoner is escaping, it means the prison system has some breaches in it, it means that prisons are being too lenient. At last I want to conclude that prisons should be strict enough that the people should think twice before committing any crime. A prison should be like a living hell.

  • The top priority of officers should be to reform them.
    Prisons should serve as a form of rehabilitation and reformative, it is the fundamental purpose of a prison. It aids and helps bring down the chain of crime, by conveying the problems that made the prisoners do those crimes.
    For instance, a lot of people may not be in their right mind, may not even know the gravity of their offence or even know the implications of their crimes. So, with the reformative system, people could become better people, help the society, even those that may have psychological issues could get diagnosed and taught ways to manage themselves.
    The least priority of a prison officer is punishment. Seeking justice is a good thing, but even the Justice system has it faults. Prison Officers have taken it out of hand and they unlawful deal with inmates both on scene and off scene. There have been cases where prisoners die due to the abuse and have left prison with all sorts of issues, mentally, physical and emotionally. PTSD and depression are just the surface of what they face and could leave never ending scars.
    I think those five points cover all the purposes of prisons, what do you think?

  • They should make reformative a top priority, because it reduces the level of reoffending, if they are provided with the proper facilities like good treatment conditions, education, and work it can improve the skills of the inmates so when they are eventually released, they will have more opportunities and blend well with the larger society. It also the right thing to do because some people commit crimes due to unpleasant past experiences, some people who commit crime might not have been shown love, compassion and empathy while growing up and this experience might have shaped them to behave somehow bad, but in actual fact, they are not really bad. If they are shown care and love, they will experience life in a new light and may make them change their ways and turn a new leaf. So, the reformative system can help to bring out the best in people because when they leave the prison, they can help the society in different ways.
    I honestly feel that they should make punishment the least priority, because punishments may worsen the mental health of the prisoners, it exposes them to too much stress and trauma, it causes an increase in injuries and infections, and some can get mental disorders. Another reason is that punishment is costly and inefficient more funds can be spent on reformation.

  • I believe that prisons being reformative should be their number one priority. This means that prisons should focus on rebuilding citizenship for the prisoners as, for the majority, they will see a day when they are free from their consequence of jail time. I'm sure that many of us have seen consequences taking place as well as encountering them ourselves. After all, we are human. Leading on from this, I'm sure that we are all aware of how having consequences for doing something wrong can often lead to us learning from our mistakes or possibly just trying to avoid them as we prefer praise. I believe that this is the case with prisons. If they are a place where people can reflect on their past behaviours and notice where they have gone wrong with extra support, if needed, it is very likely that they would become a place where people would only visit once in their life.

    In addition to this, I believe that if prisons were solely focused on the punishment side of things, the opposite could possibly occur. This could be the case as, first of all, prisoners may be outraged by the manner that they are being treated, which in the long run could cause chaos within prisons, including prison riots such as seen in Ecuador. These riots would most likely lead to prisoners getting in further trouble. Furthermore, prisoners with mental health issues or who don't communicate as well as others may not be receiving the help that they need so they may commit more crimes when they are released due to their lack of understanding and support.

    In conclusion, prisons should focus on the reformative side of things as this can help prisoners gain awareness, knowledge and citizenship. All of these qualities will help ex-prisoners whilst entering the real world again and building back their lives that they have missed out on.

  • The top priority of a prison should be security, punishment and reformation of prisoners. However, the safety and comfortability of prisoners should be the least priority of prison warders.Mathandhas Gandhi said and i quote “ nothing in this world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity “end of quote. We all know not all prisoners are guilty but if they are treated with iron hands they will all know that they were not meant to follow or join any criminal act.however for the case of “Fito”, am not surprised about his escape from prison because the warders ignorance and low security caused his escape from prison.it is a lash on the face of the warders for Fito to have escaped from prison. If not for the carelessness and lugubrious keeping of the warders. Moreover, there is a certain priority missing from all priorities listed which I think is vital and that is Rule of law, according to Av.Dicey defined it as supremacy of law meaning no one is above the law but nowadays most prisoners try to claim the right that they are not meant to be punished.
    Furthermore, we called a person a prisoner and yet still try to claim that he or she is the child of a rich man whereas the poor one suffering are there,how can he or she be left to enjoy a certain right?, which is lackadaisical. Meaning that he or she is above the law. However, if the punishment level is reduced criminals will find the prison to be a palace.
    In conclusion, safety of the prisoners should be put in place because most prisoners loose their lives due to poor food, fellow prisoners and loneliness. I also think there should be programs held to counsel prisoners on being good citizens and still be popular or famous even being a prisoner.
    Finally, for us to feature in the future we can picture as a nation by putting all priorities and purpose of a prison in place.

  • In my opinion, I think the officers top priority should be number 2 because they should be punished for their wrong doings because if they are not punished, they will surely not change, but they should also be reformed, they should at least have a second chance to shine, there could be a possibility that a person who was released from the prison would be the better future, and teach people to avoid following the wrong path. My point is that even if they are to be punished as they deserve, they should also have a second chance to make things right in their upside down world.

  • In my opinion, the pirmary focus of a prison should be on three major aspects,firstly,safety should be prioritized to ensure that the facility is safe from top to bottom,preventing any possibility of crimi als escaping.this emphasis on security promoting peace and protection whitin the prison environment.
    Secondly,the prison should have a strong focus on reformative measures. By providing opportunities prisoners to learn and grow,they can develop the necessary skills to become better citizens. This approach promotes coexistence of all inmates within the facility.
    Thirdly,it is crucial to uphold the principle of punishment. Justice must be served,this ensures that individuals are held accountable for those actions and helps maintain a sense of fairness whitin the prison system.
    Lastly,safety is of utmost Importance, and even though there may be laws in place,it is crucial to ensure the well being and security for everyone. Comfort should not be a priority in prisons,as it may lead to reluctance to leave and potentially increase corruption, as individuals may seek to enter for the sake of the comfortable environment.

  • The foremost priority for prison officers should be "Safe = nobody is in danger." This is essential to guarantee the well-being of both inmates and staff. A safe environment forms the basis for other goals like justice, rehabilitation, and maintaining order within the prison system.
    "Comfortable = prisoners are at ease" might be considered the least immediate priority. While treating inmates with dignity is important, it shouldn't overshadow more critical aspects such as safety, justice, and the overall goal of rehabilitation. Comfort, though relevant, should not compromise the primary objectives of the prison system.
    An additional crucial purpose is "Reintegration = preparing prisoners to reintegrate into society successfully." This involves equipping inmates with skills and support necessary for a successful return to society. Focusing on reintegration not only contributes to reducing repeat offenses but also aligns with the broader societal goal of fostering rehabilitation and community safety.
    In summary, prioritizing safety ensures a secure foundation for achieving justice, rehabilitation, and order within the prison system. While humane treatment is essential, it should be balanced with the overarching goals of safety and justice. Additionally, preparing prisoners for successful reintegration into society serves the dual purpose of individual rehabilitation and contributing to the broader goal of reducing recidivism.

    1. hi methodical_kiwifruit, some students on the Hub are as young as nine. Are you able to re-write this comment (in a reply) to explain it in simpler terms, as clearly as possible, so that everyone is able to understand?

      1. To begin with, the most important thing for prison officers is to make sure that everyone in the prison is safe. This includes both the inmates and the staff. When everyone is safe, it helps with other important goals like making sure things are fair, helping people change for the better, and keeping the prison running smoothly. It's also important to help prisoners feel okay while they're in prison, but this isn't as urgent as keeping everyone safe. Even though we want to treat prisoners with respect, we shouldn't come before making sure everyone is safe and things are fair. Another big goal is getting prisoners ready to go back into society when they finish their time in prison. This means helping them learn things and giving them support so they can do well when they leave. This is important because it helps make communities safer and gives people a better chance at changing their lives for the better. To sum up, the most important thing is to make sure everyone is safe in prison. When that's taken care of, it helps with making sure things are fair, helping people change, and preparing them to go back into society when they're done with their time in prison.

  • The top priority of prison officers should definitely be number 5, prisoners learn how to be better citizens. I agree with this priority because keeping prisoners at ease while not educating them is useless, while actually teaching them can help their image as a person and their mindset. This can help prevent many crimes from happening and criminals on the loose as they learn to change their ways. They should prioritise comfort last because, yes it is key to have everyone comfy however when it is in a situation where the criminal themselves have made others uncomfortable, why do they deserve ultimate comfort? As for other priorities needed on the list, I believe their priorities are kept straight, and there is nothing needed to add as of right now.

  • The purpose of prisons is to help people who have done wrong better themselves.

    So, in prisons there shouldn't be people being beat. Prison is supposed to be like a self reflection center where you go for a certain amount of time and just reflect on yourself in your cell. Experiencing prison is the complete opposite. There are people being harassed, assaulted, and even as far as being killed. It is like the prison doesn't care about the prisoners because they are considered as some under-class men. Although it is understandable that they would think that because they are imprisoned, you still have to regard them as humans. The prison should be trying to convey a message to the people in hope to better them rather than just throwing them in there and not caring really caring for what they have going on.

  • it is disgusting to find how normal people that done a little crime get severely punished for committing a little crime. And this is wrong! In my opinion I have chosen the safe option the reason to this is because prisoners come out of prison or jail with cuts, bruises and mental health issues. Prisons shouldn't be the safes place on our world but it should be safe enough to make them a better person that wont commit the crime again or at least to make them regret what they have done. Statistics have shown that 72% of the people that go to the safest prison turn out to fit in our society better and more quicker. On the other hand I understand why people might think that prisoners are bad people and should be punished but at the end of the day they are still human beings and should be treated the same as we are. There is a quote even saying that prisoners should be treated the same as we are treated in our day to day life.

  • I believe punishment should be the first because if it is not a form of punishment being in the prison the there is no point having a prison and there will be achievement of justice. I don't feel that there is a least important item because all of the rest are equally important.
    I think we should add productivity to the list. Prisoners should not be locked up without being of service to the government especially that the government has to provide them with foods and water and health facilities and it costs the government money so they need to pay back by being productive while in prison.

  • In my opinion I'll say that option 5 is the most important thing to put into consideration. The reason being that is because, when criminals are being sent to prison they have different views on the fact that they are in confinement, so they need to be reformed thereby keeping both the citizens safe and reducing the rate of crime in the society. In addition to that when past criminals change their former way of life due to the education they received in prison, others in the society would surely be affected positively, making both those who wanted to become criminals and youths in the society learn that the criminal lifestyle doesn't pays contributing to the rapid growth of the economy.

  • Among all the purposes of prisons the one that I know should be the top priority of all is secure and the one I know should be the least is comfort because prisoners go to prison to learn how to adjust with the society. This is what I think they should have done to fito.

  • I think that safety should be the main priority of the prison officers, because once a prisoner or a serial killer is being imprisoned the citizens would be safe and they would be assured that they can move around without the mindset that a serial killer is on the loose.
    And the second priority of a prison officer is REFORMATION, the prison is a place where bad people are transformed into better people. If a person who has committed a crime and was jailed for doing so ,and is being surfered and maltreated, what possibility that the person would change from their criminal acts . most people engage in criminal acts because maybe he or she might have surfered in the past, That's why I don't blame some the people who indulge in criminal activities However They are not surposed to make them too comfortable by giving them access to electronic gadgets like phones, and wrist watch e.t.c.

  • I believe that the top priority of prison officers should be to ensure that the prison is safe for everyone. The safety of both the prisoners and the staff is paramount. In this context, the Latin proverb "Salus populi suprema lex esto" (Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law) is particularly relevant. This proverb emphasizes the importance of safeguarding the well-being of the people, which in this case is the safety of those within the prison walls.

    While safety should be the top priority, I believe that the least important purpose of prisons should be punishment. Punishment should not be the sole focus of prison officers, as it often fails to address the root causes of criminal behavior. Punishment alone cannot bring about lasting change, and it is crucial that prison officers focus on other purposes of imprisonment as well.

    Apart from the five purposes listed, there are other important functions of prisons that are often overlooked. For instance, prisons can provide opportunities for rehabilitation and education, which can help to reduce recidivism and promote successful reintegration into society. By providing access to education and training programs, prisons can equip inmates with the skills and knowledge they need to become productive members of society.

  • One important purpose of prisons is to ensure safety by being secure, where people can't get in or out easily. This is crucial to prevent escapes and protect the public. For instance, a study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics in the United States shows that secure prisons significantly reduce the likelihood of reoffending and contribute to overall community safety.

    Another crucial purpose is rehabilitation or being reformative. This means helping prisoners learn how to be better citizens and reducing the chances of them committing crimes again. Programs such as education and vocational training inside prisons can positively impact inmates' lives. According to the RAND Corporation, providing education to prisoners has been linked to lower recidivism rates, promoting long-term community safety. Therefore, a combination of security and rehabilitation efforts contributes to a more effective and just prison system.

  • I would say that security would come first before anything else, because if a prison is secured no one can get in or out. Comfortable Will come last because if prisoners are more comfortable before anything else they will surely run away so comfortability should come last.

    1. I disagree with you because what should come first is the people's comfortability because if the prisoners are not comfortable it may rather lead to the death of the prisoners and what should come second is security of the prisoners.

  • Hi guys,
    I would like to tell you about my opinion on prisons. Personally, I think there are two really important purposes to a prison . The first one is that a prison should be secure . If a prison isn't secure and stable then prisoners can escape a
    and harm innocent people .Also if a prison isn't stable and prisoners escape then they won't learn their lesson. A prison is a bit like time out but for longer periods and people have time out to think about what they have done wrong and if people escape then they don't have a chance to think about what they did wrong. I also think that a prison should be reformative. Everybody should learn to be citizens so they can teach the next generation how to be better citizens like them.
    Thank you for reading.

  • Prisons are a contentious topic, with many people having strong opinions on both sides of the issue. There are a number of moral arguments that can be made for and against prisons.

    One argument in favor of prisons is that they provide a way to punish criminals and protect society from them. Prisons can also provide opportunities for rehabilitation, which can help to reduce recidivism rates. Additionally, prisons can help to deter crime by making potential criminals aware of the consequences of their actions.

    However, there are also a number of arguments against prisons. One concern is that prisons are inhumane and can lead to negative outcomes for prisoners, such as mental health problems and increased rates of violence. Additionally, prisons can be expensive to operate, and there is some evidence that they are not as effective at reducing crime as other methods, such as community-based programs.

    Ultimately, the moral acceptability of prisons is a complex issue that does not have a simple answer. There are valid arguments to be made on both sides of the issue. However, it is important to remember that prisons are a blunt instrument, and they should only be used when there are no other viable options.

  • I think prisons should be secure and safe as this will keep them inside the prison and will allow there to be less fights inside and prevent them from escaping. If you give them comfort then they will feel calm and like this is a safe place to come to and so more people will continue to do illegal activites and not face severe punishments when they get there because if someone does a terrible crime and then goes to prison and is given comfort and kindness then there will be a lot of unrest from the public as they will believe that it is not having an effect on people so there could be some riots and protests.

  • The top priority of prison officers should be ensuring the safety of everyone within the prison, including both inmates and staff. Safety encompasses not only physical safety but also the prevention of harm, violence, and danger within the prison environment. This priority aligns with the fundamental duty of the state to protect individuals, even those who are incarcerated, from harm.

    While all the listed purposes have some importance, the least prioritized might be "secure = people can't get in or out." Although security is essential, an excessive focus on strict physical confinement might hinder the pursuit of other rehabilitative and reformative goals. A prison that prioritizes security above all else may become overly restrictive, impeding efforts to create an environment conducive to rehabilitation.

    Additional purposes that could be considered include:

    Reintegration into Society: Helping prisoners successfully reintegrate into society is crucial. This involves providing education, vocational training, and support services to reduce the likelihood of reoffending upon release.

    Restitution and Compensation: Ensuring that prisoners take responsibility for their actions by making restitution to victims or compensating for damages can be an important aspect of the justice system.

  • I think secure is the most priority because basically if people can not get out or get in then maybe no one will escape from the prison. I think that comfortable is the least priority because if they committed a crime then what is the point of making them feel comfortable. Also the reformative is good because then the prisons can learn there lesson and wont do it again and wont inspire people to do it.

  • in my opinion I think number 1 is more important ; people can't get out because some people once they get out of their sentence in prison they will go back and do negative things. I think that the police should have been more careful with Fito because he is one of Ecuador's most wanted criminal's

  • The purpose that should be the top priority of prisons is punishment and reformative methods. As we all know, every action has its consequence, therefore every bad action has and deserves a bad consequence which means that prisoners deserve to face consequences for their actions and how exactly will they be able to face these consequences? Through punishment. Why punishment? Since the human mind tends to repeat the same actions and, in this case, bad actions if not treated in the right way and given the correct punishment but if it is prisoners will think twice before committing any other crime. There are many ways of punishment like rehabilitation and reformative methods which I believe are the same. Rehabilitation in prisons is forced treatment which can be seen as a form of punishment. My research on rehabilitation in prison statistics shows that psychological, occupational, and educational programs are amongst the most effective in reducing recidivism.



    What they should prioritise the least is comfort. As I said above, I believe that the sole purpose of prisons is punishment, so why should there be any comfort involved? In my opinion, Punishment isn't meant to be comfortable.

    1. What types of educational programmes do you think would be the most effective and why?

      1. Education-focused programs seek to improve the well-being of the offender and improve their ability to succeed and do well upon release. there are many types of educational programs for example:

        Mental Health Support: Providing mental health services to inmates can help address underlying issues that may contribute to criminal behavior. This can include counseling, therapy, and medication management.

        Rehabilitation programs: Implementing various rehabilitation programs can help inmates develop their skills, build their self-esteem, and reduce the likelihood of reoffending. These programs can include education, vocational training, and mental health support.

      2. Education-focused programs seek to improve the well-being of the offender and improve their ability to succeed and do well upon release. there are many types of educational programs for example:

        Mental Health Support: Providing mental health services to inmates can help address underlying issues that may contribute to criminal behavior. This can include counseling, therapy, and medication management.

        Rehabilitation programs: Implementing various rehabilitation programs can help inmates develop their skills, build their self-esteem, and reduce the likelihood of reoffending. These programs can include education, vocational training, and mental health support.

  • Hi,
    I would like to tell you the purpose of prisons and the need of police officers there.
    Firstly, I would like to tell you about prisons.
    A prison is a place where they keep offenders of law also known as a correctional center for wrong doers.
    Now I would like to tell you the purposes of prisons.
    Firstly, they could be used as correctional centers for prisoners and also used to improve prisoners day by day to impact the way they behave in the society as a whole.
    Secondly, they could be used to separate civilians from offenders like for example, they was a neighborhood close to your house and he does bad things like killing, stealing and some other bad things and they catch him in the act and they arrest him. would you not feel happy that he is not close to you anymore? but what if they were no more prisons would you not be afraid that he might come one night and kill you? does are the questions and purposes of prisons.
    Thanks a lot

  • My opinion about this is that reformative is the main purpose of prison because according to Scott Foresman dictionary, a prison is a building in which a prisoner is kept or confined in the sense that prisons is a place of correction off the prisoners mindsets or actions which make him a better citizen of the country. I will pick reformative as the top priority of prison.

    1. How do you think a prison could help to rehabilitate a prisoner?

  • My suggestion of the top priority of a prison is secure`. According to Scott Froesman security is freedom from danger, care or feeling of condition of being safe. Also with prisoners in prisons, we the citizens feel okay and we have no problem. For example, when Fito was in prison, the people of Ecuador were safe and had no worry. My point here is that secure should be the top priority of a prison.

  • I say the purpose of prison is for extra security, and so they can have more people there.

    1. Why do prisons need to focus on security? Can you give me two reasons?

  • Hi
    i would like to talk about the purpose of prison. The purpose of prison is to keep bad people in prison for punishment. Bad people deserves to be punished because they did bad to people too.

  • Hey glad to be here again.
    firstly;
    I can't imagine the fact that Fito escaped without someone's help. so in the case of Fito, I think of the prison where Fito was brought has a new officer who registered newly in their custody who helped in sneaking in electrical devices, there is no way Fito can be brought into the office or organization with a cell phone without the help of an officer or a well-known friend, who is working as a gang. That might have helped him in sneaking in a cell phone.

  • I think that the purpose of prisons is to keep prisoner's or outlaws captive in a Way that no one can get in or out with out his or her sentence been over and willing to change his or her bad behavior so it's up to the prisoner to choose to do the right thing as a good and loyal citizen he or she is or to do the wrong thing as he or she shouldn't, but before setting he or she free, you must test them in various ways so as for you to be truel sure he or she has changed.

  • I will pick safe. it is good to keep prisoners safe because if they try to break out of prison innocent people may be afraid. If we let them out they may be looking for people to kill that is why we need to build a safe prison for them to stay so that they can think of the bad things they have done and change. i mean a safe prison where they can suffer and learn their lesson.

    1. What do you think is the best way to ensure a prisoner does not reoffend once they are released from prison?

  • Reformation should, in my opinion, be the top priority for prison officials to watch out for since it is their primary objective. This is of a great concern because the major function of a jail is a rehabilitation institution. Thus, in order to help the convicts modify their behavior and turn into law-abiding citizens, prison officials should place some emphasis on reformation. In this way, they could also educate and develop those they will interact with.
    Furthermore, comfort should be the least priority for prison officials in my opinion since if inmates become too comfortable, they won't feel the need to stop acting in inappropriate ways. I believe that since a jail is a correctional facility, there ought to be a punishment for every crime committed.
    Lastly, a point that was overlooked but that I believe needs consideration is the establishment of an isolation unit for all jails. This is because, in order for them to recognize their wrongdoings, most people want a place to dwell by themselves while they think back on their transgressions. As a result, they require peaceful moments spent alone and should be refused various privileges.

  • I think Safety and Secure should be a top priority of prison officers .
    I say this because Safety in a prison is important because prisoners like to fight , stab and hurt others . I feel as if they should have their own cells and certain lunch times for certain cells so their won't be any big brawls or fights . I also say this because it would keep they guards safe . The guards could get hurt in big brawls or fights while trying to break up the prisoners .
    I say Secure should be a top priority in prison officers because if you pay attention to the outsides of prisons and jails they have a wired fence around it so people won't get in or out . I feel like that makes the guards and policeman feel more secure and safe when the prisoners have free time or when its bed time because they know that the prisoners can't escape when they aren't looking .

  • Around the prison are some tall thick walls with wires at the top. Prisoners also have to wear the same clothes eat at a certain table and sleep in certain cells. I feel that most prisoners should be punished for how bad they did. All prisoners should be comfortable because most of them have to spend their whole life in jail so might has well make them comfortable. A Lot of bad things can happen in jail but most of the things there are safety proof because in jail there are a lot of bad people and mentally ill people there and there is no telling what they will do when the thing or item that is not safe is handed to them. When people/prisoners go to jail they get a chance to think about how they are wasting their life and what they have done to destroy someone else and would make them want to turn on a path.

  • I believe that the top priority for prison officers should be rehabilitation. When individuals are incarcerated, it presents an opportunity to address the underlying issues that led to their criminal behavior. By focusing on reformative measures, such as education, vocational training, and therapy, we can help prisoners develop the skills and mindset needed to reintegrate into society successfully. This approach not only benefits the individuals themselves but also contributes to public safety by reducing the likelihood of reoffending. While providing a safe and secure environment is important, it should be seen as a means to facilitate the rehabilitation process rather than the ultimate goal. Comfort and punishment, on the other hand, should be prioritized least, as they may not contribute significantly to long-term positive change. It's crucial to invest in rehabilitation programs that address the root causes of criminal behavior and provide individuals with the tools they need to lead productive and law-abiding lives upon their release.

  • I think Comfortability should be their least priority . I think this because the prisoners shouldn't be comfortable in jail. They came to serve time for all the bad things they did not be comfortable . I think of jail as a extended time out , in time you sit and think about what you did. They don't deserve to be comfortable. They deserve to be treated how they treat other people & being that they are in jail they treated others badly so they deserve to be treated badly.

  • In my opinion I think that prisons are to protect the public and everyone else. However, I think that prisons do the opposite of comfort for prisoners and in fact not reformation either. I think this because locking them up in prison cages dehumanises them, they might 'deserve' to be treated like animals but how would locking them up help them think they're to be trusted again and sane? I am aware of 'the hole' which is where the prisoner is locked up in a small cement cell for a considerable amount of time. It can end up driving them crazy and make the situation a lot worse, there is also a high and tragic chance they have chosen to end their life due to the prison sending them crazy, the isolation from people. I believe that prison as punishment isn't the best option in all cases and instead if the main goal is to change the prisoners attitudes and beliefs then there should be a less drastic consequence than prison.

    1. What do you think would be the best way to ensure a prisoner doesn't reoffend?

      1. I think if you keep the prisoner safe and keep him comfortable that is how you keep him from repeating the same crime.

      2. I think if you keep the prisoner safe and keep him comfortable that is how you keep him from repeating the same crime.

      3. I think that it depends on the crime committed. For example, if someone had sold drugs or had done something involving that area they should be put into rehab. This way they can safely learn their actions were wrong. The rehab should be a group particularly ex-prisoners or criminals put together so they can talk and share their experiences and learn with/from each other. Alternatively they may feel more comfortable talking one on one with a therapist.

        However, if their crime was quite extreme or they are a threat to people then they do deserve to be in prison.

      4. I think that it depends on the crime committed. For example, if someone had sold drugs or had done something involving that area they should be put into rehab. This way they can safely learn their actions were wrong. The rehab should be a group particularly ex-prisoners or criminals put together so they can talk and share their experiences and learn with/from each other. Alternatively they may feel more comfortable talking one on one with a therapist.

        However, if their crime was quite extreme or they are a threat to people then they do deserve to be in prison.

  • I think comfort should be prison officers first priority because even though the prisoners have committed crimes, they still deserve to be treated with human decency. They do not deserve to be treated inhumanely or seen as just the crime they committed.

  • Hi!
    In my opinion, the top priority of prison officers should be rehabilitation. Helping inmates reform and reintegrate into society can have a positive impact on reducing recidivism rates.
    As for the least prioritized purpose, I think it could be punishment. While punishment is a part of the criminal justice system, focusing solely on punishment may not address the underlying issues that led to the criminal behavior in the first place.
    In terms of missing purposes, I believe another important aspect could be ensuring the safety and security of both inmates and staff. Creating a safe environment is crucial for effective rehabilitation and maintaining order within the prison.
    Thank you!

  • I think that the major purpose of a Prison is "Secure". A prison is primarily created to prevent any form of contact between criminals and the common public. So that no more innocents are hurt by these people, with a tendency to commit crimes. In a prison, criminals can neither get in nor get out. The only people they can harm are themselves and those around them.
    And also, punishment.
    A prison isolates a criminal from society, intellectuals, philosophers, and most importantly, friends and family. This is definitely the most suitable form of punishment for people who do not think twice before hurting others. Do prisoners commit crime due to familial troubles? Yes. Do ALL of them do it for the same reason? Most definitely not. Not more than a handful of people commit crime out of obligation towards a third-party. And even then, these people must suffer. They must face the consequences of their actions.

    Reformative is 100% NOT a function of a prison. because it is practically not possible. Prisoners cannot reform into better citizens in a prison, around people - criminals - whose very mindset is moulded to support crime. The gruesome, evil atmosphere will affect the other prisoners. Just like in a game of Othello, the cornered piece will turn to match the common ideology - of evil. A prison is a place of punishment. I believe, prisoners must suffer mentally and emotionally as payback for their deeds. Reformation will beat the very essence of a Prison.

    To conclude, a prison has 2 most important functions:

    1) Security - Protect the common public from criminals
    2) Punishment - Let them bear the consequences of their actions.

    And reformation is most definitely not one of them.

  • Hi,
    I believe that the main priority should be how reformative the prisoners become in the prison because you always need to atone if you've done something wrong.
    The least prioritized thing should be how comfortable the prisoners are. The condition of the prison should stay the way that it was meant to be built. It is up to the higher up government to determine how they want to treat their citizens. Their conditions shouldn't be made worse or better depending on the crime.
    I don't think that their are any other priorities missing because prisons and their officers do an exceptional job at maintaining their prisoners.

  • First of all, I believe that prisons should be safe for everyone, including prisoners. They too should be safe from possible violations of their rights and abuse by prison guards. This way, the prisoners will not get radicalized, and will bare their prison life easier. Second, a prison should be reformative. After ensuring everyone is safe, they must get to teaching prisoners how to be better citizens. After all, that is the purpose of prisons, isn't it? The third most important thing, in my opinion, is security. The prisoners have been found guilty, and even though they shouldn't be abused, they sill have to see the effects of their deeds. Number four should be the conditions of the prisoners. They must not be left to live in luxury in prisons, although they also should have better conditions than an almost empty cell. I believe they should have decent conditions. As I said at the security part, that will help in not radicalising the prisoners. The least important should be punishing them, although they still have to pay for their crimes. And by punishing, I do not mean torturing or beating them, but rather forcing them to do things that benefit the society. By putting the priorities in this order, I want to highlight the fact that prisons should not only mean suffering, and there should be achieved a balance and a harmony that will also help the prisoners change their bad habits, while not giving them too much liberty, and thus reminding them that they comitted something bad.

  • I am scared for the countries of Ecuador and many South american countries with gang related issues. The purposes of a sentence of imprisonment or similar measures derivative of a person's liberty are primarily to protect society against crime and to reduce recidivism. Also prisons should prioritise punishment last because if the prisoners talk to them first then punish them last they may become better citizens in their country and step away from drugs and other narcotics. I hope many south american countries take an initiative to tackle the ongoing drug war in latin america, also the governments should create a better prison environment to make prisoners comfortable.

  • I feel like they should add mental health awareness . I think they should add this because at the end of the day the prisoners are still humans and they have feelings too . I feel like every 2 weeks they should have therapy sessions to talk about how they feel to a professional . Instead of them just being depressed and sitting in a cell .

  • I think reformation should be the top priority of prison officers because no matter how much security there is in a prison or how much a prisoner is punished, when they get out they can still go back to commiting crimes. While if prisoners were taught how to be better citizens, if they get out they might decide to change their life style and leave the life of crime behind and become better people who can contribute postively in society. I think that comfort should be least prioritized because at the end of the day they still committed a crime and they should learn that actions have consequences and what's the point of imprisoning criminals if they're gonna get to enjoy living comfortably even in a jail cell? They probably wouldn't care if they got arrested again since they're gonna be comfortable there too.

  • I think it is important for police officers to prioritize safety and reformative. I can see why others can argue that security, punishment and comfort are just as important. However, we have to remember there is a reason why there are prisoners and even though it is great to give people a second chance, prisoners need to become aware of their actions and how it has effected the community before anything. It is always important to take into account the safety and security of others because if not, there will only be more problems caused.

  • If I were a police officer, I personally would prioritize comfortability the least. At the end of the day, we all still are human and deserve comfortability even in prisons however, it is important to prioritize the safety and reformative of any possible harm they could have caused. In general, all of these 5 purposes are important for officers to take into account yet there are some they should prioritize a bit less such as safety.

  • The top priority of prison officers should be the purpose of securement. so law breakers can't in or out which makes the community safer. Another top priority should be punishment so justice is achieved. if people don't see wrong in their actions they won't change. It'll also show people and prisoners that their consequences to their actions. this can also help motivate prisoners not to break the law knowing that they could go back their if they do. Achieving these will help contain order in the prison systems. Purposes prisons should prioritize least is trying to make the prisoners comfortable in prison because they are not in their to relax their in there as a reprocation, and in a way to keep them away from the public. another purpose prisons have is to hold more prisoners than jail and prisons also act as a more serious consequences than jail.

  • In my opinion, one really important thing about prisons is how secure it is. There have been many times where prisoners have gotten out of really "secure" and maximum prisons. We can tell that they are not secure enough, though, because prisoners literally get out. I say security is a really important thing in prisons because if prisoners are able to escape out of them then they can/will continue to do bad stuff. They could even do worse and they won't get what they deserve.
    I think that another really important one is punishment = justice is achieved. This one is a really good one since the prisoners could get what they deserve and if they did something to someone, that someone could feel safe and satisfied that they are locked up and are now facing the consequences for their actions.
    Other than these two, I feel like the other ones are really good ones that prisons should definitely have.

  • Although all of these purposes are important and valuable for a successful prison environment, I believe that safety should be the biggest priority. It's important to make sure the prisoners are safe not only from themselves but from other prisoners and even the guards as well. There are many accounts of prisoners being hurt or even killed by other fellow inmates. This problem is even more prominent in third world countries such as almost all of South America. I feel as though the prisoners should serve their sentence fairly and according to the crime committed, however, that does not mean they have to live in fear and watch their backs at every turn. On this topic, a thing that I feel should be reviewed more is the Justice system. Once again, many are the accounts of people being sentenced unfairly or being sentenced for crimes they did not commit. This I find troubling and upsetting and something should be done about this. To conclude, another thing that I believe should be a priority is for the prisoners to have essentials such as deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc provided for them whenever they need them. As well as not having to pay for talking and calling their family members.

  • Secure, should be the top priority because, if there is no one to keep the prison secure there will be no point in putting people in there because they will just leave. Also there will be no one to stop people from fighting if there is no one to keep watch.

  • people that run prisons should care less about how Comfortable they are. Because if the presnors are not happy it will make it less likely that they want to come back.Also if they don't want to come back this will make the prison way easier to run and it will make the place where they live safer.

  • fair treatment the cops don't want them to come back to jail but everybody needs to be treated fairly. this will make them think about what they have done and not do it again and it could make them more truthful to you and others .

  • From these five purposes I think the one that the prison officers should focus on is the first one. "Secure=people can't get in or out" they should mainly focus on this purpose. I think this is because if many criminals get out of jail they will make more bad things that they haven't done. And if they get out of it they will have a whole army to get their peers out of jail too. They should really focus of this and not make bad decisions that later on the prison officers will have consequences.

    The order that the purposes should be are:
    Secure=people can't get out or get in
    Reformative=prisoners learn how to be better citizens.
    Punishment=justice is achieved
    Comfortable=prisoners are at ease
    Safe=nobody is in danger

    Lastly,another purpose of prisons that I think is missing is about fighting and prisoners getting bullied for many things. I say this because there is a lot of fights in the jail and those are the ones that can come to a result which is that prisoners escape. And the other one is about prisoner getting bullied there are also many people that are innocent in jail and they probably get bullied because they are poor or because they don't believe he or she that they are innocent.

  • The top pioroty of the officers should be secure. This should be the most important because if the officers don't pay alot of attention to they could escape esily. If they don't make this the top piority criminals could escape and do even more crimes. Even if they get them again they would escape again because it is too easy.

  • The priority they should care about the less is confortable. This should be the least priority because if they did something bad why should they feel comfortable. They should be having a hard time in prision so they don't want to make another crime. If they have a harsh time they would be afraid to do anything else bad.

  • Personally, I think that the prisons should prioritize the security as their top priority. I think that security should be the top priority because if there was no security then all of the prisoners would escape then it would become an abandoned prison. The prisons should least prioritize reformative because if the prisoners spend a long time in prison they should not want to go back, so they should most likely not want to come back and become a better citizen. I suggest that prisons should have a therapy meeting or class so the prisoners are calm and are not stressed out.

  • Hello everyone, I am excellent_panther and here is a person named "Fito" or José Adolfo Macías Villamar who had the audacity to escape the most secure prison in the whole Ecuador he escaped with 40 more people of his gang but the main purpose of prisons is security internally and externally both. So that no prisoner can get in or out of the prisons and the guards and the jailers should never have their guard down even in the top prisons of Ecuador. This escape caused many riots in Ecuador-Argentina and Fito himself took the guards as hostages and is now roaming freely. He is one of the biggest criminals and drug lords in the whole South America the prisons there should be like the following :-
    >Punishment: Justice should be achieved
    >Comfort: the prisoners should be relaxed and comfortable
    >Secure: nobody should get inside or outside
    >Reformative: The prisoners should become a nice person after being released.

  • Is a big disgrace for any country that it’s one of the most protected prisons could be breached by a number of prisoners. Fito broke the prison with many other members by taking many security guards as hostage. A prison is not only meant to act as a guardian for the citizens from the prisoner, but it is also a nest where the prisoners realize his/her mistakes, and make the necessary amendments for their wrong doings. Prisons must be secure so that the citizens and prisoners both live in harmony in their own habitat and comfortable so that prisoners are not discomforted. A prison should not be like hell. Whether citizens or prisoners, everyone is a human and at least deserve to live with peace.

  • I think the top priority of the prison officers is to make prisoners learn how to be better citizens because depending on how long they served in prison, they could reflect on their actions and focus on their future life out of prison. The thing the prison officers should prioritise least is keeping the prisoners at ease because prison is a entirely different place than the prisoners' homes so this would be the least of the officers priorities. Lastly, I think there aren't any other purposes of prisons that are missing from the list.

  • Hello everyone!
    I would say I disagree about prisons make prisoners better people in society as the prison system is usually hard on them and aims more to keep them in prison then have a better future. As prisons toughen up prisoners as a lot can go on between prisoners to escape as they would want freedom or prison riots and violence. I think it would be a better idea to treat everyone with respect and not treat the prisoners hard and make them feel welcome and respected and someone who has a good future then a beast which needs to be trapped at all times. It would also make prisons a lot less scary. Have a nice day everyone!

    1. Do you think it would change prisoners' behaviour in prisons if prisons were less scary?

      1. Hi Katie,
        I strongly disagree with you, prisons are supposed to be scary, because if they are not, people will not care if they were sent to prison. When someone is scared of something they wouldn't want to get closer to it.
        In conclusion it is good that prison is supposed to be scary to make people think twice before committing a crime.

      2. It would really depend as the people could be bad but leading them to be a good person could have an affect I don't think it would change too much but some more respect could change something.

      3. I don't think it would change the prisoners' behaviour if prison was less scary because punishment is how you learn from your actions and by it being less scary they would enjoy it rather than not wanting to do it again.

  • I choose punishment because if we don't punish criminals they will not know that what they did is bad.

  • Police officers should definitely prioritize security the most. This is because there has been numerous of successful escapes including escapes from maximum security prisons For example Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin all escaped from Alcatraz when is one of the most secured prisons in the world. Considering the fact that these prisons are this secured and people still tend to escape shows that this is a serious problem. As far as everything else there is really no problem with it other safe but that is a topic that I will get into sometime soon. But, what prisons need to notice is people can’t serve justice if they escaping justice.

  • Personally speaking, I think prisons are built for two reasons: The first is reformative, because government will not benefit from keeping prisoners in prison. Instead, it will be more beneficial for the government and prisoners if they learnt how to be a good civilian and be effective in their community. The second is punishment, if justice wasn't achieved, then every one could do whatever they want whether good or bad with no fear from punishment and there will a mess all over the country. From my perspective, I think prison officers should put prisoners safety in their consideration, because in prisons you are very susceptible to being bullied by other prisoners, sometimes it may reach for prisoners fighting and harming each other. So, officers are responsible for prisoners' safety.
    Comfortable for prisoners should be partially ignored, because if prisons were comfortable, then it will loses the purpose it was built for "punishment", and prisoners won't feel bad for being in prisons. This doesn't mean that prisons should be totally uncomfortable, because prisoners are humans after all and should achieve some of their rights.

  • primary purposes of prisons are to serve as a means of punishment for individuals convicted of crimes, to protect society by isolating offenders, and to rehabilitate them through various programs. Additionally, prisons aim to act as a deterrent to potential offenders and provide a sense of justice to victims and the community. However, the effectiveness of these purposes is often debated, and there are ongoing discussions about reforming the criminal justice system.

  • I think it would be for the prisoners to be better people since this would lead to less crime and danger for people. I don't think there is a point that should be emphasized except that they are all very good points. I don't think there is something that is missing all the points are very good and in one way or another they help the whole country

  • Among those five purpose, I think the topmost priority for the prison officer is to make the prisoners a good citizen when they will get discharged from the prison. But it's a different story if someone's getting a death penalty. So, why do we think prisons are made? To punish the prison for the sins they have done? Well, it isn't that case but instead they are kept in order to make them a better version of themselves in a good manner changing their whole behavior and attitude. But it cannot be helped if they don't realize their mistakes. In the prison, many prisoners have their own family that is precious for them like us. They aren't meant to be looked down for committing various crimes but instead they are kept in prisons to give them the second chance to be a good human. So, it is the most priority of the prisoner officers.

  • All these purposes are essential but in my opinion reformative is the best purpose because in prison nowadays different vocational trainings has been given which is helping prisoners to learn different skills and to make their life easy after releasing from jail.After learning skills,they will be engaged in different works which prevents them to be involved in criminal activities.This will help prisoners to be better citizens.So, I think prison is the best place to make people better citizens from bad.I hope you understand my point.
    Thank you!

  • I think prisons being reformative should be the top priority of prison officers because if prisoners learn how to be better citizens, prisoners would learn to be safe. Prisoners being comfortable can put prisoners at ease because there isn't any danger. Punishment is also good so justice could be achieved but at the end of the day, if they aren't better then they will end right back up in jail with someone being hurt.I think they should prioritise comfortability the least because it also would give prisoners more punishment which should be prioritise more than comfort. I think those are are the purposes of prisons.

  • The news of "Fito's" escape from a maximum-security prison is alarming and raises serious concerns about the prison's security measures. It is possible that there was an orchestrated plan to aid his escape or that the prison staff failed to maintain adequate vigilance.
    In my opinion, the primary purpose of prisons should be reformative. The goal of reform is to improve behavior in individuals or systems. Those who have committed crimes are held in custody to undergo rehabilitation and become better citizens who contribute positively to society. Prisons should aim to teach inmates valuable lessons to deter them from repeating their crimes and encourage them to change their ways.
    While the well-being of prisoners should not be neglected, their comfort should not be the highest priority. The essence of confining them is to impose a restriction, and excessively comfortable conditions could potentially undermine the deterrent effect of imprisonment. Striking a balance between humane treatment and accountability is crucial.
    The safety of inmates is also paramount, as many face bullying and mistreatment from fellow inmates. Prison authorities have a responsibility to ensure the protection of all inmates and prevent the formation of gangs or power dynamics that can lead to violence. A safe and secure environment is essential for promoting reform and rehabilitation.
    Overall, the primary focus of prisons should be on reform and safety, while ensuring that inmates are treated humanely without compromising the effectiveness of the criminal justice system.

  • The top priority of prison officers should be ensuring safety. Safety encompasses both the security of the facility (preventing escapes or unauthorized entries) and the physical safety of everyone inside, including both inmates and staff.

    The purpose they should prioritize least is comfort. While ensuring humane conditions is important, it should not take precedence over safety, punishment (as determined by the justice system), or the overall goal of reforming inmates to become law-abiding citizens.

  • Prison is the best form of punishment, without prison, there would be nowhere to keep criminals and the would be chaos. Some people might say prison is unfair, but if you don't want to end up in prison just follow the laws, some people are forced to steal to live, even if you do that don't kill another human, it is not right.
    In conclusion prison is a good form of punishment, used to get people to act right.

  • From my own personal understanding the purpose of prisons are to be reformative, why I stand on this opinion is that prisons is a place or a centre for correction on how to be a better city cause actually without prison most of our worst criminals are being changed to better citizens in the society.

  • l feel as if the top priority should be "secure" because its kind of scary to find out that a major criminal escaped from a ''maximum prison''.
    So, for the safety of citizens, l find it best to prioritize secureness so that everyone lives without fear of attack by a dangerous individual because the major purpose of a prison is to serve as a correctional facility to change the way these offenders think and be better people in the society

    And looking at the safety of prisoners, it is best to serve their whole term of sentence because if they get recognized maybe in the streets, its normally human nature to want to attack to ensure their well-being and this could even harm the prisoner who is also a human-being and deserves a chance at life

  • Primarily, one should ask themselves what is the actual duty of a prison officer? Right, its probably ringing in one's mind that maybe its just one hag or old disgusting old man entertaining the prisoners, enjoying their life seated in that wooden chair as they guard the criminals but no! be optimistic here. Why would a prison officer chose comfortability to be their first priority considering the fact that they are dealing with a bombshell, a bombshell that could just explode within the blink of an eye and leave the entire continent at the brisk of collapse. How about if we make this whole system reformative and secure. Don't you think the whole world will be at ease? l mean imagine who knows where Fitu has escaped to ?Now the whole world is literally panicking but if we had prioritized the reformative system he could have actually distinguished good from bad and he could have been working on being the best version he could ever become of himself. You know what, rehabilitation services could also be introduced in these prisons right? As you stand as the future of tomorrow don't you see how great it could be and how much good we will be doing for the nation?

  • To be quite frank it is not at all surprising that 'Fito' was able to escape prison as there are numerous examples of people who've used the simplest methods to free themselves. All Steven Jay Russell had to do was impersonate a guard and just walk right out. This shows that not all prisons prioritise security since multiple jailbreaks have taken place over the years meaning people have penetrated and escaped prisons with ease hence security should be a top priority. Imagine just how problematic it could have been if Ted Bundy had escaped prison and continued his heinous crimes. However, not all prisoners should be given death sentences because some of them can honestly be redeemed. In the case of Ed Gein had he been rehabilitated and treated for his mental illness that had been caused by a traumatic childhood he would have been able to live a normal life. Alas, he was declared insane and died in a mental health institution. I believe that prisons should mainly keep their focus on protecting the prisoners and citizens as well as reforming the prisons to make them better people. Punishment should be the least prioritized and only for those who have done the unforgivable and are not willing to change or be ashamed of the evil they have done such as Albert Fish (The Brooklyn Vampire).

  • I honestly believe that prisons should prioritise "Punishment'' because if these people that are put behind bars are not taught their lesson and dealt with seriously,it will increase the number of more crimes as these criminals will see the prisons as weak and want to cause more violence. Letting prisoners get soft punishments won't make them realise the wrong they did. I believe that when a perosn does something wrong, they should be corrected in a way that won't make them want to reconsider doing it again. Improving and inceasing the punishments in prisons will make less people comitt crimes as they will know that prisons are horrible places. Criminals should fear such places. Making things like ''Comfortable'' a priority actually makes other criminals keep causing violence as they will know thatthey will living comrortably within the prison, which actually doesn't make a person realise the wrong they did but instead, when prisoners are realesed, they will keep continuing doing the same crimes because they know that the prisons are goinh to be comfortable

  • What is a prison? A prison is a place where a prisoner learns how to be a good citizen , a prison is a place where a specific time of punishment is given to a prisoner. Yo can also find how to be a good citizen, as you can also find a hobby which you are good at so when you get out of the jail or get a bail you can get a nice job . And a jail must be secured because when the prisoner comes out of a jail so he / she can harm people as well as riots can take place, it is important because to be a good citizen you should be known for good thing not for the bad things , my opinion says when a prisoner is guilty their punishment must be reduced and soon they must get out of the prison .
    Thank you

  • To break the ice, l strongly believe that the reformation of these so called prisoners should be the number priority of the prison officers. Looking at it, one is sent to prison after a certain crime for example, being sued for murder. We need to consider how these people are feeling mentally, emotionally and as well physically. we are humans after all, we all have emotions and thoughts always linger around in our barraged mindsets. These thoughts and emotions can lead one to wanting to also consider suicide - not being a social butterfly and it leaves one in a closed shell. Prison is not all about punishments and suffering. It is the place where these jailbirds get their rehabilitation, where they get reformed . It also helps them to evolve to better people to refresh their minds and give them hope that their is an after life even after committing a certain crime. it is also a chance for them to reflect back at their mistakes and learn to CHANGE and become people. for this to be achieved , there is great need for their security. In addition to that, I also feel like giving the prisoners comfort should be made the least priority. Prison is not a comfort zone - hence it should not be one .
    Lastly, it is also essential to to add the unpopular recoveries for the prisoners rather than just giving them rehabilitation , these are adding sporting activities on their schedules ,giving them an unbiased sleeping schedule and even sending therapist to the prison for just general therapy talks

    In a nutshell, reformation is the greatest priority and comfortability is the least , together with improving recovery systems and these all make jailbirds an improvement to the economy

    Thank you!

  • The purpose of the prison it to change people's mindsets and way of life also to make people pay for what they did

    1. Hi @loving_musician, interesting ideas. Which do you think is more important, to change people's mindsets and way of life or to make people pay for what they did?

  • Hi!,
    The top priority of prison officers should be ensuring safety (Purpose 4). Safety encompasses both the safety of the prison staff and the safety of the inmates. It is essential to prevent violence, self-harm, and other forms of harm within the prison environment. Without safety, the other purposes, such as punishment, rehabilitation, and security, cannot be effectively achieved.

    The purpose that prison officers should prioritize least is comfort (Purpose 3). While it is important to ensure that prisoners are treated humanely and provided with basic necessities, prioritizing their comfort above other purposes such as safety, security, and rehabilitation may undermine the overall objectives of the prison system. Comfort should not be the primary focus compared to the more critical goals of punishment, safety, and rehabilitation.

    Thank you!!

  • Prisons were meant to keep bad people in there to learn there lesson and become better people so they let some people out after they did there time and became better people but not ever one should be let out of jail because some people when they get out still have built up anger and take there anger out on innocent people and gets sent back to prisons

  • The priority of prisons is to ensure that the prisoners are well enlightened about the rules and regulations and to become better citizens of a country. They unlearn values, relearn new values and ensure that they are well protected against themselves and others. Corrective methods should be strictly emphasised and prisoners that don't want to conform can be sent to stricter prisons.

    The prisoners are still humans so the prison officers should be considerate, remembering that prisoners are violent and may carry out violent activities on other prisoners which may hinder their safety going against the duties of prison officers to ensure the safety of fellow inmates.

    Justice should also aim to be achieved as prisoners may not be willing to conform. Most prisoners are extremely violent and may form their own sub-cultures with values that are very unacceptable to society. This is why prison officers should that punishment is probably executed.

    Aside all this, the main priority of prisons is to get the prisoners to conform and fit back into society. Reformative measures should be taken to ensure prisoners do not become comfortable in their bad behaviours.

  • In my perspective, I believe the most important purpose of prisons is for reformative purposes. To be reformative it to be corrective with the main aim of making better citizens who will eventually live a better life and contribute meaningfully to the community.
    Prisoners are taught to become better citizens of a country. Prisons are meant to teach prisoners to perfectly shape into society and avoid crime. When prisoners are educated to a better life, they flee from a life of crime.

    In addition, there should also be a secure state in the prison where the prisoners won't be able to move in and out of the prison walls at ease. Prisons should be secure to avoid the risk of putting innocent citizens in danger.

    Prisons should be able to provide safety to the prisoners to avoid prisoners dying in their prison cells ,prisoners fighting each other and killing each other for various reasons .I strongly believe the safety of the prisoners should be taken more seriously and have more attention giving towards it.
    Punishment in prisons make the prisoner to understand that what he or she has done was wrong and was not the right approach. I put punishment as the second to last most important because i feel even without the punishments the prisoner would be able to know what they had done was bad.

  • Hello,
    The purpose of prison is typically to provide a place of confinement for people who have been convicted of crimes. It is also meant to deter people from committing crimes by showing them the consequences of their actions. In addition, prison is often seen as a place where people can be rehabilitated and reintegrated into society. This can be done through programs such as job training, education, and counseling. Finally, prison is also meant to keep dangerous individuals away from the general public. All of these purposes are important, and they all contribute to the overall goal of maintaining a safe and orderly society.

  • I think that the purpose of prisons is reformative. The prisoners have all done something wrong, from stealing to killing. Many of us believe that they should be punished for their actions, but doesn't punishment also mean learning about why you were wrong? I think that after serving their years in prison, they will have to be introduced back into society. How do you safely do that, when they have not been taught what they can actually do in order to earn a living. Many people that commit crimes do it because they have no resources, no money and no food. So poverty determines most of those people to commit crimes. Something that I believe needs to be taught is what other ways of getting some income exist. They may know about them, but believe that they are too hard or that they don't pay enough money. Somebody needs to tell them that the people they are stealing from, do these jobs and so they don't deserve to have their money taken away. I know that life is hard sometimes, but all the work that you do pays off eventually. Another thing that I consider to be important is that you don't have to live with the guild that you did something wrong. You can change and become a much better person. Even though you have done something horrible, you can still start a new life and maybe help the ones who are also struggling. I think that people learn best from those who have been through the same things and managed to overcome them. We say that the past should stay in the past. However, it can haunt you. So I think that the prisoners should be helped to understand what went wrong in their life and what they can do about it.

  • In my considered perspective, directing our efforts toward the rehabilitation and reformation of prisoners holds greater importance than punishing them. By providing opportunities for improvement and personal growth that will make them a good person, we can help reduce future criminal activity and promote positive change within individuals. While comfort in prison may be a personal desire, it should not be the main priority in creating a better society. Ultimately, the goal should be to help prisoners become productive members of society upon their release. Other than that criminals should be subjected to punishment if they do not want to be changed.

  • Greetings.
    One important purpose of prisons is to ensure safety by being secure, where people can't get in or out easily. This is crucial to prevent escapes and protect the public. Ensuring a state free from danger or threat is vital. With proper security measures in place, citizens can be shielded from criminal activities, fostering a safer society. Prisons should not be like a hell.
    Another crucial purpose is rehabilitation or being reformative. This means helping prisoners learn how to be better citizens, to develop their mindset, and reducing the chances of them committing crimes again. Programs such as education and vocational training inside prisons can positively impact on offenders' lives. Prisons are also designed to protect the public by removing individuals who have committed crimes from society. Prisons also aim to deter potential offenders by demonstrating the consequences of criminal behavior. The goal is to promote personal growth and prepare individuals for successful reintegration into society upon their release. Prisoners are meant to be safe and protected from harm while in custody, till they serve their jail term, or any punishment melted to them by the law.
    Prisons should prioritize punishment least.
    So, prisons must be secure, safe and reformative.
    Thank you.

  • The main purpose of prison should be reformative because it offers the best chance for prisoners to be rehabilitated and become productive members of society. There are a few reasons for this. First, reformative programs can help prisoners address the root causes of their criminal behavior, such as addiction or mental health issues. Second, these programs can teach prisoners job skills and life skills that will help them succeed when they're released. Finally, by focusing on rehabilitation, we're acknowledging that prisoners are human beings who deserve a second chance. This can help prevent recidivism and make our communities safer in the long run.

  • There are a few ways that the reformation of prisoners can help both the prison and society. First, it can reduce the prison population, which frees up space and resources for other prisoners. Second, it can reduce recidivism rates, which saves money and resources that would otherwise be spent on re-incarcerating prisoners. Third, it can increase the productivity of prisoners, which can generate revenue for the prison and contribute to the economy. Finally, it can improve the image of prisons in society, which can lead to increased public support and funding for prisons.

  • In achieving justice, punishment can serve two main purposes. First, it can act as a deterrent, discouraging others from committing similar crimes by demonstrating the negative consequences of such behavior. Second, it can be seen as retribution, or "an eye for an eye," which can help to satisfy victims' desire for justice and closure. However, it's important to note that punishment alone is not enough to achieve justice. In order to create a truly just society, we must also work to address the underlying causes of crime and provide opportunities for offenders to reform and reintegrate into society.
    There are a few reasons why punishment should be given the least priority in achieving an effective prison organization. First, punishment is often ineffective at deterring crime, as most criminals do not consider the consequences of their actions when they commit a crime. Second, punishment can actually lead to more crime, as it can lead to feelings of resentment and anger that may result in further criminal activity. Third, punishment can be costly, both financially and in terms of the human resources required to administer it. Finally, punishment can create a cycle of violence and revenge, which is not conducive to a healthy and productive society.

  • In my perspective, all the purpose should be prioritize. But the most significant purpose will be no. 4 since the prison is made for the criminals to be punished and even for the safety of the public so I least agree with no.3. I would like to add one more purpose that is to take retribution of the crime committed by the criminal. If the criminal doesn't have the fear of prison officers then they might commit other criminal activity.

    1. Interesting ideas @enlightened_leopard. What do you mean by criminals fearing prison officers? What do you think is the role of a prison officer?

      1. Hi,
        A prison officer (PO) also known as a correctional law enforcement officer or less formally as a prison guard, is a uniformed law enforcement official responsible for the custody, supervision, safety, and regulation of prisoners. They are responsible for the security of the facility and its property as well as other law enforcement functions. I believe the roles of a prison officer includes:
        1. Prevention is one of the key components of an officer's roles. Officers can utilize prevention by routinely searching inmates and their living quarters for potential threats such as weapons, drugs, or other contraband. Officers should remain assertive and, in most situations, refuse to back down. An officer shall hold offenders who violate facility policy accountable for their actions when rules are violated. This is usually done through on the spot corrections, a formal disciplinary process, or through the legal process in extreme circumstances.
        2. A prison officer is responsible for supervising and managing prisoners decently, lawfully, safely and securely, ensuring that the routines of the prison operate effectively. Prison officers must maintain order and daily operations of the facility and are responsible for the care, custody, and control of inmates. A correction officer has a responsibility to control inmates who may be dangerous, and that society themselves do not wish to accommodate. An officer must always prevent disturbances, assaults, and escapes by supervising activities and work assignments of inmates. Officers have a responsibility to protect themselves, other officers, inmates, and the public from assault by other inmates. An officer must be alert and aware of any and all movement taking place inside the facility.
        3. The roles of a prison officer are not only physical, but also administrative. Keeping detailed records on centralized systems and completing timely reports are also an essential part of the role of an officer.
        A prison officer possesses many qualities such as great communication skills, resilience, integrity and professionalism. Together this qualities help support prisoners with their rehabilitation process in a safe environment.

      2. I think if the criminals starts fearing prison officers or the law, the crime rates will decrease and criminals will not dare to commit any criminal activity. And as the prison officers are given the powers to deal with the criminals, so the officers could maintain a tight security and take action again the crime committed by the criminal.

        Thank you!!

  • In my opinion i agree with secure, punishment, and reformative.

    1. Secure: Ensuring a secure environment is crucial for the safety of inmates, staff, and the community. It helps prevent escapes and maintains order within the prison facilities.

    2. Punishment: Holding individuals accountable for their actions through incarcerations serves as a deterrent and sends a message to that they are consequences for committing crimes.

    3. Reformative: providing rehabilitation programs and support can help address the root causes of criminal behavior and equip inmates with the skills they need to reintegrate into society successfully.

    These purposes work together to create a balance between punishment and rehabilitation, promoting public safety while also giving individuals an opportunity to change and lead law-abiding lives.

  • In my opinion i think all the option listed are all purposes of prison but i think prison should be concerned on these two major things, these are punishment and reformation why i pick these two is because they state the main purpose of prison, for punishment i am not trying to say all prisoners must be servierly punshed i think the only type of people in prison that should be sevierly punished is those whose crime should not even be stated and should be for those who kill there is no reason worthy of killing someone another reason is for those who are in prison and were set free should use this as a means of warning others no one likes to be hurt or see someone get hurt they should use this as a way of warning others and their companions and for rehabilitation i think that punishment is not the only way to change someone i think that talking to someone expressing their feelings is a much better way to handle these type of people violence is not always the answer this why in my country prison i now called rehabilitaion center this shows there are better ways to solve their problem. But prison should not make prisoner comfortable because this will just encourage their bad behavior this makes all their trying to teach in rehabilitation center useless but if all these steps are not taking lightly the world will be a better place people like Fito wouldn't exist
    THANK YOU

    1. I agree because... I believe that all the purposes listed for prisons are valid, but I emphasize the importance of focusing on two main objectives: punishment and reformation. Punishment should be proportionate to the crime committed, with more severe penalties reserved for heinous offenses like murder. Those who have been released from prison should serve as a deterrent to others, acting as a cautionary example. It's crucial to emphasize the consequences of harmful actions to discourage both potential offenders and their peers.

      On the other hand, rehabilitation is equally vital. Instead of relying solely on punishment, engaging in meaningful conversations and addressing the root causes of criminal behavior can be more effective in bringing about positive change. In my country, prisons are referred to as rehabilitation centers, underscoring the belief that there are better ways to solve problems than through violence. However, it's essential to strike a balance and avoid making prisoners too comfortable, as this could undermine the efforts of rehabilitation. Taking these steps seriously can contribute to making the world a better place, reducing the likelihood of individuals like Fito existing.

      1. I agree because as we read in history punishment doesn't always work most wars were ended in peace treaties as I stated before violence isn't always the answer that was in the past and this is the future or present I would like to give an example in story form there was a man who loved to steal no matter what people tried it never worked he kept on stealing no matter how many times they beat him it just didn't work so one day an old man just like him who used to steal found him asked why do you steal he said his past and the old man said I was just like you, but the more kept steal the more pain he causes so the old sat him down and talk to him and as we say violence is'nt always the answer just like that he stopped stealing the old man was a former prisoner who changed not by violence but by words so you see polite_king sometime punishment just drives the bad habit don't get me wrong their crimes worthy of punishment but not all are
        you see in the story it just the use of my support of rehabilitation over punishment and I'm surethe man was tired was of beating and insult punishment and rehabilitation go hand in hand but rehabilitation out ways punishment rehabilitation helps ease the pain of the past
        Hoping for your reply
        Polite_king

  • In my view, the top priority for prison officers should be ensuring safety. Creating an environment where nobody is in danger lays the foundation for any other goals, such as reformative efforts or punishment. Safety is fundamental for both inmates and staff.

    Prioritizing least could be "Secure = people can't get in or out." While security is crucial, an excessive focus on confinement might hinder efforts to address the root causes of criminal behavior or promote rehabilitation.

    One potential missing purpose could be "Reintegration = assisting inmates to smoothly reintegrate into society post-release." This emphasizes the importance of preparing individuals for a successful transition back into the community, reducing recidivism.

    What are your thoughts on this, and do you see other purposes that might be essential in the context of prisons?

  • The top priority for prison officers should generally be ensuring safety, as it encompasses both the well-being of inmates and the prevention of harm to others. Safety forms the foundation for achieving other goals like rehabilitation, punishment, and maintaining a secure environment.
    The least priority might be securing the facility to the extent that people can't get in or out, as an excessive focus on strict confinement might hinder efforts for rehabilitation and reform.
    One purpose missing from the list is deterrence, where prisons serve as a deterrent to potential offenders by showcasing consequences.

  • Hi,
    I would like to add another purpose of prisons which is deterring of crime. Deterrence is the theory that criminal penalties do not just punish violators,but also discourage others from committing crimes.If citizens see criminals locked up in prison for the crimes they committed,the citizens will obey the laws of the land so as for them not to get locked up in prison and suffer the penalties attached to the crime they committed.

  • Prison officers should prioritize punishment and rehabilitation.

    Prison officers should prioritize rehabilitation since letting the prisoner out after ten years will most likely not do anything. The person will repeat the same mistake, only to be jailed for another ten years. Rehabilitation would fix this, as it fixes the root of the problem. Rehabilitation efforts may include educational programs, vocational training, and counseling sessions. For example, if a prisoner has a drug addiction, the prison may provide drug addiction treatment and counseling sessions to help the prisoner overcome their addiction.

    Prison officers should not, however, prioritize comfort in prisons. The purpose of prisons is to make sure criminals don't commit crimes again. If convicts feel comfortable in prison, they may not think of it as a punishment and commit more crimes to try to get in again. Therefore, prioritizing comfort would destroy the purpose of prisons.

    It's important to note that punishment and rehabilitation should go hand in hand. Prison officers should not solely focus on punishment or rehabilitation but ensure that both are equally important. This way, prisoners have the necessary tools to turn their lives around and become better citizens.

  • I think the main purpose of prison is safety but the comfortableness should be focused least in prisons in my opinion.

    Prisons should be safe and make other people feel at safety which is the main purpose of prison. If prison don't ensure safety to other people then what's their purpose. Security of a prison should be focused as much as the safety of the prison. If prisons don't focus too much on their safety, then prisoners can escape too easily. So the security of the prison should be focused as much as safety of the prison.

    While if the prisoners are too much comfortable,they might repeat the crimes they committed.So in my opinion comfortableness of the prisoners in the prison should be maintained with the degree of their crimes. Like, for example, if a persons commits murder, he shouldn't feel that much comfortable at prison compared to the person who commits stealing.

  • In my opinion, the prison officers should prioritize security because it is the most fundamental purpose of the prison and comfortable because the prisoners like fito is roaming around freely because of the lack of high security. If the prisoners are at ease then it's easier for the prisoners to escape the prison so, comfortable should be the least priority . I think the purpose of of the prison that is missing is the deterrence. The prison officers should give deterrence(fear of doing some illegal activities ) . If the prison officers prioritize deterrence, then crime rates can be decreased.

  • The top priority of prison officers should be a balanced approach that combines security, rehabilitation, and public safety.
    Ensuring the safety of inmates, staff, and the surrounding community is crucial. Strict security measures are necessary to prevent violence, escape attempts, and maintain order within the prison. Prioritising rehabilitation is essential for the successful reintegration of inmates into society. Providing education, vocational training, and mental health support helps address underlying issues that may contribute to criminal behavior, reducing the likelihood of Reoffending. Ultimately, the primary goal is to protect the public. By focusing on rehabilitation, prison officers contribute to creating responsible and law-abiding citizens, enhancing overall community safety.
    balancing these priorities ensures a comprehensive approach that addresses both the immediate security concerns and the long-term goal of reducing recidivism, benefiting society as a whole

  • It's not about prioritizing one job over another but rather finding a balanced approach. However, tasks that don't directly contribute to security, rehabilitation, or public safety might be considered lower priority, such as administrative duties unrelated to inmate well-being or community reintegration.

  • Deterrence aims to discourage potential offenders, punishment serves as a consequence for unlawful actions, and restitution involves compensating victims for their losses. These aspects contribute to a multifaceted role for prisons in the criminal justice system.

  • Prisons serve multiple purposes, including punishment for criminal behavior, deterrence, rehabilitation, and protection of society by isolating individuals who pose a threat. The emphasis on these goals may vary depending on legal systems and societal perspectives.

    1. Can you explain how it may vary depending on legal systems and societal perspectives?

  • Some additional purposes of prisons include restitution to victims, retribution as a form of societal justice, and incapacitation to prevent offenders from committing further crimes during their sentence. The emphasis on these purposes can vary based on legal philosophies and societal values.

    1. Can you give two examples of how these can vary based on legal philosophies and societal values?

  • I believe that Reformative must be the top priority of prison officers, because the prisoners are changing their course of mindset and are striving to be good citizens for their country rather than doing what they did to deserve such punishment. they must allow the prisoners to share their thoughts and ponder upon ideas that would help them be a good citizen of their nation.

  • Prioritizing the purposes of prisons depends on perspective, but I'd say the top priority should be reformative – helping prisoners become better citizens can contribute to long-term societal well-being. Safety closely follows, as it ensures the well-being of everyone involved.

    Punishment might be prioritized least, as focusing solely on punishment may not address the root causes of criminal behavior.

    The list might be missing the aspect of rehabilitation, emphasizing support for individuals to reintegrate successfully into society post-incarceration.

  • Hello, everyone.
    In my opinion all five purposes of prison are very important. Prison officials must give the highest priority to each objective.
    -If a criminal escapes from a prison, then there is insecurity among the people. In this case, the prison officials have to keep an eye so that no criminal escapes.
    - Criminals commit various heinous crimes at different times. In this case, jail is the appropriate punishment for them. By providing proper punishment to the criminals, they come out of their crime and peace and order prevails in the society.
    -Criminals should be provided with food, education and medical services etc. in prisons. If not, his basic needs as a citizen will not be fulfilled and every prison officer should keep an eye on this.
    -Prisons ensure the security of property and life of every citizen of a country. In jail, punishment is given according to the crime of the criminal. As a result he is not associated with any type of crime. Society is stable because crime is not organized.
    -Criminals in prison can learn about their crimes and start a new life without committing crimes. Jail officials have to ensure that every convict in prison can become a better citizen and contribute to the betterment of the country.
    In this way, if prison officials give top priority to every objective, crime will be suppressed in the country, security will be ensured and the country's economy will improve.

  • Hello.
    This is an arguable and complex question which may have divergent answers depending on one's goals and perspectives. However from my point of view, safety (of both prisoners and the staff) and reformative should be the top two priorities of prison officers..
    First of all, safety is a basic human right. Without safety, prisoners may face neglect, abuse or violence, and staff may face threats, stress and injuries. Plus, safety can reduce the risk of escapes or other occurrence that could weaken the security of the public and prisoners and without safety none of the other purposes can be effectively achieved..
    I think that the second priority of prison officers should be: reformative. This means that the prison officers can help prisoners learn how to be better citizens and prepare them for reunification with the society. Also, creating reformative programs (this may include therapy, community services and education) can both benefit the society and the prisoners, as they can improve employability..
    The least priority of prison officers could be punishment, as they can inflict suffering and pain for the prisoners. Punishment can include phycological torture, physical abuse and harsh sentences, also punishment can violate human rights and have a negative impact on the prisoners' health and behaviour..
    Although I strongly believe that the prisoner officers have to balance between these purposes, according to the situation and the laws..

  • In my opinion I think that the purpose of a person that has done something wrong can’t go to prison because they will not learn anything by just have in no daylight or a good comfy sleep they just wanna get out. So all we have to do is try to sent them all to a island that is completely imposible to get out of there and then after that person has had their punishment for a period of time suffering in a desert island I’m quite certain that they will learn a good lesson.
    and that’s what I think(:

    1. Can you outline two things they might learn from being on a desert island over being in a prison?

      1. Firstly,they will be isolated in the desert ,so they can't do any crime. Secondly,there would not be given food or water, because, obviously, its a desert.
        THANK YOU!

  • As said by the Cambridge Dictionary, jail means "a building where bad people have to live as a punishment." In this sense, the word "bad people" refers to those who broke the rules and are now serving their time.

    Looking at the five reasons for jails:

    - Safe: Making sure no one can get in or out is key. This involves steps to stop escape and keep control in the jail.
    - Punishment: The thought that those who broke the law need to face the music is a form of payback for their actions.
    - Comfortable: Making sure prisoners have what they need for a good life is important for their well-being.
    - Safe: Keeping the jail free from harm is important, so everyone is safe from violence.
    - Reformative: The goal is to help prisoners become better people through learning and training.

    The main job of jail workers should be a mix of safety, helping, and public protection. Keeping everyone safe, staff, inmates, and those nearby is a must. Firm safety steps are needed to prevent bad actions, escapes, and to keep things in order. Prioritizing helping is key for inmates to fit in later in society. Learning, training, and mental health support deal with reasons for bad actions, cutting the chance of doing wrong again. Most importantly, the aim is to shield the public. By helping, jail workers aid in building good and law-following citizens, making the community safe.

    While being fair to inmates is key, the idea of them being "Comfortable" may be less vital compared to safety, punishment, and helping. Balancing these boosts a broad approach that looks at safety along with the goal of less wrongdoing, good for society overall.

  • In my own view I will choose reformative
    A prison is a secure building designed to hold inmates as retribution for their crimes or suspects as they await trial. Prisons serve various purposes, including retribution, incapacitation, deterrence, and reformation.
    The implication is that reformed prisoners do no longer be security threats to a national peace which is so vital for socio-economic and political development. In other words, the purpose of reformative is to train through appropriate conditions convicted prisoners to be better citizens on discharge.
    On the other hand the less priority should be comfortable, If prisoners are given much comfort without being better citizens and they are discharged they can commit more crimes.

  • A prison needs to br strict and reformative simultaneously and prisoners should get the punishment they deserve. However, if a prisoner escapes this means 2 things, or the prison is not safeguarded well or maybe even the officers are corrupted.
    Jails are responsible for guarding prisoners to be inside them not outside and protecting the society that lives outside .

  • In the debate about the purposes of prisons, different priorities emerge:

    Secure: Many see this as a top priority, ensuring prisons fulfill their basic function of confining individuals.
    Punishment: Views on this vary; some emphasize its importance for justice, while others argue for a focus on rehabilitation.
    Comfortable: Providing some level of comfort is seen as humane, but it may not be the highest priority for everyone.
    Safe: Ensuring safety within prisons is crucial for both inmates and staff, making it a top concern.
    Reformative: Rehabilitation is increasingly recognized as essential for reducing recidivism and promoting societal well-being.
    The debate centers around finding a balance, with safety and security often considered paramount, followed by rehabilitation. Comfort may be seen as a lower priority, and the list might benefit from explicitly including accountability, transparency, and community reintegration efforts. Perspectives differ based on cultural, ethical, and philosophical beliefs, making the debate nuanced and diverse.

  • Prioritizing the purposes of prisons involves a complex balancing act. Here's an analysis of the given purposes and their potential priorities:

    1. **Secure (Top Priority):**
    - Ensuring the security of the prison is crucial. Preventing escapes and maintaining a controlled environment is foundational for the safety of both inmates and staff.

    2. **Safe:**
    - Safety, focusing on the well-being of individuals within the prison, should also be a top priority. This includes protection from violence, exploitation, and ensuring the mental and physical health of inmates.

    3. **Reformative:**
    - Prioritizing the reformative purpose is essential for promoting rehabilitation and reducing recidivism. Providing educational, vocational, and counseling programs can contribute to prisoners' personal development and reintegration into society.

    4. **Punishment:**
    - While achieving justice is a core function, the emphasis on punitive measures should be balanced with the understanding that the ultimate goal is to reform and rehabilitate individuals rather than solely inflict punishment.

    5. **Comfortable (Least Priority):**
    - While humane conditions are important, prioritizing the comfort of prisoners should be secondary to the fundamental purposes of security, safety, and rehabilitation. It is important to avoid creating an environment that feels overly lenient or fosters a sense of entitlement.

    Additional Purpose:
    - **Restorative Justice:**
    - Fostering reconciliation between victims and offenders, encouraging accountability, and addressing the harm caused. This approach focuses on repairing relationships and reintegrating offenders into the community.

    Prioritizing these purposes requires a nuanced understanding of the criminal justice system's goals. Striking a balance that emphasizes security, safety, and rehabilitation is essential for an effective and humane prison system.

  • I still can't bear the shock of "Fito's" escape from the prison.
    I just had a discussion with my friends and we discussed about prisons. A prison is a place also known as a jail or correctional penetiaries where people who have committed a crime which can be harmful or les harmful in the environment or the society at large are kept to be corrected.
    In my own view the less priority of a prison is comfortable=prisoners are at ease.
    Giving prisoners ease can mean giving them a lot of comfort. If prisoners are given a lot of comfort without being reformed they cannot be better citizens because they were not taught reformative.
    On the other hand the more priority should be reformative Prisoners learning to be better citizens on discharge.
    Reformative helps prisoners to be better and patroitic citizens on discharge. If prisoners are not reformed and they are being discharged they could still commit vices in the society when they are discharged from the prison.
    In conclusion I have come up with the agreement that all prisoners must be given a reformative treatment before discharge. I have also come up with the agreement that prisoners should at least be given 25% comfort rather than a total 100% and they should also be given 100% reformative.
    Thank you.

  • Hello,
    what I would like to say is that a prison isn't supposes to be that comfortable for prisoners instead it should be in a
    way that the prisoners well feel remorseful and change their way.

  • I think the people that work in prisons needs to be around the cells at all times.You cant let anyone take the chance to escape from their cell which would make surroundings dangerous.Prisons is a place where people should reflect about their negative behaviour.Everyone should take this very seriously as this could put people in danger and even lose their lives due to these horrible decisions people make.If this type of behaviour carries on then this could lead to a very unhealthy environment and putting innocent citizens in danger.

  • Prisons are a behaviour correction centre. The purpose of prisons is to improve the behaviour and actions of people, specifically criminals, but also for the protection and safety of the public and the normal, law-abiding citizens. I think that it is absolutely unacceptable that 'Fito' escaped the maximum security area of a prison and that security officers have been charged with helping him! How can the people in that area trust their safety when they do not know what police officers to trust. I think that the trustworthy and loyal policemen have to take charge and find the despicable man and his horrible gang.

  • In my opinion I think that the purposes that should be the top priority of prison offices should be:
    1) punishment: increasing the severity of punishment does little to deter crime especially for people like "fito". And to add, when the punishment is more severe bad people will step away from any harm or wrong they are doing/causing.
    Moreover, SAFE is also to be one of them, cuz imagine a prison, not safe at all, the world will also be insecure.
    And another thing I think should be added is "PREVENTION" cuz people say prevention is better than cure so if we help prevent any bad or harm from happening prisons will not be of much use and we will all be safe.
    Thank you!!

    1. I strongly support this comment ,let us put into consideration that these people are law breakers and by the legal age to send someone to prison they must be able to distinguish between right and wrong .The long arm of the law fishes out those who decide to make their own little worlds were they can do what they desire out of reality .let us not forget to show empathy but not sympathy

  • We all know that prison is a place to lock up dangerous people in the society to make the society safe but not all people in the prison are dangerous, as even innocent people who are involved in a important court case are held in the prison until the trial proves them to be innocent and also the dangerous people are stronger than each other in various cases, making everyone feel unsafe.

    Thus in my opinion, safety should be the top prority of prison officers. There are many reasons why and is even related to the other 4 purposes of prison (secure, punishment, comfort and reformation) listed above. Let me clear my opinion with these points themselves.

    This feeling of unsafe is one of the reason for most people try to break out of prison as they might get bullied daily (making their life a living hell) or are afraid that they will die if they stay in there for a long period of time, making the government try to make the prison more secure. The punishment is also an important thing in prison as they are made to give justice to people but if the people held in the prison are already suffering due to no safety i.e. being threatened to death than they are already suffering either innocent or guilty, adding onto their suffering in the future which is not so much of a justice for a human in consideration of life. Following that, comfort is a sense of safety as well. Meaning if you feel unsafe than you will feel uncomfortable without a doubt so safety is a must to feel comfortable. Lastly, we all know reformation is something that is compulsory in every prison and is present in every prison but think about how people who are trying to make a change feel when they are always unsafe and threatened by other people? Don't you think it will affect the people/person greatly in their mental health? They may get depression and end their life that might have a bright future ahead.

    "Violence in prison is a relatively common occurrence. Around 20% of inmates report being victims of sexual violence, and 8% of prison deaths are related to violence (and occur due to homicide or suicide)." Source: Study.com, Google

    If statistics shows this, imagine how much more is hidden in the depths that haven't been discovered or revealed yet. Hence, this is the reason I think safety should be the top priority of prisons.

    I would say the prisons should prioritise comfort less than others because after the problem of safety is solved most of the comfort is already there and we should not also forget that prisons are made for punishment so the prisons shouldn't be much comfortable.

    Thank you, reading through this!

  • I am still standing on the point of Reformation which says that without Reformation most of our deadliest criminals like serial killers and kidnappers will still be progressing more and more in their bad deeds example of 1 one our most deadliest like coyote William one of the Nigerian biafran warrior who was sent to prison because of his bad deeds now he's one of our well-known civil servings who was reformated through the prison he went to that's why I keep standing on this point of information thank you and I'm ready for all the questions.

  • I think that prisons should focus on being reformative more because, If they arent then the prisoners wont change and if they dont change all that happens is that they commit a crime, enter prisons , go out and repeat it all over again nothing changes and in order to have a better society we NEED change. Some ways that I have thought we could use to make a change in the attitude and action of prisoners are
    1- To be more strict - This is a HUGE way that could help because its just like thinking of the guards and wardens as parents and the prisoners as kids, If the parent is strict enough on the child then the child we be indicsiplined and will have a bad attitude but if the parents are strict the child will be DISCIPLENED and wont be going out commiting crimes.

    2 - To raise awareness - What I mean by this is that they could make examples out of the more dangerous prisoners to scare not only the prisoners but also the citizens that arent in prison because if they see this they will start to rethink they're actions while in prison and the citizens aswell will start to think about what might happen to them if they go down that path.

  • I think that the top priority is punishment because if jails become really comfortable and safe people will no longer be afraid of imprisonment in fact even the small robbers are doing it because they could survive some times they even do it for food and shelter if they get it all inside the prison without working then they could think that instead of working hard and eating one bowl of meal they could get it free and stay in comfort inside the prison so they will repeat the crime to get into the prison again on the other hand if the punishment is hard they will never even think of doing the crime again and revisiting the prison this will reduce the crime rate according to my opinion.

  • In my opinion l think that these purposes should be on the top of the priority of prison officers:
    1) Secure = As we know that Fito (A Drug Dealer) who has escaped the prison of Ecuador in South America with other 40 prisoners which means the prison should be highly secured all the time and when the prisoners are shifted into another prison it would be more secured because mostly the prisoners escape when they are shifted into another prison.
    2)Reformative= In prison , prisoners are kept to give them one more chance to correct themselves and prison is made to make sure that every prisoners who have done a crime should not repeat that again in future.

  • The purpose of a prison is to remake a person to be a better person. This would be beneficial for many as it would be safer and more harmonic. I feel that this would be better than putting a person in prison for a certain amount of time for they would feel that once they are released they will still be the same person instead of changing for the better.

  • To the best of my understanding prisons are a way of confinement for those who are found at the wrong side of the law and as a result threatens the wellbeing of other civilians .But it is also not right for us to separate these people from society as rejects .prison is one way of keeping the offenders safely away not to cause harm to the people around and the biggest victim themselves and what better way to do it than providing them with highly secured premises to reflect on their actins ,not only that it gives them exposure to others under similar confinement to share views on what they have learned on their ''private confinement''. Thus will promote reformative purpose. Understanding is mostly to be mutual I who could understand you better than one in the same situation
    In my opinion comfort is the least priority because it only encourages more criminals to break the law knowing they will get first class treatment .what we need is redemption and comfort is not in anyway offering that as an end result. It just takes the fear out of jail l mean even the homeless will start to commit crimes just to get a comfortable place to sleep and a proper meal .
    To add to that i think prisoners should be given a fair treatment according to their crime for example putting a murder and a thief in the same cell, that will lead to inmates ganging up on each other causing more rebellion than reforming

  • I think the top priority for the officers should be that justice should be achieved . This is because prisons are supposed to be a correction centre where prisoners are supposed to be punished for their crimes so punishment is the main component of prisons . I think the priority that should be least important is comfortability. This is because if prison is made comfortable for prisoners, when they are later released, they wouldn't think twice before committing a crime since in prison they are treated very well.

  • The main priority of a prison is punishment as the person should be punished for committing crime. They need a deterrent to change their behavior and pay the price. Second priority is secure as the prisoners should be isolated away from law-abiding citizens as part of their punishments and to keep society safe. Third priority is reformative because some individuals need to learn how to be sorry and to be repentant for their crimes . Fourth priority is the safeness of prisoners as they are human too and violence easily spread amongst frustrated prisoners. Fifth priority is comfort because the prisoner should be given the things they need but not too comfortable as it is meant as a punishment.

  • I think that the top priorities of prison officers should be secure.I think this is because if nobody is secure then nobody is safe.Think about it this way:If the prisons aren't secure then the prisoners would escape.If the prisoners escape then there would be crazy people running around like murders and kidnappers.So if the prison isn't secure then neither are the prisoners.Which is why I think prison officers\guards should prioritize security the most.


    I think the least thing the prison officers should prioritize is comfortability.When your in jail it doesn't matter if your comfortable or not.Your in jail because you did something bad and need to be watched not so you can be comfortable.So I think prison officers should prioritize comfortability the least even if you are still human.Your opinion doesn't matter in jail whether your cold,hot,uncomfortable or comfortable it doesn't matter!You just need to stay in the jail.So I think prison officers should prioritize comfortability the least.

    I don't think theres anything thats missing from the list.There's already secure so the prisoners don't get out.Then there's punishment so that the prisoners do their jail time.There's also comfortable which doesn't really matter i think it should be removed.Then there's safe making sure everybody's safe.Lastly there is Reformativetity making sure prisoners learn how to be better citizens.I don't think there's anything missing but I think comfortable should be removed since it doesn't really matter.

  • The top priority of prison officers should be to reform the prisoner. If the prisoner is genuinely sorry for the crime they have committed, then the prison did what it needed to do. If the criminal shows absolutely no remorse for their action then they should take more time in prison. Prisons should prioritise the comfort of the prisoners the least, depending on the crime. For example, if someone was a drug lord like Fito, they should get less comfort than someone who got charged with a DUI. I think another purpose of prisons is to remove harm from the public. For example when Fito was imprisoned, a threat was removed from the public.

  • The top priority of prison officers is security. Even if a criminal did a minor crime and is staying in jail, you would want them to stay in there, right? Comfort should be the lowest priority of prison officers. Having phones are a privilege, and "Fito" may have been abusing this privilege by possibly connecting with the outside world to help him escape from prison. Privileges are a part of comfort and in prison, people aren't there to be comfortable! Prisons are to detain people who have broken the law, however big or small the misdemeanor was. I can't really think of any other purposes, please let me know if you have anything I could think about.

    In my opinion, the purposes in order should be Security, Punishment, Safety, Reformative, and Comfortable.

  • I think the top priority of prisons should be PUNISHMENT. While many may suggest being reformative, I think punishment should be the top priority. The criminals are in the prisons for a reason. And the reason is that they did people wrong. The criminals were the reason behind the pain of victims and their families. How would justice be served if the criminals were not punished? Until and unless the prisoners don't serve their punishment, they won't feel guilty. For the prisoners to realise and reflect on themselves they should be punished. The victim went through so much pain only for the criminal to be not punished and be "reformed". The life of a person changes when they go from a citizen to a victim. So the criminal's punishment should somewhat compensate for the damage the victim went through both mental and physical. Also, if punishment wasn't a top priority and something else was, more people would commit crimes. For criminals, committing a crime is fun and if they get to know that prisons aren't punishing prisoners as they should, they wouldn't even fear the law. They would feel that even if they hurt someone, the consequences wouldn't even be tough so they could continue doing so. Hence I feel punishment should be the top priority of prisons.

    1. I think the same because prisoners should learn a lesson from jail meaning they should become better poeple.

  • I believe that all of these purposes are very good and a certain amount of time and dedication should be dedicated to each one for it to be prosperous, none of them should receive less attention than another because they are all very good and would help the country a lot in one way or another. I don't think that Nothing is missing, all of these are very good.

    1. I respectfully disagree with this because, you want gang members and people of terrible crimes to be comfortable when they should be getting punished as a form of justice.

  • Through this comment I want you all to ask one question- "Did the prisoners do a forgivable task?" we all know that for this question answer may vary including mine, but the main statement we speak would be-'No they didn't' so basically, these prisoners have betrayed the public interests and thus are the most deserving persons for severe punishment. Thus, in my judgement the prisons must give priority to "PUNISHMENT", "SECURITY" and "REFORMATIVE".
    There are many persons who some or the other time feel themselves regretful and somewhere in their heart. They want to be normal with normal people doing normal chores and skills leaving their pasts and the crime they committed thus, must they must be taught new skills so that they can forget their past memories and indulge themselves into with normal peoples! thus, prisons must be 'Reformative'.
    The prisons must be 'Secure' as the prisoners must understand their mistake and should be remorseful upon what they did. But sometimes, this frustration is took out by prisoners through fighting which may gravely hurt prisoner but still, 'a prisoner is a human and humanity suggest to help him leaving who he is' and thus the prisons must be secure too.
    So this my vision about how a prison must be for chancing a criminal into a good person and maybe when a prisoner gets good he may help other bad persons to change! and together we can create Earth a more happier place to live where no crime exists!

  • In my opinion the top priority for prison officers is secure. I think that prisons should be secure at ALL times and that was clearly something that a "maximum security" prison couldn't do. A prison NEEDS to be secure because prisoners could escape and that's exactly what happened. When a prisoner escapes there could be so much havoc because of the escape. They should prioritise comfort the least. They should prioritise comfort the least because it's not that important for someone who doesn't follow the law to be comfortable. That's not even expected.

  • Prisons being secure should be the top priority of prisons, in my opinion. If no one can get in or out, nobody who hasn't committed a crime will be harmed by someone who hasn't committed a crime. Someone who is trying to get in the prison for various reasons without permission won't get hurt, hurt the guards, or hurt the prisoners. It would be a win win for everyone if more prisons were secure. However, we have learned that this isn't the case from this topic.

    You could say that my opinion lines up with the option "safe", since I'm big on no one getting hurt. I'd say it's a mix of the two since if prisons are secure, no one will get hurt. Either way, prisons definitely need to be secure so that prisoners will get their punishment and no one will get hurt.

  • I believe that all of the purposes should be top priority. I think that all of these purposes should be acknowledged and not overlooked. I think this way , because I feel that prisoners should learn to be better citizens so that they don't end back up into prison.

    Comfortable - I think prisoners should be at ease and not overwhelmed or filled up with pressure, because most jails are dehumanizing , and I feel that prisoners should have at least some kind of sympathy depending on what they did.

    Safe- I feel that safety should also be included in the top priortities as well, because I don't think that anyone would want to be in danger. I could make a inference and say that the people who are held in the prison probably already feel like they are unsafe and that they would have to constantly look over their shoudler.

    Punishment- In my opinon, people should get the outcome or what you may call punishment fairly for what they did. I feel like their punishment should actually mean something based off what the person did.

    Secure- To add on, I also think that this should be a top priority. To go even deeper with how I feel I don't think people should be able to get out or in somewhere until they feel better or show improvement.

    To close up my opinions, I don't think that any of these should be your least priority, because I feel that all of these purposes are vital. I can't think of any purposes that should be added right now on the top of my head. What are your thoughts on this topic? What would you say that should be in the top and least priority?

  • "Fito" escaping from a high security is a obvious bad sign of work ethic from the prison guards and other important members of the prison keeping it afloat. Also prisons are not putting people in jail for the crimes that have commited, prison is for showing the criminals that what they did was disgusting in the society we live in. This means that the guards did not help him reform and deeply think about the crimes that he did, his mind was always thinking about escaping and trying to get back to his gangs and criminal activities.

  • I believe that the purpose of all prisons is the re-education and social reintegration of those sentenced to penalties and penal measures depriving of liberty, as well as the retention and custody of detainees, prisoners and convicts and making them see delinquents, criminals, etc. They are doing very bad things, but they are not achieving it.
    I also think that prisons are there to have security in the streets and that all criminals, prisoners... are in prisons without harming the people who are outside the prisons.
    My opinion about prisons is that sometimes they do nothing, there are some prisoners who don't care about staying a long time in prision because they are going to continue doing what they want and yes, I understand the objectives and I am very friendly with them and I would like them more if the prisoners, criminals... would leave there with another education and another sense of seeing life.

  • The most important purposes of a prison I think are nobody gets in or out and it is safe.I think that the least important thing is that they are comfortable and at ease because prison should be a place where people learn to be better citezens.

    1. I agree with you, I think that also, the prisons should not always show to prisoners to be better citizens, because sometimes is completely impossible, but they also should teach the people there to accept thet what they have done is bad, and to accept their punishment and why they are there. They must also work with treating people there and out really good, and try to be sorry for what they have done. Maybe teaching them to be better citizens is not enough for them to realize the danger they had put society in.

  • I believe that some of the top priorities of the prison should be secure, safe, and reformative. I think they should worry about how secure the prison should be, because Fito escaped prison 3 times, this shows that the prison wasn't secure. They should also teach the prisoners to be better citizens. They could be taught this because when the time comes to release them they wouldn't commit any more crimes or cause any damage. If the prison is locked up then people will feel safe and not worry about the prisoners escaping.

  • The idea of having a prisoner escaping out of a high vigilance prison must concern authorities that there is something wrong or that someone made a mistake any other person could have done, so even more security is needed.
    The most important purpose of a prison is the one about safety, because everyone must be out of as much dangers as possible, I do not mean all as there are many things that are out of our controls, like accidents, but yes all the dangers we can avoid, as no one deserves to be damaged, but this does not refer only to the prisoners inside, also for people out of prison, that must be protected from those who managed to escape from jail, as no one knows what they are able to do to others, and I guess we don't want to know it and it is better not to think much about it.
    The one that they should prioritise the less is the comfort issue, it is not worth to care about the prisoner's comfortability if they are just escaping and getting into trouble because the other purposes are ignored, making of escaping an easy task for them. Security first, and then the comfortability of prisoners.
    I think that there are not other purposes than these for prisons, and I don't really underestand why should we add more if they cannot handle some of them without making mistakes that could end who knows how. This is not a mistake like getting a question in an exam wrong, in this case, is the creation of an oportunity for someone that has been in prison for several years to be free and do whatever he is able and want to do.

  • I think security in a prison would absolutely be the top priority for officers. Prisoners must not be able to escape the prison they're in, instead of the officers doing nothing about them and letting them escape. Likely if the prisoners successfully escape from the prison they're in because the officers did a bad job at preventing that, the prisoners may continue doing more crimes. They might avoid doing crimes, but they still can be able to. What the officers should prioritize least is comfort for the prisoners. The prisoners did crimes and they should not be having fun and being comfortable in the prison they're in. They shouldn't be feeling free, or joyful after they have committed crimes.

  • I am still in awe that a drug trafficker, Fito, could still manoeuver his way out of a maximum security prison,Wow!, he still managed to pull it off after his escape as a fugitive in 2013. He couldn't have pulled it off all by himself without help from the inside of the prison.
    In my opinion, a prison should be reformative in purpose, a prison should be more of a correctional centre, a place where law offenders can give up their vices and change for the better.
    The least that should be prioritized should be the comfortable purpose. Someone shouldn't be serving a term and still enjoy freedom. Though, they are humans and are entitled to some rights. But nevertheless, this in appropriate because they when they are comfortable they will wouldn't have the feeling of been in confined space and they wouldnt budge on their offences

  • Prisons are organised into various departments, including a gatehouse, visitors' centre, houseblocks, education workshops, gym, healthcare wing, and chaplaincy. The Offender Management Team manages sentence plans and segregation units to provide safety and discipline. House blocks are divided into different wings for prisoners, with rooms, toilets, TV, pool tables, telephones, staff offices, and food halls. Offender Supervisors and Managers help manage sentences by creating plans, managing risk, and setting targets. Offender Supervisors work in prison and have links with outside agencies to help prisoners settle back into the community on release. They help with housing, relationships, mental and physical health, and money issues. A segregation unit is separate from normal wings and is only for safety and discipline if the prisoner has broken prison rules or their behaviour is unable to manage on a wing.

  • Prisons are organised into various departments, including a gatehouse, visitors' centre, houseblocks, education workshops, gym, healthcare wing, and chaplaincy. The Offender Management Team manages sentence plans and segregation units to provide safety and discipline. House blocks are divided into different wings for prisoners, with rooms, toilets, TV, pool tables, telephones, staff offices, and food halls. Offender Supervisors and Managers help manage sentences by creating plans, managing risk, and setting targets. Offender Supervisors work in prison and have links with outside agencies to help prisoners settle back into the community on release. They help with housing, relationships, mental and physical health, and money issues. A segregation unit is separate from normal wings and is only for safety and discipline if the prisoner has broken prison rules or their behaviour is unable to manage on a wing.

  • Prisons are organised into various departments, including a gatehouse, visitors' centre, houseblocks, education workshops, gym, healthcare wing, and chaplaincy. The Offender Management Team manages sentence plans and segregation units to provide safety and discipline. House blocks are divided into different wings for prisoners, with rooms, toilets, TV, pool tables, telephones, staff offices, and food halls. Offender Supervisors and Managers help manage sentences by creating plans, managing risk, and setting targets. Offender Supervisors work in prison and have links with outside agencies to help prisoners settle back into the community on release. They help with housing, relationships, mental and physical health, and money issues. A segregation unit is separate from normal wings and is only for safety and discipline if the prisoner has broken prison rules or their behaviour is unable to manage on a wing.

  • I disagree with 1 , 2, and 4 because.....

    Statement 1 says prison are secure: Secure prisons are no more secure if you send a prisoner inside a cell right now it helps them think of ways to get out and continue the wrong things they are doing.

    Statement 2 says prisons punish people: Prison doesn't punish people because I don't see them beating the prisoners, letting them pick their community or different countries. Some a few countries punish prisoner's like that.

    Statement 4 says prison are to keep citizen's safe: prisons doesn't keep citizen's safe from the bad people. The prison's can escape easily. Some police men like the one's in Ghana develops soft spots for them and let them go.

    In my opinion are think prisons should go if they are not keepings as sake and secure.
    I suggest that prisoner's should be punished seriously depending on what they have done.

  • Prisons are meant to correct people who choose to commit crimes that are against the law not to break or destroy people .

    1. Can you give some examples of how prisons can help people change for the better?

  • I feel like prisoners can help keep the country or city clean as a punishment For them Will benefits the citizens of that area. Rather than to be physically and mentally abused everyday. Thank you

  • I feel like prisoners can help keep the country or city clean as a punishment For them Will benefits the citizens of that area. Rather than to be physically and mentally abused everyday. Thank you

  • In my opinion I think the top priority of prisons officers is security and safety , because being secured is to ensure the safety of the citizens and the prisoners. Prisons are designed to protect the prisons from any intruders and prevent them from escaping. Prisons allow prisoner not to communicate with people outside the prisons and prevent them from committing any crimes. Prisons can also provide an opportunity for education and reflection. This can allow prisoners to look back at what they have done and decide to change their ways. I also think prisoner should safe because they are humans beings and they deserve respect. In my opinion least priorities should be comfortability because a prison place where prisoner can reflect on their bad decisions and make the right choice in the future. I think if prisoners are comfortable in prisons they will not learn from their mistakes rather they will be released with the mind set of committing more crimes.

  • The top priority should be making sure no one can leave. Another top priority is that everyone is safe or at least calm because there are a lot of crazy people in prison.Which means that they must be able to contain everyone and make sure the prison is on complete lockdown.Also make sure that no one makes any personal arrangements with the officers or anyone so they can get out.which is why i agree with you.

  • I believe that prisons should always prioritize being reformative. This is because the reason why criminals go to prison is to become better citizens and realize what they did wrong. This can be possible through therapy, group activities, and religious services, which are all usually uncommon practices. I believe that being comfortable should be prioritized the least, being that it isn't even close to the point of a prison. When you get too comfortable, you may forget the reason why you are there, which is to learn why your actions were bad and should be punished.

    1. How do we get the balance right?

  • Prisons serve multiple purposes within the criminal justice system. First they are places of punishment for those who committed crimes or violated the laws. Prisons also aim to rehabilitate through various programs and resources that could help prisoners. However, the results of prisons achieving these types of purposes can vary depending on the factors such as the quality of these programs and the attitudes towards punishment and rehabilitation.

    1. What do you think prisons should focus on?

      1. I think prisons should focus on the prisoners there so they won‘t escape and they should be careful about the locks there if one lock is broked they shoukd fix it asap. So the prisoners won‘t escape.

      2. Prisons should prioritize rehabilitation to address the root causes of criminal behavior. For example, providing inmates with access to educational programs, such as GED classes or vocational training, can equip them with the skills they need to secure employment upon release. This reduces the likelihood of reoffending due to financial instability. Additionally, offering therapy and counseling services can help inmates address underlying mental health issues or past trauma, leading to healthier coping mechanisms and a decreased likelihood of engaging in criminal behavior in the future. According to a study by the RAND Corporation, every dollar invested in correctional education programs results in a savings of five dollars in reincarceration costs over three years. Additionally, a report by the Vera Institute of Justice found that inmates who participate in educational programs are 43% less likely to return to prison. By focusing on rehabilitation, prisons can play an important role in breaking the cycle of crime and promoting successful reintegration into society.

      3. I think prisons should focus on reformative and safe because although punishment is one thing to learn you have to learn and teach them how to be a better citizen and keep the prisoners away from danger.

  • Prisons have multiple purposes, but I think the most important one is to protect society from people which don't obey law and have a violent attitude. So, my thoughts are that the most essential for a prison is to be secure.
    Comfortable, is, in my opinion, the less important and the one should be prioritised the least. This is because people which have done horrible crimes and had put in danger the safety of society, should not be in a prison that is as comfortable as a five star hotel, because this is not a holiday, is a punishment for their actions.
    Also, another purpose of prisons is for prisioners to realize what they have done and to face the consequences, and spend part of your life in prison, the punishments and also to know that they cannot do it anymore; to accept they are there for a reason, and they should not escape from their punishment.

  • Hello
    From my point of view, prisions must be places to protect citizens from dangerous people, but in some cases, they are not as secure as they must be. I think that security must be one of the most important purposes, as people must be safe from them, and another one could be to be reformative, as people go there to become better persons, and in some cases, when they go out, they continued with their delictive activities. So, I think that they must change this, or do something to be more strict with prisioers. Apart from this, I think that the ones that must have less priority, will be like to be comfortable, because people go there to faced for their consequences, not to be like in a good place, spending a good time. I think that in general this must like the most important ones, and that all prisions must have ways to make this real.

  • We think that comfort should be at the bottom of the list, because when you are at home you are comfortable and when you're being punished it should be different. On other hand, comfortable in this sense doesn't mean luxury it just means that prisoners can live in reasonable comfort. It's better than nothing.
    Living in comfort depends on the severity of the crime the person has committed, that's why there are different types of prisons that we know of in the UK.
    We think that safety should be at the top of the priority list because our class agrees that prisons are not safe places to be.

  • Well on my opinion I think that prisions have multiple purposes. Such as to keep segure the streets, to punish criminal offenses, deterrence to discourage future crimes, rehabilitation to help offenders reintegrate into society, and protection of the public by isolating those deemed a threat. The emphasis on these purposes may vary depending on legal systems and societal perspectives.

  • In my opinion, the top priority of prisons is protecting the citizens from the criminals, but also sometimes protecting the criminals from other people. With this achieved, we should punish the criminals. The punishments should not be physical, but psychological. If they regret their actions, punishment would be achieved as well as reformation. The comfort of the prisioners should be obtained without interfere with the other purposes previously mentioned. Prisons should be a place to consider what you are and what you want to be. They should be a phase of your life which you don't regret.

  • A prison is a place where you go if you have broken the law, and, because of that, it should not be a fancy place, but in cannot also be a bad place because, in my opinion, it is a place where you need to regret of what you have done.
    First of all, I think they should be safe and secure because, althoug you have done something wrong, you have the right to be safe, and also, for that, you should not try to escape, and if so, it will be complicated if not imposible.
    Punishment and justice should be together because I think they are the reason why prisons exist , and they are their main aim, but I locate them after safe and security because being safe is a human right and, if they are not secure, prisioners could scape and avoid punishment and justice, so the prison will have no sense
    Finally, comodity is in the last place because, if you are there because you have done something wrong, the comodity is the last of the priorities.
    Also I think people in prisons can, as a punishment, help people in the prison making jobs such as cooking, cleaning the cells and similar things

  • I think the top priority of a prison is to achieve justice in a safe, confortable place; because most prisoners deserve a chance to change.
    The least priority would be to be secure, as if a prison is safe, there's no need to try to escape. I also think that prisons aren't as secure as they shoul be because there're many people who keep escaping from them.
    I think another purpose that is not on the list and is missing is the safeness and health of prison workers, as they are under a lot of pressure and maybe mental abuse by prisoners.

  • Hello:
    From my point of view, I think the purpose of prisons is to give a punishment to the bad people who go there, but I also think it is very important for this places to be comfortable for the prisoners so that they don´t want to escape as much as if they were uncomfortable, also they must be safe and secure for the guards protecting the prison and the people outside so that nobody is in danger and the prisoners can´t get out.
    In the case of Fito, I think the prison he was in was not very secure so he managed to escape somehow, and in addition to that he was also a very dangerous criminal, so this type of prisons should increase their security to make it safer for everyone and to avoid prisoners from escaping .
    I think that in general prisons must realize this and improve their methods and ways of treating prisoners depending on the importance of what they have done.

    1. Can you give an example of a way a prison can be both comfortable and secure?

      1. Examples of ways prison cells can be both comfortable and secure include:
        1.Cell Comfort: Making sure cells for inmates have cozy beds, nice bedding, and decent furniture can make a big difference. Also, having good lighting, fresh air, and temperature control can keep things comfortable while still keeping security in check because different inmates come from different backgrounds, some live lavishy and so meeting harsh conditions can take serious tolls on their mental health, which in many cases leads to suicide or escape.
        2. Recreation Areas: Providing spaces like outdoor yards, indoor gyms, libraries, and classrooms gives inmates a chance to relax and learn. It's important for their mental and physical health and helps keep the atmosphere positive, and gives them a fresh start to get their lives on track. Those inmates who never went to school can now learn basic stuff.
        3. Visitation Policies: Letting inmates see their families and friends regularly is crucial. It helps them stay connected and keeps their spirits up during tough times.

        4. Education and Job Training: Offering classes and training programs helps inmates learn new skills for life after prison. It's a way to prepare them for the real world once they're released.

        5. Healthcare Services: Making sure inmates get proper medical, dental, and mental health care is essential even for prisoners because they are humans too. It's about taking care of their well-being while they're in prison; it starts with having a very clean environment.

        6. Staff Training: Training prison staff on how to handle conflicts calmly and respectfully is key. Building trust between staff and inmates can make the environment safer and more supportive. A typical example is Pep talks like twice a week to educate them on soft skills that can be used in everyday life and corporate facilities.

        We should bear in mind that a prison is where people are corrected and given a chance to pay for their crimes, but that doesn't mean they aren't humans. they must be treated as such and given the core values need for life.

    2. I partially disagree with you openminded_strawberry, the reason being that I agree with you stating that prisons should be secured, just like you said prisons like the one Fito was in should be very secure to prevent dangerous criminals like him from escaping so that the public will be safe.
      However, I disagree with you about saying that prison should be comfortable to prevent the escaping of prisoners. This is because, the main reasons prisons were created is to ensure that justice is served, and people get punished for their misdeeds, thus if you make prisons comfortable for the prisoners, they might not reform from their previous habits, and when released they might still commit crimes not wary of the consequences since prison will be comfortable for them. Thus I disagree with you about prison becoming comfortable in order to prevent prisoners from escaping.

  • In my opinion, I think that all this purposes are very essential for a prison but, in my case, I think that the most important and the one that should be at the top is ``secure´´. We must understand that people in and out of the prison should be secure and not afraid, and the only way to achieve this is to control the prison for it to be secure.
    The purpose that should be prioritise the least is ``comfortable´´ because as they are prisioners they must learn how to be a better citizen and a better person, they must respect what they have.

  • A prison should rehabilitate a criminal back into society, but it is quite common for brutality and awful treatment to occur to the inmates. In 2010 the record was more than 290 cases of mistreatment ranging from abuse to even withholding food. Instead of prioritising punishment to the prisoners, we should focus on safety, wellbeing and rehabilitation back into society.

    At the same time, a prison is also meant to protect the civilains from wrongdoers. Even though on average in the United States two thousand prisoners every single year.

    Overall the pourpose of a prison is to protect and rehabilitate but not without the safety of the inmates.

  • I believe that prisons are made to punish thise who commited very bad crimes like stealing,murduring,drug dealing and more. And to Reformative the prisoners so they learn how to be better citizens also for the world safety so no one can be in danger.

  • In my opinion, the most important purpose of prisons is the security and safety. The prison systems all over the world need to be made much more secure in such a way that it would be impossible for prisoners to break out and for outsiders to break in. ''Fito'' wouldn't have been able to break out if the security system of the prison was secure. The reason i think that safety is a purpose for prisons is because civilians outside of the prisons need to feel safe knowing that the dangerous criminals in their country are locked up and cannot escape.

  • The top priority of prison officers should be secure. They should be more focused on security because many prisoners have awful minds that they might want to run away or escape from the prison where they are locked down. They should least prioritise comfort, They should least prioritise comfort because the prisoners have a reason to be in the prison.They shouldn't focus the most on being comfortable because there are bigger and greater things that should be more focused on.I think that they should add behavior, They should focus on behavior also because people might think that it is okay to act out and argue with others or fight in the prisons.

  • Hi everyone!
    I believe prisons are supposed to be reformative to change the people who go there so that they will become better citizens but since the purpose of prisons has been deviated from, people who go to prisons usually come back as drug addicts and sometimes low risk offenders learn from high risk offenders the likelihood of learning crimes becomes very high, do not become better people. Prisons were also made to keep people in communities safe but since people escape from prisons endangering the public.

  • I think that they purpose of prisons should be for rehabilitation,reformation,safety,comfort ease and many more. If prison owners can follow this principles it will help us also to reduce crime in the society. If a prisoner finishes serving his or her jail term and is still bad they purposes of prisons have not been carried out. Government should try to open programmes teaching prison officers on how to run a prison or they main purposes of prisoners.

  • Hearing the news of escape of the infamous "Fito" has thrilled me . It greatly disturbs me as an individual that this ruthless , heartless person is free out there performing illegal activities and harming all those around him . This is not just a tragedy but also an opportunity for Ecuador and other countries to improve their jails. In a jail reform, safety and security should be the top priorities . Starting off with reforms - Reforms must be taken and given seriously to the prisoner as it would not only change them to be a better person but also encourage them to never choose the wrong path again. As for the security the prison officers should treat the criminals like humans and be just towards them, help them when in need and protect them because I think prison is a place of improvement for those who were diverted to the wrong path , and not a place of torture. In the terms of safety the prison officers should be alert for themselves and the prisoners so that incidents like Ecuador should not take place again. They should prioritize comfort and punishment the least as jails are places of improvement not torture , while keeping this point in mind the jail should not be too comfortable so that the prisoners could realize their mistakes and pay the price for the same . Instead of focusing on punishment the jails should think about making the prisoners better humans when they come outside and face the world, also the jails should work on the productivity of the prisoners and teach them new skills in the prison so that they become independent when they finish their sentence and their circumstances would not force them to be on such paths again .

  • Prisons should be affirmative, it should turn the prisoners in to a better citizens. Teach them good and bad, provide them with opportunity to read. Teach them some life skills, so that they can live a happy life once they are out of prison

  • I think punishment and secure are suppose to be the top priority of prison officers.
    First of all i think punishment is to make the prisoners learn a lesson about wht they have done.
    i think there should be a tight security in prisons so that prisoners will not escape easily, and I am still shocked how ``Fito`` escaped from a maximum prison.

  • Hello everyone!
    I believe that "reformative" is the top priority for prison officers. I recommend "reformative" because it helps prisoners to exercise their bad thoughts to good thoughts. This is why my choice was "reformative".

  • I would say the purpose that the police should make their number one priority is to ensure that the prisoners reform like what is the purpose of the prisoners going to prison if they don't reform there will be more danger after the are released, waiting to get their revenge.
    I believe that the prisoners being at comfort should be the least the prisoner officers should consider as their number one priority because if the prisoners are at comfort when they are released they will still cause danger
    for the citizens.
    Yes, to make sure that the prisoners pay for their crime because they have a crime they pay the price

  • I think that prison are not all just for keeping prisoner locked away but also to make sure that they don't make the same crime and if they do the same thing again move them into a higher security system but then at the same time its about keeping all the people safe so no one gets hurt.

  • In my opinion, i think that the prison is a very useful thing and it help us with a lot of things.
    Here is some examples of what a prison help us with:
    1- safety: With the prisons everyone is in safe as all the bad people are in the prison.
    2- secure: In the prison they make sure that no one escape and with that no one will get hurt.
    3- punishment: The prison is like a punishment for bad people so that no one make bad things again.

    So as you see prison is so important and without the prison thee world will be in a huge problem as all the bad people will be free.

  • Hello,
    That's an interesting question. In my opinion, the top priority of prison officers should be safety and security. They need to ensure that prisoners are safe from each other and from external threats, such as violence or escape attempts. This is because if prisoners feel unsafe, it can lead to more unrest in prisons which could make their job harder.
    The second priority should be reformative measures aimed at rehabilitatng inmates so that they can better reintegrate into society after serving their sentence. For this purpose, education programs and skills training as well as mental health support may be useful.
    As for the least prioritized purpose, perhaps comfort would fall last among these options. While it is important for prison facilities to provide basic living conditions like food, water, shelter etc., comfort shouldn't override safety concerns in terms of housing dangerous criminals together unnecessarily.

  • I think the purpose of punishment should be the top priority since prison is meant to be a place for people who were associated in such crimes or didn't follow the law get to be punished.

    But on the other hand, I think that no purpose should be prioritized least since all purposes are prestigious but most importantly all of the purposes are different from each other.

    I think that there is a very important purpose missing which is health. Health is ever so significant for example if a prisoner had a disease but there is no medical treatment then eventually that prisoner will get even more sick.

  • I think the the reason for being in prison is to:
    1 Learn from your actions.
    2 Not to do the same thing again thats againt the law.
    I think that police should make prison a bit less strict and give them more attention to try to persuade them not to be as bad as they were before so they can change . Probably make the prisons more comfortable for the prisoners and help them be more at ease.

  • For me, the highest to lowest priority is:
    1. Reformative
    2. Secure
    3. Punishment
    4. Safe
    5. Comfort

    The highest priority should be reformative because people need to learn their lesson and become a better person. The main goal of having prisons is to protect people, and to do that they should also change the prisoners to become better. Punishment isn’t that helpful. It could worsen the situation and the prisoner's mental health. hey should provide a safe environment and opportunities for rehabilitation. This will help prisoners to become better citizens in the future.

  • In the beginning, a prison is a place made by the president an example is Alcatraz prison. A prison is made for a bunch of things as it was above (1)Secure = people can't get in or out
    (2)Punishment = justice is achieved
    (3)Comfortable = prisoners are at
    ease
    (4)Safe = nobody is in danger
    (5)Reformative = prisoners learn how to be better citizens
    I think that the most important one is safe because being safe is too important and a prison safe people by getting gang members to jail and also stopping drugs and cocaine smuggling so they them to prison
    And the last one is punishment.
    We don't need to punish prisoners.
    We can just reform the prisoners to be better citizens and also we need to be somehow diligent with prisoners. For example, if you are very angry with a child and you hit him.
    By the way, he'll make like you and hit anyone so it's not write to be very diligent with prisoners.

  • I think that prisons should be prioritising both being secure and being safe. Secure as what has happened in Ecuador has shown us that even some maximum security prisons could not be checked, resulting in people being worried for gang leader 'Fito'. This shouldn't have happened though, as prison cells should be checked to see it their locked. But I've also chosen that there needs to be more of safety. Why? Because everybody should feel safe and secure. They should also be able to live their lives in a normal manner and still not let anybody or anything scare them deeply. Safety is need more as well because, somebody people don't live a life of safety. Some people fear what might happen. So I think that we need to be more secure and be more safe.

  • Hello everyone
    The main purpose of prison is reformation. It serves as a place for punishments for offenders and criminals.
    Prisons help criminals realize their mistakes and reflect on their actions. Prisons also provide safety for citizens.
    Prisons are very important and if everyone who goes in and out reforms, the world could become a better place

  • Hello Everyone.
    I will say that the number one priority of the prison officers is to ensure that the prisoners have learn how to be a good citizens in the society.And regret what they did earlier so when they are released they do not cause another danger in the society and end up in jail again.But the prisoners who do not regret will end up in jail obviously again.So in my opinion the top priority of the prison officers should be reformative.

  • How scary it is to know that dangerous crimials are roaming the steers. In my opinion prisons are made to hold law breakers and the most dangerous people. If the prisons are not well monitored, these people can esaily make it out and terrorise our streets making the nation a very unsafe place and super disturbing.
    Prisons should have security systems that is really difficult to get throug and security guards should be extra alarmed cause with crimals like 'Fito' lurking around the world is very scary.

  • Hello everyone!
    In my opinion i think "comfort" showed be the least prioritised purpose of prison.
    Because they offended the law and deserve to be behind bars(prison) they should not be comfortable if so they will intentionally offend the law so they will go to prison and comfortable and brings more bad people in society. I hardly disagree for prisoners to be comfortable

  • The purpose of prisons is to keep guilty people alway from other people. Also to stop crimes like murder, asasenation or robery. The prisoners also get to learn how bad it feels to be in jail and to keep in there minde what and why did they do and to not do that again. They can miss there family if you hit somebody you have to have 20 years in jail.

  • In my opinion, the imprisonment system plays an important role in the democracy as if the prisons weren't existing, the crime rate would have increased a lot as the criminals wouldn't be scared of anyone. It would also give a hard time to the government to control the amount of crimes in the country. The imprisonment system maintains an appropriate fear of the government in people preventing them from committing any crimes. The prisons also have a great impact on the criminals who are sent there for punishment because staying away from their family and friends, they realise their mistakes and usually don't repeat it after getting released from there.

    So, as a conclusion we can say that prisons help in the betterment of both, the criminals and normal people.

  • To keep people safe is the goal of prisons. I said this because I want to keep criminals out of the community so that people can enjoy secure and comfortable lives.and if they wish to live in harmony as a nation, the government must prevent prison.

  • I think that prison was invented for only one reason: to teach criminals a lesson. However, if that's the main reason, how did Fito escape? Fito was extremely comfortable that he decorated his cell with murals, and even hosted parties in his cell. There's only two reasons that match up with how he escaped. He either paid his way out, or teamed up with the guards. However, prison is meant to be reformative and make the criminal guilty of his or her crime.

    1. It's true that the primary purpose of prisons is often seen as punishment and deterrence, but they're also meant to rehabilitate offenders. Fito's case highlights potential flaws in the system, such as corruption or lax security measures. Reformative efforts should aim to address such issues to ensure the effectiveness of incarceration in promoting accountability and preventing further crimes.

  • (1) I think that the most important thing a prison should do is to be reformative, this makes so that prisoners, after serving their sentence, can return to being productive members of society.
    (2) The second most important thing a prison can achieve is being safe for both it's staff and prisoners. A lot of prisoners in jail get abused (from either guards or their fellow prisoners) and form gangs and abuse others, that should never happen.
    (3) In order to achieve order in a prison, it must be secure, preferably, with technology rather than actual guards.
    (4) A prison should be somewhat comfortable, not luxurious, just comfortable. Making sure that prisoners never get too comfortable, but also making they never get too uncomfortable.
    (5) A prison should always try everything thing it can do before having to resort to punishment. Some people absolutely deserve punishment right away, others, not so much.
    So this is what (in my humble opinion) a perfect prison should be.

  • I agree with C which is comfort ,because prisoner's are still human beings no matter the crimes they committe , because too much Mal treatment or lack of comfort motivate's prisoner's to indulge in more crimes.Inmy own opinion at least 25% of comfort should be given to prisoner's.Accordig to my own point of view prison 's should be given a little comfort as this can make them to think of the wrong they have committed,they should be therapy sessions,to enable them to express their reasons for committing such crimes.

  • Prisons are built to keep criminals and teach them how to live a humble life in the society if they were to be released. This act also ensures the safety of citizens in a country or community.
    But if 'Fito' , a powerful gang leader,has managed to escape, I disagree to the fact that police officers assigned to prisons are actually not doing their jobs well enough and are rather treating prisoners badly, giving them the urge to try to escape. This will also put the citizens at risk and in danger.

  • I believe that prisons are very important because, if you do break a rule that is against the law the right thing to do is to be put in jail. Breaking the law is a serious crime so when put into jail there are serious consequences for what you've done. When put behind bars, convicts will have the time to go back and consider what they have done to break the law then proceed to make better choices in their life. Prisons help keep citizens and humanity safe by getting rid of dangerous threats by throwing them in jail. Prisons should also have a very secure system for any inmates that try to escape. All things said I think prisons are a very good way to keep many people safe, and to help prisoners regret what they've done.

  • Anything else does not matter as long as we are safe then were good. For example when fito was in the prison he was not causing harm he had control over the prison but we were still safe. Being safe is the only thing I care about and I am sure it is yours too. Fito controlled the prison but he still was not causing harm.

  • Prison exists to punish the bad and protect the good, right? I believe that the main thing officers should worry about is the safety of others, safety for all people. Peoples security should be one of the first priorities since there are too many dangerous people out there and just by going outside these days can be really dangerous, risking a life or more than one life. People should be able to go outside without worrying about the possibilities of others harming them. Everyone should be safe and know that they are safe, these prison officers should make sure that prisoners learn to be at peace with others so everyone can come together as a society. Fito is a pretty dangerous man and the situation of him just being out would be very alarming for many. The fact that he got out of prison is just scary and surprising. What I think matters is the safety of everyone and I hope that the future gets better from here.

  • Police officers should make making sure prisons are secure the center point of prison. Police officers ensuring that prison is secure prevents criminals from escaping. I believe ensuring the security of the prison is important because prison is full of criminals, The more criminals escape, the more dangerous the world will be. The thought of lots of criminals escaping sends shivers down my spine as I cannot imagine how horrible and dangerous this world will be with criminals wandering out in the open.

  • I feel the word safe is the best described. People shouldn't think that prisons could be harmful is just a place where you have to learn a valuable lesson. The least thing that you should priortise the most is maybe punishment because we already know what prisons are suspose to be like.

  • According to my own opnion, i will say security and reformation should be on top because, security means preventing and protecting people from doing things contrally to the law or avoiding people from internal and external attacks.
    Reformation simply means advicing, teaching, or educating people on how tk be better citizens in other to improve their psychological knowledges. It also invovles changing people's behaviour un other to follow a particular rule guiding a place.
    I think these two topics are the topest among all of because even with these, prison are able to learn their lesson and also can repent. I think the primary purpose of prison is for reformation because punishment is not the best way for correcting someone rather, advcing, educating is the best way to improve prisoners in other to be a better citizen.
    Furthermore, if prisoners should be given about 20 percent of comfort because prisoners will not learn, they will take as a chance to commit more crimes either by smuggling phones into the prison or escaping and you allow a prisoner to escpae from prison, it is a chance for him to commit more crimes because people's won't be safe where they have not captured the prison and i think this should be traced to over comfort.
    Thanks!!

    1. Your perspective highlights the importance of both security and reformation in the prison system. Indeed, ensuring security within prisons is crucial for both the safety of inmates and the broader community. Meanwhile, focusing on reformation and rehabilitation can help address the root causes of criminal behavior and promote positive change in individuals.

      Emphasizing education and guidance over strict punishment aligns with modern approaches to criminal justice, which aim to foster personal growth and societal reintegration. However, finding the right balance between comfort and discipline is essential to prevent abuse of privileges and maintain a secure environment within prisons.

      Overall, your insights underscore the complexity of managing prisons effectively and the need for comprehensive strategies that prioritize both security and reformation. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

  • I think the purpose of prisions is to secure bad people such as thieves,murders or people that had passed the law from doing again but the proble is that many people escape or when they are free they do the same thing so in my opinion i think that for that kind of people they need to have more security .
    Fito as it is a leader of a very dangerous gang so i think he had escape from help of someone such as an undercover police.

  • From my point of view, I think that the top priority of prison officers might be punishment, as the majority of people who is in jail have done horrible things which they must be concerned about, and for them to know that what they have done is not the correct thing or action, the best thing is to make justice as this will make them see that eventhough they have done something wrong this will not affect good people and they will pay for what they have done by seeing that everything is reordered and what they have done is useless.
    I think that what they should prioritise the least is the comfortably, as they go to a place in which bad people is kept and there is no reason why they should be comfortabe there , as they go to be cocerned about what they have done and to pay for what they have done.
    Maby the respect to police, eventhough this won´t come true as people is unrespectful and this behaviour increases in prison.

  • In my opinion, prisions should prioritize the use of prisions as a way of ounishment and enforcing the law but at the same time this prisions need to be used to reform the inmates so when they get out of that place they can enter in the society as normal people.
    When I heard about the scape of "fito" I was dissapointed to know that one of the main objectives in prisions (to be secure) had been compromised and that a dangerous gang member was out on the streets commiting more crimes

    1. Hey fantastic science! I think prisons should focus on helping prisoners being able to go back into to society as a good respectful citizen but then again some people cannot be helped as it would also depend on how they were raised such as if the person who raised the child said oranges were evil even though they aren't and say the child was maybe 6 it could affect them for a very long time as what you were taught when you were young can stay with you for a long time and since the child has not developed enough to have a right or wrong opinion on it they take it as fact and they can be raised to believe oranges are evil until they realise they are just normal fruit or it could stay with them their entire life. Furthermore I think some prisoners in very rare cases could be helped and there is always hope for some people as it could depend if its their first offence or if their commonly known for bad actions.
      Have a nice day everyone!

  • From my point of view, I belive that the most important purpose in prisions is the reformative, because in the end, there is no point in being in jail for a certain amount of time if, when you can leave you are still being a bad person and committing crimes. If If the reformative is effective, security in a prison would be greater because there wouldn´t be fights or prisoners would not try to escape.
    As I see it, many prissions aren´t able to retain all the prisioners, because when they finnally go away, most of this people reincides in crime and their time in prission would have been useless.

  • First of all,I think that the prision propouse is to panish the people that do bad things.So for this reason the priority of the prision should be to panish the people that are un there.I also think that the prisions must not be confortable because if they are confortable people will continúe doing wrong things.

  • I personally think that being safe is the top priority in jail becuase everyone deserves to be safe and to stay out of danger from other prisoners, even though they have been sent there maybe for a crime they have caused and may have put other people in danger before.

    From my point of view i don´t think they should prioritise one less than another but if i had to decide on one i would have to choose the punishment however it really does depend on the crime that has been caused and what severity it has because sometimes it could be better to just teach them how to act differently and change their behavior because if you punish someone badly they might become angry and aggresive and not listen to whatever anyone has to say again, and think that a punishment doesn´t affect them much and they won´t really care if they are punished.

    I think that all the purposes are on the list however a extra one that doesn´t have much priority is that the prisoners can do things with a bit more freedom and have a say in things or at least be able to talk when something is being said about them.

  • to learn a good lesson which you cant outside learn from outside the world .
    many people change when they come out of jail.

  • Prison is a place made to serve justice for those who deserve it, it is not some comfortable vacation for criminals, the ecuadorian police could've moved him to a more secure cell sooner as they were planning to do so, the fact that "Fito" was able to escape an extremely secure prison gives me chills. I hope that the ecuadorian authorities can track him and his gang down and put him back where he belongs.

  • The purpose of prisons are to punish the people that done bad an to make them feel like they are in hell so they don't want to do bad so they don't go there again. Also to give them the worst time of there life for doing bad

  • The purpose of prisons are to punish the people that done bad an to make them feel like they are in hell.

  • Prison systems have evolved over centuries into their current form. Societies have always required means of protecting citizens from those who have caused harm or who pose a threat, as well as ways of communicating what is considered wrongful conduct through punishment.

  • the purpose of prisons are to keep prisoners away from the public. if there wouldn't be prisons the crime rate would be a lot higher and the death rate would definitly go up. people wouldn't be as safe and they probably wouldn't want to go out. other people in my class said that the purpose of prison is to teach the prisoners a lesson so that they can get better and commit anymore crimes.

  • Prison systems have evolved over centuries into their current form. Societies have always required means of protecting citizens from those who have caused harm or who pose a threat, as well as ways of communicating what is considered wrongful conduct through punishment.

  • I think the purpose of a prison is to keep prisoners in and not let them escape.But it sends me chills and scarienes down my spine to know that a prisoner escaped.I hope it doesn't happen today because it could end really bad.We need more security and protection in prisons because we don't know what could happen

  • Well on mi opinin prissions are for people who have make bad things such as crimes, also a prission need to be a place were people do no like to be so need to be a cold place or same characteristics that meke it a plece were people have a bad time because if not people will not be afraid about going.
    Starting from that base I think that a prission is not for people learn todo good things is aplace were they have bad experience or peoblems serious probles so they will not do so many bad things becuse they will be fear to th prision, but also as a prission is to be aislated from the society I think that there can not be visits so they will be desesperate for going out of the prission, and they may stop doing crimes .

  • I think the purpose of a prison is to prevent any people breaking the law and also not to do any violence.

  • I don't know a lot of this but Fito is like smart for getting out of a maxime prison and kidnaping like over 200 prison staff but that is like really bad for ecuador to have a man that runs a gang and has illegal substances and have him do it in prison is just of not getting caught for quite a wait but i don't know if he got caught selling illegal substances in prison and there was many prison riots after he escaped prison and two prison guards helped him to get him out of the prison and he bribed him with illegal stuff but do't know if this paragraph is actually all true but i just thought i should write about this .

  • Prisions,a place where a lot of people fear to go,others are just used to it.But the real question is,what´s the purpose of prisions?
    Our society is stable and people just don´t go crazy and steal,kill or simply violate law because there are some consequences,where they steal you the most precious thing a human can have,your freedom.
    Because of this we can live in some sort of peace,because there will always be people which aren´t comfortable with the imited freedom our gobern gives us,so they disobey law to feel completly free just for some minutes,eventhough they will take from them all that they had,locking them up in four walls.
    Other people just want to cause damage,there could be understandable reasons or maybe not,we would never know what goes through the head of this type of criminals,which for example,have the capacity to kill someone with any type of empathy,as if they had cool blood.
    Most people don´t commit crimes because they can just not think about the idea of being lock down for years and lose the short time we have to live in a prision.
    Probably if prisions didn´t exist we would live like wild animals,that the purposes of a prision,to try to mantain us as a civiled society.
    And get out from us the violent animal we have in our instinct,bu some people just can´t get rid of them,and they just don´t care about the consequences.

  • In my opinion I strongly disagree with "Reformative" because in Fito cases he is the "god of drug" and a person like Fito cannot change due to his bad habitat of trading in drug. Fito broke out of his cell that mean Fito cannot change to be a better citizen of Ecuador.

  • Fito seems very dangerous and smart its scary to think he could so easily break out of prison and that the prison didn't react straight away, also he broke out right before he was supposed to move prisons making me think he might have always been able to escape but just chose not to until then because he didn't want to move prisons so chose to break out and the images of him with electronics and relaxing and that guards have helped him escape before showing the prison might also be corrupt and this is my list of what the main goals of prisons should be. Safe is what the main goal should be in prison because we want to keep people on the outside safe and prisoners should also sometimes be safe from other prisoners if they are involved with a gang. secure is the second goal relating to stopping people from escaping to keep people on the outside safe from these people who have committed crimes. Reformative is changing people and the third most important thing is that it changes people and shows them how they were wrong and how they should change so they can be released back into the public. Punishment is important but not as important as the others and makes it so people wont commit crimes again to avoid more years in prison kind of similar to reforming them. Lastly comfort, comfort isn't important for criminals we want them to not enjoy life there so they don't commit any more crimes.

  • Although prison officers have many priorities, I strongly believe that citizens safety should be the top priority of prison officers. I believe this because everyone in the country should be held safe in prison no matter what the prisoner have done before and everyone deserves to have right with any fear that someone might attack them. Moreover, they should live in peace and not be in danger also leading to low levels of safety in the country. Family members might visit their loved ones but danger could lead them to avoiding visiting their family again due to these circumstances. The priority they should prioritise least is prisons are at ease comfortably in the prison while prison is commonly designed as punishment of crime. Making them comfortable too much may also lead them to escaping prison for instance the prison breakout recently with the drug lord Fito. Overall, I believe that prison officers top priority is their safety and the least they should least prioritise is prisoners being at ease.

  • We all know that prisons help in the security of a nation, as they keep the criminals off the streets. These prisons would also cause emotional or mental problem. So, there's not any single reason responsible for the purpose of prisons. There could be many purposes as:- Reformation or rehabilitation, Safe for the nation and Punishment for the justice. These reasons may affect the purpose of establishment of prisons as:-
    a) Reformation : It is when prisoners learn to be a better citizen. It is the movement where people help reasoning their problems to turn out into an improved citizen. The prisoners should be taught in a psychological way, as sometimes the crime is done due to anger, depression, melancholy, irritation, impatience and frustration, etc. The prisoners should be guided with the skills, related to human rights. The cause behind the crime should be identified through the deep roots, to identify the reasons causing crimes.Hence, after all these process the suspect should be under the police supervision for at least 2 months, so that they can keep a regular check and check their patterns.

    b) Safe : The prison helps in securing the nation, as the prisoner is in the prison under the police for a particular time period, according to the crime that the suspect has done. It helps in gaining the trust of the people and citizens for their safety, as the suspect is in the prison. So, the criminal doesn't get escape through the prison and cause harm for the nation and the citizens of the nation. For example:- As the safety in the prisons of the Ecuador was weakened,the leader of a criminal gang escaped through the prison. Due to this, the leader of the gang started attacking with bombs on the citizens of the Ecuador and also kidnapped various policemen of the security which led to a Gang Warfare. Therefore, the government instantly proclaimed "EMERGENCY IN ECUADOR".

    c) Punishment - This terms refers to punishing someone, maybe in the prison for the justice of the citizens, so when someone is punished it said that 'the justice is achieved'. This system of punishment can lead to various years of prisons according to the crime the person has committed. This helps the criminal to realize their great fallacy, which could even bring the victim to death. If the case, is a severe one and has caused death to the victim then the criminal is hanged over. This punishment can make some of the people realise of their faults, and make them to think deeper in the situation. It forces them to think upon it, hence they are isolated in the prison for a longer period of time, this type of punishment can too cause them mental illness.
    Though it is rightly said,"Prison is supposed to be a place of reform, not a place of punishment".

  • I think Punishment and security matter the most because prison is supposed to be a punishment for crimes and make sure the criminals can't get out.Also I feel like the punishment should be them having no cellar iteam's or being in solitary depending what they did.

  • Many people believe prisons are a place for hazardous people to be kept locked away from the public and used to teach criminals, in a ruthless way, to act properly out in the open. Although these opinions are valid, I think prison serves as an isolated place criminals can use to self-reflect and learn the wrong from their actions. Prisons take a person's freedom and social relations away from them in order to force the inmate to value what they had outside of jail and, ultimately, change for the better. Some people are so resentfully moved by one's actions that they resort to violence, leading to delinquents being severely hurt by residents. Prison is a safe location that protects both the public and the criminal's safety.

  • I think that prison is meant for being safe and reformative.Now you are going to know why.

    Safe The other citizens will be safe because there are no criminals between them.Even when the prisoners get out of jail.They had learned in prison that what they did and will do they will face many punishments.Like:-the prisoners will not see their families.

    Reformative so when prisoners get out of jail they will be better and they won’t do the crime they did before or any other crime.

  • I think that punishment should be the main priority of prison officers. Giving punishment to the culprit also means giving justice to victim. If any of the culprit is left without any punishment for their crime it means setting a live example for people that "Even if you commit any crime you will be let free". If we want people to stop committing crimes then they should realise how severe the punishment can be for their action. Giving punishment to culprit makes other people realise that they won't be let free for any of their crimes. By watching other culprit suffer for their crimes would make others realise too that no matter what crime you have committed you will be punished no matter what.

  • My opinion is I think prisons should be a place of punishment but to also to learn about how you should act outside of prison and in prison so everyone can be safe and the criminals learn their lesson . Also nothing like what they have done before should happens again and that the prisoners should all experience some treats if they have been doing extremely well. Another thing is I don’t think prisoners should have a lot of comfort so they can make themselves at home because they won’t be learning anything.

  • The last few days I wonder all the time: should we behave good to prisoners even if they have made so bad actions? When a person goes to prison he deserves this punishment so why we should make prisons more friendly to criminals when they have robbed the property of a person in need, sold drugs to little kids and even murdered people. I believe in second chances but these people are not very trustful. I mean how do I know that after prison they will change? So the only way to this to feel thebpain of the people that they hurt. I don't think that criminals should feel comfortable at prison but they should feel safe and punished for their criminslity

  • There are lots of things that many consider "wrong" about prisons, the very thought scares people sick. The bare thought of having to be locked up with gross food, mean cellmates, and being surrounded by dangerous people is just the thought that keeps people sticking to the law. But there are things that should be a priority that are just not. This comes from my mother's experience because she's a corrections officer. Shes said to me that shes seen things that are brutal. The harsh reality of prison is well overlooked and I feel that prisons should focus more on rehabilitation and security over punishment. Sure, punishments sometimes ensure that the prisoners won't do what they did again, but that's not always the case. In many cases, the prisoners reoffend after getting released, some days or even the day of. Prison was built on the very foundation of rehabilitation so that people who did bad things in their past can build on that and become better people. This philosophy has slowly washed away along with the power that was given to the people in charge. If the prisoners do not learn to be better people, then it may never happen unless they just wake up (which does not happen often). Now for my second choice. Security and Safety kind of work hand-in-hand. If the prison is secure and everyone is inside and cannot get out in some way, then everyone on the outside would be safe. Along with security should come safety for all. Things cannot be learned if you are in constant fear and stress, the bad decisions then becomes instinct.

  • I fell sorry for the people of Ecuador when people firstly knew About Fito's escape and the governments actions
    and for the terror of knowing about a drug lord is in my country i would be locking my doors on every knock so in
    my opinion
    1.First a prison should be secure: so if a prison can't keep any one from going in or out it has lost its best
    quality because if there is a criminal who has killed 100 people and he could leave the prison at any time he wanted that would let him be able to kill more people.

    2.Secondly a prison should be safe so that no one would die outside the prison and if people do not die in the place outside the prison the prison would fulfill the second most important thing in the prison.

    3. A prison should be full of punishment this is to scare the prisoners to not do any illegal activities with them selves and others in and out of the prison.

    4.Reformative : a prison must be able to rehabilitate the prisoners whether through fear (optimized) or through comfortability (pessimised).

    5. Comfortable : this is the least a prison should be or has to offer because if prison is comfortable people would intentionally go to prison to enjoy in a comfortable nice and well kept area which will increase crime rate.

    These are my opinion on the matter thank you

  • I think that the top priority should be reformative because prisons should be able to change people who are reoffenders or people who are in there for more serious crimes to make them functional members of society so they don’t end up back in prison because no one wants to be in prison.
    But what comes a close second for me is security because prisons can’t make functional member of society if they keep escaping then there is no one to help. And what I think is in the middle for me is punishment because some people do deserve a heavy punishment for ruining some lives but they also just need to learn. And wether they learn through punishment or being reformed????? That’s a whole other debate. And the last one they should prioritise is comfort because prisoners aren’t there to enjoy there stay and get comfy they are there to change their ways and be better people.

  • Hello,
    Well according to me in terms of prioritization, safety, punishment (justice ) and reformative purposes the most critical objectives for prison officers because ensuring the safety of individuals within the facility and the broader community is necessary , while promoting reformation contributes to long-term public and indivisual welfare and
    The punishment helps in the effectiveness of the justice system.

    On the other hand, prioritizing prisoner comfort may be the least urgent objective compared to safety and reformative purposes because a criminal is punished not find ease but to face the consequences of his actions.

    One skill that can be added to the list is Reintegration that is helping prisoners successfully connect into society upon release by providing them with necessary skills, education, and other necessary needed supports.

  • The purpose of prisons is multifaceted, and while punishment is one aspect, it's not the sole purpose. Prisons also serve to protect society from dangerous individuals, deter future crime, rehabilitate offenders, and provide opportunities for restitution and reintegration into society.

  • The aim of prisons is to support individuals in changing for the better. Everyone deserves the opportunity to transform and positively impact their community. Through guidance and support, prisons strive to help people become productive members of society. It's about giving individuals the chance to learn from their mistakes and grow into better versions of themselves. By providing resources for education, counseling, and skill development, prisons aim to empower individuals to lead fulfilling lives upon their release. Ultimately, the goal is to foster rehabilitation and create a safer, more supportive environment for everyone.

  • The purpose of prisons extends beyond just safety; it encompasses various objectives, including rehabilitation, deterrence, and punishment. While safety is undoubtedly a critical aspect, prisons also aim to rehabilitate offenders, deter future crime, and uphold justice in society. Balancing safety with the broader goals of rehabilitation and societal well-being is essential in the effective functioning of the criminal justice system.

  • Prisons should prioritize security to ensure no prisoners escape and prevent outsiders from breaking them out. This ensures safety for everyone inside and outside the prison walls.

    1. I completely agree with you, inspired_volcano.
      Ensuring security in prisons is crucial to prevent escapes and protect both the inmates and the outside community. By prioritizing security measures, we can create a safer environment for everyone involved. It's important to have effective systems in place to prevent prisoners from escaping and to deter any attempts from outsiders to break them out. Safety should always be a top priority. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this!

  • Hi,
    I personally think that the main purpose of prisons should be 2 things punishment and reformative . I think this because this is what will make this prisoner not want to reoffend .
    Punishment because it gives a sense of comfort to the victims of the crime that the suspect is being punished . Also hopefully it will make criminals not want to go back to prisons again .
    Whereas reformation will also be good as if the prisoner rights what they have done wrong it will give them a chance to restart and have a second chance at being a good civilian .

  • I chose to answer the question which of these purposes should be the top priority of prison officers? When looking up at the board there was one which vexed me. Punishment, and although I feel is what prison was mainly for, I feel too much injustice has happened to even classify it in that subject. I study showed that "As of August 8, 2022, the National Registry of Exonerations listed 3,200 defendants who were convicted of crimes in the United States and later exonerated because they were innocent; 53% of them were Black, nearly four times their proportion of the population, which is now about 13.6%". Now even African americans but in general way too many people have been killed, or tormented in jail for crimes they didn't even commit. One example could be Kalief Browder. He was allegedly accused of stealing a backpack, and spent 3 years in jail. An article stated " Browder spent more than 700 days of his three years in solitary confinement. He was confined to a 7‑foot-by-12-foot cell for 23 hours a day". Sadly this jeopardized his mental state. I do believe Prisons should become more better at achieving justice.

    1. I totally get what you're saying, honorable_journalist
      . It's really messed up that so many innocent people, especially African Americans, have been wrongly convicted and suffered in prison. The case of Kalief Browder is a prime example of how the system can fail and cause serious harm. It's important for prisons to prioritize justice and work towards preventing wrongful convictions. We need better investigative techniques, fair trials, and safeguards to protect the innocent. Let's push for a more just and equitable system.

  • Hi, I think the two most important things a prison should be are safe and then reformative, as every one needs to be safe, prisoner or guard then the prisoners should be reformed to become the best people they can be and once released to live their lives normally or however they want but in a good way and to know what they did was wrong. Then if people focus on punishment too much the prisoners will want to escape more and maybe get revenge on some people. I also think there should be a little bit of comfort such as a bed and basic living conditions such as furniture but they should lose privileges or television if they misbehave or threaten or hurt other people.

  • I believe that the pain purpose of prisons is punishment this is because you are in prison because your getting punished for whatever landed you in prison so punishment should be first, reformative should be second because when your getting punished your in their to get better and learn your lesson, so teaching prisoners to be better people is also a top priority. Secureness and safety are also important factors but most importantly security because things like Fido's jailbreak put innocent citizens in danger causing more problems. Comfort should be the thing officers prioritize last out of all the factors comfort should be the last this is because you shouldn't be comfortable while being punished because prisons main purpose should be punishment and reformation. Comfort should never be a main priority of prisons.

  • "I believe that comfort should not be a top priority in prison. When prisoners are given too much comfort, they might start feeling like they're being rewarded for the bad things they did. This could make them think that what they did wasn't so bad after all. In reality, they need to understand the consequences of their actions. If prisons become too comfortable, it might send the wrong message and lead to misunderstandings about the seriousness of their crimes. Instead, prisons should focus on providing fair treatment and ensuring safety for everyone involved. This way, prisoners can learn from their mistakes and work towards becoming better members of society."

  • When it comes to the question of what is more important in a prison cell - secure punishment or reformation - it is crucial to consider the well-being of both society and the convicted individual. While secure punishment aims to ensure public safety by keeping offenders behind bars, reformation focuses on transforming their behaviours and attitudes towards a more positive and law-abiding path. While secure punishment serves the purpose of holding individuals accountable for their actions, reformation in a prison cell seeks to address the root causes of criminal behaviour, offering the possibility of rehabilitation and a chance to reintegrate into society as productive citizens. Striking a balance between these two objectives is essential, as a rehabilitation-oriented prison system can potentially reduce recidivism rates and contribute to a safer and more harmonious society in the long run. On the other hand I believe that prison cell should focus on the safety of their society and prisoners.

  • Honestly, I think the prisoners comfort should be the top priority of the prison officers. Making the prisoners comfortable would keep them at ease and distract them from escaping. If the prison was very crowded and
    uncomfortable the prisoners would feel urge to escape thinking it is an unbearable place.

  • The purpose in which police officers should prioritize the most is the safety of everybody. The prison being able to ensure security ensures safety for citizens. The safety of citizens is important as if citizens are not guaranteed safety, the area can be affected heavily. The impacts of the area would be,
    - Less tourists coming
    - More citizens leaving
    - GDP decreasing
    The listed affects are just some of the many. In addition, tourists play a major role in the success of many area's economies. Imagine how heavily the area's economy would be impacted once less and less tourists visit the destination? The economy would face many negative impacts and suffer a lot. The non-guaranteed safety of citizens would also lead to more and more citizens leaving. The thought of citizens leaving scares me as the area would most likely end up abandoned and seen as a bad place, connecting to the other affect. The GDP would decrease. The more citizens that leave, the more the GDP decreases. The decreasing of the destinations GDP impacts the standard of living of the citizens as a low GDP is equivalent to a low GDP per capita.

    The prison should also ensure the safety of inmates. Though inmates are considered bad people, they should still be ensured safety in prison. Plenty of things can happen in prison, for example, fights, break ins, attacks from outside the prison, etc., the inmates should be protected from any harm possible just like citizens. Prisoners should be ensured safety as they are humans too. Everybody should be able to be ensured safety no matter what, safety should be the number 1 priority of everybody and everything.

    Police officers should prioritize prisoners rate of comfortableness. The level of the prisoners comfortableness should not matter as much as the other purposes as the prisoner has done some wrong doings in their life. Prisoners should not be very comfortable as prisoners should find prison boring and uncomfortable, not comfortable. Though prisoners should not be very comfortable, prisoners should feel somewhat comfortable as prison should not be too rough on them. The level of comfortableness should not be too high, but not too low, but comfortableness should not be prioritized over the purposes of safety, punishment, reformative, and security.

  • I say that punishment and reformatives are the most important priority about a prison. I say this because I know from experience. Whenever I would do something that is wrong, for example lie or break a plate and try to hide it, I would have to do some sort of punishment like not playing for a week or have to do a wall sit. After the punishment was over I would learn my lesson and also not harbor any hard feelings to that person because I would know that I was wrong. Prisoners might also get their GED so then they can get out and get a job being a whole different person from what they were before.

    A prisoners comfort is the least of concern. They go to prison to learn from their mistakes and become better people. not to get out of paying rent and live a nice comfortable life in a cell.

    1. Thanks, interesting_squirrel! Can you explain what a GED is for Topical Talkers who are not in the US?

    2. Yes sorry, for those who don't know what a GED is, it is an acronym that stands for General Educational Development. It is for those who didn't go to highschool or dropped out, and don't have a high school diploma. It is a set of tests that, if passed the person that took the test will have the general high school academic skills.

      GEDs are important because they present you with better job opportunities. Some prisoners are aware that education is important and take the test so they don't end up in prison again. Basically, they try to start a new life and do something to help themselves, like I said in my previous comment.

  • There are so many points that explain the purpose of prison, and I am going to be talking about some points, these points are:

    1. Punishment:
    The main reason why prison was made the was to be a form of punishment onto people who could not obey laws. This punishment is used to discourage so they do not commit any more crimes.

    2. Rehabilitation:
    If prisoners are released from prison, and their fellow person is trying to commit a crime, they could give advice to the person on how bad prison is, and the person would think twice and change their mind.

    These are the proposes of prison and their explanations.

  • Hello,
    According to me above every given purposes is important but the top priority of prison officers would be "SAFETY ". Because it is important to maintain the safety of both immates and staffs . Without a safe environment it is very much of difficult to achieve anything .
    The purpose they should prioritize least is "COMFORT" . Because if we see the comfort than it will be difficult for prison officers to handle them . Comfort shouldn't supresede safety, punishment or reformative efforts .
    Another purpose of prisons could be "DETERRENCE" , aiming to discourage individuals from committing crimes by demonstrating the consequences of illegal behavior through incarceration.
    Thank you .

  • prisons aren't doing their jobs well, inmates will see this as an opportunity to stay low, retrace their mistakes, and commit crimes even worse than before because the prisons they are incarcerated in don't try to discipline, correct, and mold them into better citizens. However, if prisons don't do their jobs well, inmates who are caught will use this as an opportunity to call this their temporary home away from crime and continue, but if

  • Making prisons better is important because it helps people think about what they did wrong. When someone does something bad, it's like making a mistake. Prisons should focus on helping people learn from their mistakes and become better. This is called reformative, which means helping for the better. So, in a prison, instead of just punishing people, they should also help them learn and grow. That way, when they leave the prison, they can make better choices and be good members of society.

  • Yes, ensuring that prisons are secure is essential for maintaining public safety and upholding the rule of law. It's crucial to prevent escapes and unauthorized releases to uphold the integrity of the justice system. Thank you.

  • In my opinion the safety and security of prison officers and the inmates within the prison is the most important. Without these two elements there would be no order within the prison which means that violence and aggression between the prisoners could potentially rise.

    In correspondence to my research conducted the aspect of safety in prisons is portrayed by regular patrols by guards which monitor the activity of the inmates to ensure there is no conflict or arguments between them. Security checks are also conducted to ensure that no inmate is smuggling items that are seen as contraband along with security cameras which are there to monitor the activity of the prisoners 24/7 to ensure that they are all sticking to the rules and not engaging in dangerous or banned activities. There are many other ways that prisons and their officers are equipped to ensure safety of all within the prison facility but hopefully the few I have named will spark some questions on why you may or may not think that safety/security is the most important aspect of a prison.

  • I think the order should be "Secure, Safe, Punishment, Reformative, and Comfortable". I think secure and safe are two of the most important things in a prison, because if the prison is not secure, any prisoner can escape, and bad things such as Fito's escape can happen. I think punishment and reformative should be in the middle, because the prisoner should be punished for their actions, but they could still go and make the same mistake when they are released. I can say the same thing for reformative, because prison is meant to make you learn to be a better citizen, but this doesn't always work with every prisoner. And lastly, comfortable is least least important thing in a prison, because if a prisoner is comfortable, first they won't learn a lesson for their actions, and second, prison wouldn't be a punishment anymore. However, if something was missing from here, I think it would be schedule. If the prisoners do not have a schedule, they will be roaming around doing whatever they want, whenever they want.

  • Hello,
    I know there are many people know if they do things like killing, stealing and making many things that are wrong they enter the prison or jail, but do you know why they enter jail, and the police officers don't let them out?
    when people make wrong things, they need to be punished or face the music of course they have the right to have another chance, but it couldn't be safe for the villagers.
    You could ask me why it couldn't be safe for villagers?
    well, how to make sure that nobody will do it again. Although other people took another chance for example Tim Allen took second chance.
    Thank you and I hope you liked my comment.

  • Firstly, one of the top priorities of prisons should be security because they lacked security in Fito's prison, making it easier for him to get out. One of the least purposes of prison is punishment because the punishment has already happened. They're in jail. Another 2 of my top priorities in prison is safety because who knows? That prison fito went in might not have been safe. That means they also have to be comfortable because you never know how they treated Fito in that prison. But at the same time, one of the most important purposes of prison is informative because going to jail needs to learn their lesson on how to be a better citizen when going out of prison.

  • If I had to sort the priorities of prison from least to greatest, I would have to say that mine would be:
    Comfortable = prisoners are at ease
    Punishment = justice is achieved
    Secure = people can't get in or out
    Safe = nobody is in danger
    Reformative = prisoners learn how to be better citizens.

    I say this statement to let you know that serious_cookie and I discussed the five priorities in prison, from least to greatest. We ranked "comfortable" as the least important because prisoners should face the consequences of their actions, which means they shouldn't have luxuries in jail. We realized that Fito had access to luxuries in prison, which honestly disgusted. Especially given their illegal actions. I wanted to thank serious_cookie for having this conversation with me. <3

  • I believe that the highest priority of prison guards should be focused on reforming the prisoners. This is because the prisoners may have ended up in jail for committing a crime, and it is important to teach them how to become better citizens and avoid criminal activities in the future. On the other hand, I think that providing comfort to prisoners should be the lowest priority. If prisoners are provided with comfortable living conditions, they may not learn their lesson and repeat their mistakes once they are released. Therefore, it is a must to prioritize reforming over comfort for the good of it.

  • Hello! I think that prison officers should prioritise most of the safety of the prisoners. The reason I say this is because imagine you're working at a prison with a security level of zero. Before I finish this sentence, prisons are for people that committed serious crimes. Back to what I was saying, imagine you're working at a prison with a security level of 0 and some immates start a prison break, there is no one to stop the prison break because of the lack of security. I think they should prioritise least in comfort. If you care more about comfort than security, you are giving them too many privileges. Comfort and security, that's too much. That's my opinion, I hope you like it.

  • The top purpose of prisons is security. Prisons are made for the reason to lock up criminals. If a prison is not secure, criminals can escape easily and commit the same things that got them into prison in the first place. I would prioritise comfort as the least important. Why let them relax if they committed a crime? There is a small quantity of logic though. If it's so comfortable then criminals wouldn't want to leave prison so less crimes would occur. The only other priority I can think of is maybe healthcare. Criminals are humans too so prison guards should maybe check on criminals' health once in a while.

  • According to my own opnion, i think reformaton and security should be the basic factors to consider before every other about how prison should run because, prison is mostly meant for protecting poeple from dangers or violence and whilr doing, you are keeping people for safety.
    And also, when punishing offensive ones or criminals, you are also reforming or disciplining them for them to learn theur lessons and while doing that, you are educating, teaching them good morals on how to become a better citizens in the community or nation at large.
    When prisoners escaoe due to an untight security, this will make people not to be safe in the sense that there will find it difficult to move freely because of the fear of not being killled the prisoners who they might have done something wrong in the past.
    What am trying to say is that prisons should have tight security to enhance safety in the nation.
    Thanks!!!

  • Safety should be the top priority for prison officials because it directly impacts the well-being of both inmates and staff. Prisons are environments where tensions can run high, and conflicts can escalate rapidly. Prioritizing safety measures such as adequate staffing, security protocols, and emergency response training helps mitigate the risk of violence, self-harm, and other security threats within prison facilities. Furthermore, ensuring a safe environment fosters rehabilitation efforts by allowing inmates to focus on educational and vocational programs without fear for their physical safety. By prioritizing safety, prison officials not only fulfill their duty to protect individuals in their care but also contribute to the overall stability and effectiveness of the correctional system. Conversely, comfortability should be the least important consideration for prison officials when compared to safety. While humane treatment and basic amenities are essential, prioritizing comfort over safety can compromise security measures and undermine discipline within the prison. Comfortable accommodations should not come at the expense of security protocols or deterrence measures. Instead, prison officials should focus on providing a safe and secure environment that meets the basic needs of inmates while maintaining order and discipline necessary for the effective operation of the correctional facility.

  • I think the top priority should be security because if the prisoners are able to escape over and over again there is no point keeping them in jail. The least priority is comfort because if you are in jail they should not be comfortable at all. The one I think is missing is health because they should still be able to eat and drink like any other human.

  • Punishment is the main thing that prisons are made for. Prisons should prioritize justice by punishments because the definition of a prison is a place where people are held for punishment. I think that the least prioritized thing should be safe. the reason I believe this is because the other purposes should have priority over it. Every purpose plays a role in the prison, making it a punishment and also a reformative place for people. All of the purposes matter and should be prioritized and reinforced.

  • In my opinion, prisons are essential to keep people that have committed crimes out of society for the amount of their sentence. For these reasons, I think that the purpose of prisons that they should prioritise the most should be secure, as it prevents prisoners escaping the prison and possibly committing more crimes, its may also helps the guards to have less stress over a prisoner possibly escaping. Also, I think that comfort should be least prioritise, because it may be the least important purpose of a prison.

    One other purpose that I think is missing from this list is equality. As prisoners may be treated differently by guards and other prisoners by their gender, skin color, and many more. So, the prison should try to prevent these unfair treatments and maybe punish the prisoners that are doing these kinds of unfair treatments.

  • I think that we should prioritise making sure that prisons are secure since we don't want anyone to escape the prison. I also think we should prioritise comfort less because it's less important than things such as safety, also people may want to go to the prison more because it would be comfortable. I do feel like there could be more categories such as health because even though I said comfort should be prioritised less I do think that jails that could cause major health concerns would be bad for prisoners.

  • From my point of view, the most important purpose of prisons is number 4 as prisioners are dangerous to people, prisons need to maintain security in society, I consider that the least important one is number 3, I think that prisons need to be stricted and some times even cruel depending on how the prisioners are behaving. To sum up, prisons need to care about prisioners, always under control, but It first priority must be to maintain security and order inside the prison with the aim of protecting everyone.

    1. If prisoners were treated better, would they be more likely to make positive changes?

      1. I agree because... if prisoners were treated better they would be more able to cooperate with others and have a way of making a positive change to themselves causing less harm to their inmates and getting into more troubles. This could be able to give them a chance to have a positive change to them and those around them but this will need a lot of funding to prisons as most prisons around the world are underfunded by the government to ensure a safe environment around the prison staffs and inmates

  • I believe that prisons should ensure the safety of their inmates. Even though they have committed crimes, it is important to take care of them so that they can be rehabilitated and reintegrated into society.

  • The purpose of a prison should be to reform and rehabilitate individuals so that they can become responsible and productive members of society. Imprisonment alone does not always lead to positive changes in behavior, but providing access to education, therapy, job training, and other resources can help individuals learn from their mistakes and develop the skills they need to make a positive impact in the community. It's important to remember that everyone deserves a chance to learn from their mistakes and become better people.

  • A lot of people would say that the main purpose of a prison would be punishing or teaching the prisoners a lesson. Although i do think that's a big part of prisons, it is also about reflecting and improving there behaviour towards other people, and learning that being aggressive won't help anyone. I think it should also be both save from the inside and outside, so the prisoners can't get out, but the citizens won't be endangered or threatened by the criminals inside. Although would be nice for the cells to be comfortable, a part of a prison is showing them what happens when you do the wrong thing.

  • Prison is an institution for the confinement of persons who have been remanded (held) in custody by a judicial authority or who have been deprived of their liberty following conviction for a crime. A person found guilty of a felony or a misdemeanour may be required to serve a prison sentence.

  • The best option in my opinion is the reformative and punishment due to the reason that when they get back to the real world there going to need to earn money maybe a family so they need to learn the way to get back to society also I have chosen the punishment option because people are people sometimes they need to learn the hard way . In addition to this is that what if a serial cannibalistic people goes to jail witch is a bit of a common thing you need to punish him for all of the innocent life he has taken with his naked hands you need to find some justice.

  • The injustice in some prisons is clear. Everyone should be treated fairly, but their system isn’t always fair. We need to focus more on helping people get better instead of just punishing them. Also, when someone goes to jail, it affects more than just them. Families suffer too. It’s important to understand how this affects everyone and work together to fix it.

    If prison injustice continues, we risk worsening society . Families will suffer, communities will become less secure, and individuals may lose hope. This could lead to a breakdown in social trust and stability. It’s crucial that we address these issues to ensure justice for all.

  • In my opinion, If I had to order these from most important in prisons to least important in prisons I would say the order is, Secure, safe, reformative, punishment, then comfortable. Secure is first because you don't want prisoners to break out and do more bad things. if it's not secure they will easily be able to break out with no security. Safe is second because even though the prisoners had done something bad you still have to make sure they are safe. Even though they did something bad you still have to make sure they are safe or they might want to break out and do more bad things. Third is reformative because you want the criminals to learn how to be a better person. If they don't learn how to be a better person then when they get out of jail they will just do more bad things. next is punishment because you have to have a least a few punishments so the prisoners feel bad and start doing good things. Without punishments to criminals jail wouldn't be that big of a deal because there is no punishments. Even though we need punishments in jail to make criminals try to be better people we can't have too many punishments or the criminals will get mad and try to escape to do more bad things. Too much punishments can result in many people in jail trying to escape to do bad things. Last is comfortable because if jail is comfortable then people could just go to jail for free food and other free things. If jail is comfortable then criminals wouldn't even think jail is that bad because it's comfortable. That's why I think the order from the most important purpose for prisons to least important purpose for prisons is secure, safe, reformative, punishment, and lastly, comfortable.

    1. Interesting ranking. What do you think is the best way to teach a prisoner to be a better person?

      1. I think that the best way to teach a prisoner how to be a better person would be to have the prisoner do some good things in prison and maybe it will make them want to change to be a better person. if they clean up and help around prison doing good things it might make the prisoner want to be a good person. Or maybe if the prisoner is in prison for a long time they will start to regret what they did and try to be a better person when they get out of jail. There are a lot of ways to teach a prisoner how to be a better person but any of the ways will work as long as the prisoner no longer wants to do bad things.

      2. I think that the best way to teach a prisoner how to be a better person would be to have the prisoner do some good things in prison and maybe it will make them want to change to be a better person. if they clean up and help around prison doing good things it might make the prisoner want to be a good person. Or maybe if the prisoner is in prison for a long time they will start to regret what they did and try to be a better person when they get out of jail. There are a lot of ways to teach a prisoner how to be a better person but any of the ways will work as long as the prisoner no longer wants to do bad things.

  • In my own opinion I think prison officers should prioritize obtaining justice so that people don't have resent and fall into criminal ways because they or their friend or relative doesn't get the justice he or she deserved. Justice is what everybody wants in a fair and just system. Crimes are committed on a daily basis and it is up to the government and prison officers to give justice if justice is attained their won't be any forceful reason for people to turn into criminals because of a failed system.
    And I think they should reduce the comfort and focus more on justice so that there will be more certainty in the systems justice. Justice is the most important thing in any constitution. I think comfort is not as important as getting the truth out and obtaining justice.
    THANK YOU!!!!

  • I agree because prisons are vital to have to keep other innocent citizens safe and secure in their own homes away from the criminals that end up in prison. We can accomplish this by knowing the police officers are doing their jobs properly and keeping the prisoners in jail for what they have cone wrong.

  • Hello everybody
    I think that the porpose of prisions is to kkep bad people o people that do bad things in a safe place in which they can't do bad things or damage other people that are doing good things. The other porpose of prisions is that the bad people think about what they do and why they do it, so when they are free they don't do this things

  • Hello everyone.
    I think that among the above-mentioned objectives of prisons, objective number 5 i.e. Reformative should be given the highest priority by prison officials. Because there is no point in keeping a prisoner in jail and suspending his freedom if he is not properly reformed. If a prisoner is properly reformed, he will be an asset to a country just as he will be an honest man. He will forget his crime and be encouraged to do righteous deeds. As a country will improve economically, all the people of the country will be safe. In short, I think there is no need for the remaining 4 objectives if Reformative is implemented. Moreover, it is important in all aspects and not so expensive. For all these reasons, I think that prison officials should give the highest priority to objective number 5, i.e. Reformative.
    THANKS.

  • I think the purpose of prisions is to isolete peoplr whiich his or hers behaviour isn't good for society. I also think that prisions should be useful ti make prisioneros conocern about ehat they've did and then, after tje time un prision they can be readmitted un society.

  • I think that prison officers main priority should be to make sure no-one escapes from prison and that everyone is safe during their time in jail. The prisoners need to know that they aren't leaving until they have completed their sentence, so the guards should make sure that they can't escape. The inmates should be kept comfortable but at a basic rate of living, without the luxuries that people could have outside of prison so they understand prison is a punishment.
    The prison guards next priority should be to teach the prisoners how to be better citizens so when they get out of prison there is less chance of them reoffending.

  • First of all prisons were created for protecting the outside people to stop all that people that don't respect laws and doesn't respect the normal actions people must take, then I think people are more secure with prisons because all that bad people is without any punishment in city or in the outsides, also prisons must take aware of the people it has in cells because some of theme are so dangerous that in any time they could jump into you and kill you instantly getting free again with all the nice people in the oustside. To conclude, I think prisons are essential and must be with us lot of more time

  • The purpose of prisons is to make people think about the laws they have broken and be rehabilitated so criminals do not to not re offend. Prison should be a punishment to make them regret what they did. The other purpose is to keep us safe from dangerous people out there by imprisoning them and keeping them away from others that may get hurt.

  • prisons are essential for our world as they keep the bad people and dangerous things happening in our local neighborhoods safe and out of the way so that the innocent people are safe all around the world, they impact everyone as sometimes they are wrong and have innocent people in there which needs to change and make them have their freedom. the prison guards working there should get paid more in my opinion as they are at huge risk working with life threatening criminals which could attack them at any moment of the da, their lives are at risk but keeping the people safe outside.

  • I believe that prisons should be for punishment but also for reformative as this can teach people to be better people and they will not want to go back to prison as they have been punished for there crimes. However I think more serious crimes should give them more time in prison. Also I believe safety should be better in prisons as there are riots and murders in the prison

  • In my opinion, the top priority in prisons today should be safety, there are often cases where prisoners are making weapons of the resources they have been given or sneaking things in such as mobile phones or weapons. This must be avoided to ensure prisoners and officers are extremely safe inside because prison is where criminals are sent to reform and change for the better, they should not be going in to worry about what could happen to them.

    Also, i believe that the purpose that they should prioritize the least is comfort for the prisoners. Although it is a place to reform and change, all prisoners have commit a crime and are going to prison not only for reformation but as a punishment too and for the victim a sense of justice. Criminals who have commit a felony shouldn't recieve comfort in prison, only necessities such as food, water, a place to sleep and sanitary products. Prisons should focus on reformation over comfort and to do this they can offer interventions for mental health and career advisors for prisoners who have a chance to change, instead of offering them a TV or an early release for 'good behviour'

  • Prisons are essential to enforcing safety in society as it helps others around feel safer knowing that known criminals aren't wandering freely, but they don't provide complete security as we hear about prison outbreaks often. Prisons aren't the most secure place to keep some prisoners as some with a higher intelligence or a more violent personality may find ways to break out and harm those who got them locked up or were once a part of their life and abandoned them due to their criminal nature. Secondly, justice is not always served in prisons, unfair sentences may be given to those with a high profile or a wealthy background because they can pay their way out of it whereas someone with a poorer background is not as fortunate. Also, prisoners definitely won't always feel at ease and safe in prisons due to the intense police brutality they may encounter or witness. Another point made is prisons aren't separated into how extreme their crime was. Yes, all crimes deserve punishment but someone who committed a petty crime such as theft does not warrant being surrounded by gang leaders or people with a much more violent criminal nature. Furthermore, in some situations it only fuels their anger and rage meaning when they have served their sentence and have been released they may come back worse, especially if they feel they have been given an unjust sentence.

  • personally, I believe that prisons should focus on being reformative as it helps to reduce prisoner's going back after they have finished their sentence. reformation can improve the prisoners mental and physical wellbeing and will integrate them back into our society when they leave. prisons are their to teach criminals a lesson, but they are also there to keep our community safe. when prisoners are escaping, we don't feel safe or secure and we should not be made to feel unsafe in our communities. I don't believe prisons should be comfortable as essentially they are there to serve sentence for a crime! however I don't believe prisons should be unhygienic, but they still only deserve the minimum service such as the livable amount of food. if prisons get too comfortable criminals will become unbothered by the idea of prisons whilst they are supposed to be an uncomfortable and intimidating place. prison is supposed to teach criminals their actions are unacceptable and they should want to leave and never go back whereas if prisons are comfortable criminals will continue to commit crimes therefor we will have an unsafe society.

  • No deny about he essential for the security for the prison, prison have to to ensure their protection against prisoner though of escaped because most prisoner won't be quiet at prison but prisoner like those highly violence and have intelligence brain are mainly who cause a chaos for escaping . In other case it will cause a high break out number of prisoner as we hear in public specially the dangerous one who will cause a terror in public, As well in prisoner also will start a violence and brutal action toward each other increase their though of escaping and fell pressure and fear at prison specially for the prisoner who have some power or background compare to those who have weak and solo prisoner they are part of the victim who get more violence as they join those criminal who has more brutal action which will cause that future of the prisoner would be worse than it has now, Also the prison only increase fear to prisoner as they give out brutal consequences which would made prisoner fear, the guard of prison also will use their power to downtrodden the prisoner no doubt that prisoner who has weak background is under a pressure.

  • in my opinion i believe that punishment should be the top priority in prisons, as keeping people incapacitated in prison can be the necessary way to keep society's discipline and structure of order. A prison is a secure building designed to hold inmates as retribution for their crimes or suspects as they await trail. Prisons serve various purposes, including retribution, incapacitation, deterrence and reformation. when punishing people by holding them captive in prison it can allow a purpose for public protection, the inmates removal from society can reduce the harm that is posed by them to the public. prison is used to intimidate people and make them feel uncomfortable in a way which can be used as a system which acts as a deterrence for committing the crime and for those who are repeat offenders. punishment in prison can be used as a threat towards prisoners so they can then think about their actions and decrease the number of people been a repeat defender. however i do not believe that prisons should be unhygienic and not up to the minimum living conditions. i also partially agree that prisons should be secure at all times, when prisons hold inmates for a different amount of crimes it can be hard to watch every single inmate. this can be helped by the cameras placed in every cell and around the corridors and canteen of the prison, if i prisoner was to escape it could case a threat to the citizens living in that area depending on the crime. this can cause citizens to feel uncomfortable in their own home. people have their own opinions but i believe that safety plays a large part in the use of prisons. however i don't believe that comfortability is important to prisoners as, they have managed to do a serious crime to be in prison i don't think they deserve to feel comfortable or made to feel comfortable while been in prison. when prisons can make people feel comfortable they may not see their punishment within their crime and they will continue to commit crimes and become a reoffender.

  • when i think of a prison i think it should mostly be secure and reformative because a prison needs to be secure for it to contain its prisoners so they can reform the prisoners and i think the least priority is comfortable for someone to make an offense for them to land in prison they shouldn't be comfortable and enjoying their time there because if they enjoy themselves they will do it again so they can go back to prison.

  • The top priority in my opinion is safe because people around the world will not be in danger and have a safe and happy life.I also think that they should prioritise reformative least because i think that when prisoners go into prison, they get out and do the same crime that they did the first time and it would become a cycle.

  • I think that prisons should focus on reforming the prisoners inside them as it would help decrease the amount of criminals going back into crime. It would also help with the criminals, once after prison, to live a normal life, which would benefit said criminal and society. The process of reformation would be expensive for the government but i feel as though it would be worth the money and time as it makes sure everyone is safer and could make sure that the criminals could help the economy as well.

  • I believe that all of them should be top priority because they all are equal and needed the same to run a prison. If there had to be a top priority, I think it would have to be security otherwise the prisoners will be able to escape prison and do more illegal things outside of prison. The second pick would have to be prisoners learning to be better citizens, if they got let out of prison because they finished their jail time, they might still do other illegal stuff.

  • If we do not have prisons there will be even more crimes and it would be mayhem but some people don't deserve as long in prison as other people,some people don't even deserve to be in there .

    1. I agree because if we never had prisions it will be chaos and just chaos but if we did it will safe around the world but the people still need to expect for what they did and they need to learn from wha they did and not just try and escape and even if they did just like one crime

  • I choose a prison should be secure because you can never know if a prisoner can carry any harmful objects that harm people. For example knives, and glass bottles. So if a prison is secure none of those things can not be able to be in a prison. thanks

  • Prisoners will learn to be good citizens because they would agree their miss dead and learn their mistakes

  • I think prisons should focus on being secured and let there be lots of punishments upon what they have done and how they did it

  • Unfortunately, it depends a lot on where you enter prison. A European prison is not the same (generally) the conditions are much better compared to others like in South America, in my opinion prisons with terrible conditions manage to punish you in the worst way and I think that is when you reconsider your mistakes. However, in prisons with better conditions, I consider that it is much easier to rebuild your life. In conclusion, for me everything on the list is important but everything has the same value. I believe that these 5 things are the main goals of all prisons and we should not consider any one above the other, but all equally. We should not only take into account the final objectives, but also assess all the factors that may affect the process.

  • The purpose of prisons to me is that the prisoners learn how to be more reformative and we should give them a second chance to prove that they can be outside of prison but it also has to be secure just in case they do not learn their mistake

  • i think prisons should be secure so nobody can get out. i also think prisons should be reformative because prisoners should learn from their mistakes and be taught how to be better people. the people who were bad should also get a punishment.

  • i think prisons are essetial in life as if people had no consiquences it would be crazy as thives and murderers would be roaming the streets doing what ever they want but with prisons they get taken from the outside world and stops them from reeking havok

    1. Hi great_blueberry! Thank you for your comment on why you feel prisons are essential. It would be great to hear which if the following purposes of a prison are important to you: secure, punishment, comfortable, safe and reformative

  • The purpose of prisons is to keep thiefs and criminals away from citizens and keep the citizen safe.

    1. What would happen if we didn't have prisons?

  • The top priority of a prison is punishment.
    A prison in simple terms is a place where criminals convicted of crimes are legally held as punishment.
    Most people who commit heinous crimes are expected to go to prison and undeniably the victims of such crimes would want and expect the criminal to face a hardcore punishment.
    The least priority of a prison should be the comfort of the prisoners. A prison is not in any way a place meant for relaxation,if so; most people would still commit the same crimes as they believe that the legal system is not that harsh on them.
    I however personally think that a government should put more money towards the security and reformation facilities of a prison.

  • Prison officers have a crucial responsibility to ensure that prisons are secure, meaning that people cannot get in or out without permission. This is the most important purpose because it maintains order and safety within the facility. In contrast, the least priority should be on providing comfort, as the primary focus should be on security and maintaining control. Furthermore, prison officers should also prioritize rehabilitation, helping prisoners learn and grow to become better citizens upon release. Ultimately, the primary role of prison officers is to maintain a secure and safe environment, while also aiming to reform and rehabilitate inmates to prevent future crimes.

  • Prison officers should prioritize the purpose of reformative justice. This means helping prisoners learn how to be better citizens. By focusing on reform, officers can work to reduce the likelihood of individuals committing crimes again in the future. Safety is also important, as it ensures that nobody is in danger. However, the top priority should be reform since it aims to address the root cause of criminal behaviour. The least priority should be comfort, as the primary focus of prison should be on rehabilitation and promoting positive change.

  • I think the best option is option ; 2 and 4 because if government and the courts justify crime judgment of justice wil be achieved,so there will go to prison and be punished.
    And if prison staff will punish prisoners they'll or might know how to be better citizens. So the society the will develop more than before.
    THANKS

  • I think the top priority of prison officers should be safety, ensuring the security and well being of all inside. Comfort should be a lower priority ,as it shouldn't overshadow safetyor other goals. Another important purpose missing from the list is rehabilitation ,vital for reducing recidivism and promoting societal reintegration.
    🙏Thanks🙏

  • I think that the main function of a prison is for Reformation. I say this because, places like the Clink Charity, Yellow Ribbon Project and the Youth Court are organizations that have volunteered to help prisons to have a life outside prison. These organizations are ones that think that people especially prisoners deserve a second chance to come into the world to live normal lives and then away from criminal offences and behaviors. So, when prisoners are reformatted, the word can become a better place because the reformatted prisoners can take available employment jobs, take part in the protection of the nation and its citizens and they can do many more.
    Personally speaking, I will give a special thanks to the Clink Charity, the Yellow Ribbon Project and to the Youth Court because f jot for them, majority of the prisoners world wide will be useless when out of prison and the country might lose more because it has some if its citizens stuck in prison instead of rising the country economically and financially also. Thanks to the organizations that are willing to help, countries do not need to suffer the consequences caused to them by their prisoners.
    NOTE: MOST OF MY INFORMATION HAS BEEN GATHERED FROM THE ECONOMIST FOUNDATION
    THANK YOU.

  • Hello everyone,
    I think the top priority for prison officers should be ensuring the safety and security of both inmates and staff. Without a secure environment ,none of the other purposes can be effectively fulfilled.
    The least prioritized purpose should be cimfort. While humane treatment is important , it should not over shadow the need for security, punishment ,and rehabilitation .
    An additional purpose missing from the list could be restoration . Prisons should aim to restore individuals to society as law-abiding citizens , focusing on repairing them into the community.
    Thanks!

  • I think reformative is the most important out of all five. Here are my reasons why (in my opinion):
    The point of prisons is to punish people to understand what they have done wrong and if they don't they will go back to prison. Being a better person will allow people to be and stay more safe.
    After you get out of prison you have to continue to be a good citizen like everyone else. Prison is really just a serious punishment, so serious they will be sentenced to go to prison.
    If prisoners will be better ,maybe they might be given but that is rather unlikely.

  • I think that number 1 and 5 are the most important because prisons need to keep the prisoners away so they don't harm anyone. They should also be reformative because the prisoners should learn how to be good and if they are not there could be big consequences. Prisons should keep citizens away from harm and danger.

  • The purpose that I think should be the top priority for prison officers is reformative. Prisoners should deserve a second chance to live in the world but you can't do that without being trusted and the only place that will teach the prisoners to be good citizens is prisons and that's why they should be reformative. The purpose which prisons should not be is comfortable. If prisons are comfortable then they would not give the prisoners a hard time and they would not have the punishment, or they would not learn. There is one purpose that is missing from the list but it kind of links to safe, prisons should let people not be afraid of the culprit because they are safe in prison.

  • 1. Reformative is the most important one because it teaches prisoners to be better people and that means when they are let out they don't have to go to prison again.
    2. Secure is the second most important because it makes sure that prisoners can't get out to hurt people. It also means that prisons are more safe to the public.
    3. Punishment is the third most important because it is important that they know how to behave and have a consequence when ever they do something bad.
    4. I think that the other two are equal because it has to be safe for the public and it has to be comfortable because they have to make sure they don't escape.

  • What is the point of prison? In my opinion the point of prison is for the people who have done something wrong to be taught a lesson . Prisons should be reformative so they can change into a good person. It could also be for the public to know what happens to the people who have done wrong. That also might make them aware of what will happen to them if they do something bad.

  • In my opinion, I think that reformative, should be top priority of prison officers because when criminals, complete their malevolent, vicious crimes, they need to learn how to be better citizens in return for their crime. It doesn't really, matter if the prison isn't that much secure, as when the criminal finishes their punishment, they wouldn't dare disrespect another thing. The least thing that prison officers should prioritise is comfortable as prisoners need to penalize their crime.

  • In my own perspectives I think the only way prisoners can be punished is by reformative.
    First of all what is reformative?
    Reformative is the process of changing bad citizens to good citizens.
    Reformative doesn't need constant suffering of the prisoners.
    Reformation is very important to a prison because if prisoners are suffering they can try to escape.
    Eager to see corrections from you.
    I am grateful.

  • Prison officers play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and security of both inmates and society. The top priority for prison officers should be safety, as it is important to ensure that nobody is in danger within the prison walls. This includes preventing violence and maintaining order. The least priority should be comfort, as the primary goal of a prison is not to provide a luxurious environment but rather to uphold the law and protect the public. In addition to safety, another key purpose of prisons should be reformative, helping prisoners to learn from their mistakes and become law-abiding citizens upon release.

  • Prison officers should prioritize the purpose of reformative when it comes to overseeing prisoners. This means helping inmates become better members of the community. By focusing on rehabilitation, officers can guide prisoners to make positive changes in their behaviour. On the other hand, the least priority should be to ensure comfort for prisoners. While it's important for inmates to have basic needs met, the primary goal should be to help them improve and lead law-abiding lives. Additionally, one other purpose of prisons that could be considered important is to ensure the safety and security of both inmates and staff within the facility.

  • I believe that the main goal of prisons are safety, so no one can get out and commit more crimes and they should enforce punishment as well as being in prison but they also need to prioritise being reformative so the people that went to jail doesn't commit a crime again. I do think that prisons should also take care of the officers running the prisons, in the other post, Prison staff, it tells us that 62% of the staff in prison feels unsafe , imagine going to work every day and being scared something might happen to you. the prison staff have every right to be scared mainly because most prisons are over-full in many countries, which can lead to more violence such as riot and more prisoners find it a lot harder to rehabilitate themselves. In Ecuador they should take more time to make sure that their prisons are safe especially because on the 7th of January Fito, a very powerful gang leader, has escaped from a maximum prison, if a prisoner can escape from maximum I dread to think what a prisoner could do in a normal security prison. In my opinion they should prioritise comfort the least because if the prisoners hate the prisons they will not want to come back.

    1. Interesting ideas. Can you tell us where you found your evidence?

  • It should be security, safety and reformation. As for security, prisons would be very proud of itself to have security on the people of a community. It is also part of the prison duty.
    Safety: for community to be safe, prison workers should be responsible for in and out of the prison.
    Reformation: prisons would make a prisoner a better citizen.

  • I know that without prisons most of our world and countrys would be dead so prisons of Ecuador are very important in our lives making them a little bit peaceful to live in but there's also exceptions because some of the criminals are loose and cannot be found so its still a little horrific.
    The criminals are out yo get us every where even in the most public places like clubs or famous restaurants so it's just so weird how they are brave enough to do so.
    Prisons are essential for life,without them and good police officers there would be no such thing as life so Im so grateful that we have something called police officers and prisons for criminals.

  • hi topical talkers
    i think that prisons should focus on being reinforced because there are loads of people escaping prison and they also have to like focus on making really good punishments for the people who actually escaped prison because what actually happens if like for example a serial killer goes out of prison and goes on a rampage. So make the prisons more protected so people in prison don`t escape!

  • I believe the purpose of prisons is for punishment mainly. However as well as this I think a focus should be reformation, and preparing the prisoners to integrate back into regular society. A negative of the prison system is that people such as child predators do not get long enough sentences where as people who commit things such as theft get prolonged sentences.

  • I think prisons are a great thing and should keep running in the future. Prison can really change a person and how they are as a human being. People go to prison for usually committing a crime. However, they may not be there just thinking about what they have done wrong but rather how they can improve themself and realize how good life is outside of prison. This may change the way they think if they get released. Some people may prefer life in prison but this a low number of people. Prisons keep people safe in the outside world and is a reassurance to the public if a unpleasant incident occurred. Prisoners are still treated with respect and still have rights and needs. For example, they have a bed, food, clean clothes and are in shelter. Usually prisoners get small breaks during the day. Prisoners are given work to do and this is good to make sure they are getting exercise. There is also a lot of social time for them to engage, communicate and make friends. Some prisons also have visit time. So prisoners can still live properly and prison is a safe comfortable place for them. Prisons are surrounded by police officers and guards to keep everything safe and secure. If prisons didn't exist the world would be a dangerous place. I bare to think what would happen if some people weren't locked up. I think prisons are fair and are a good place.

  • In my opinion In a perfect world, prison generally has three purposes: prison acts as a deterrent to instant and repeat crimes, prison punishes the wrongdoer, and prison ideally treats or rehabilitates the wrongdoer so they no longer engage in crime. This article will address these three purposes of prisons and show how the instance of recidivism can act as a measuring stick to the success or failure of America’s prison system and also Prisoners wanted to know that there was a purpose to their time inside. And they wanted the prison regime to make use of their time to deliver that purpose.

  • Prison is a place for people that do crimes and the judges and peopel felt like they should deserve time.I know this because jail and prison is two different places.Jail is where you are placed while your on trial while Prison is what you get if your guilty.Prison is a place people get sent where they lose their freedom because they either violated someone else's rights or the enviroments rights.

  • When it comes to prison, there are many purposes. One main purpose of prison is to keep people that cannot follow the rules and laws, out of the regular society. Nobody inside of the prison is in danger in any way possible and they were made very securely so no one could get in or get out. Prison also disciplines people to make sure that they don't commit the same crime again. They are also comfortable inside of the prison but they don't have any freedom so this is why prison is a place that people don't want to be in.

  • I believe that the top priority from prisoner offifers is reforment because they want prisoners not to come back acting the same so they teach them how to go back to society as decent people. The priority from prisoner offifers that is the least of there priority is comterbility because they want prisoners to not come back and a way to do that is make it uncomfortable for them.

  • I think prisons should focus on safety the most because it is mainly important that prisoners don't harm any citizens if it were possible for them to break out. Not only that, but security and prisoners being comfortable fall under the category of being safe. Most of the options above fall under people being safe. This means that although there are criminals in jail, it still means that they should feel safe. They are still human. Humans outside of the jail should not have to fear and should be able to go about their day without being harmed in any shape or form. Prisons should of course make sure that none of them can break out.

  • Prison is meant to be very secure. There should be no blind spots in prison, no where that there are no cameras. Prison should not be comfortable because it is a place where you are being punished for your wrong actions. All prisoners should not be treated the same, they should be treated based on their charges. Prisons should be safe from fights but it is not because there have been a lot of fights in prison and it could cause as a distraction for some prisoners to escape therefore there should be consequences for fighting in prison. There should also be time, like an hour a day for prisoners to reflect on what they have done and try to become better people in the society.

  • The purpose of prison is to keep dangerous people in cells and keep us safe from them.
    The government hopefully wants the entire Earth to be safe from dangerous people; police, detectives, crime scene investigators, forensic psychologists, legal hackers and much more.
    If earth was free from dangerous people then all these jobs that work with criminals won't be needed, so all these people will lose their jobs.
    If all these people lose their jobs this could have a knock on effect, with overcrowding in certain sectors and many people wont even be able to get a job.

  • Even though I do agree that comfort of the prisoners shouldn’t necessarily be a priority, I do think it’s important to consider that not all inmates are there for committing the same horrible crime e.g. murder, or even hurting someone. Yes, comfort shouldn’t be one of the main aspects, it’s not a vacation after all. Still, the inmates should be treated in a humane way, otherwise we would be encouraging them to stay on that path, not change anything, make them hate us even more and reencourage their way of going through life. It is adifficult matter though, as aspersion with moral standards and emotions to say that I would like to treat a murder or something of that kind nice.
    Another point that was mentioned quite I often, that I find to be interesting, is the idea of making prisons mainly reformative. I do think that it may be useful in certain situations, still, as often mentioned, an expensive method to make use of. Adding to that, it probably will not make a murder suddenly a morally correct person again. Even though it is upsetting, some people, that went down a horrible path may never be able to get on the right one again. Even if, some actions are too horrible to be simply forgiven by the person, after everything that happened, turning on the right path. So here we have the aspect of punishment again. Prison is a way of demonstrating that actions have consequences, so it is undeniably a way to deter people from committing crimes in the first place as well and insuring justice.

  • another way to describe the reason for prisons, is simply protecting citizens from those who have caused harm or who are considered threat, as well as ways of communicating what is considered bad conduct through punishment
    so basically protecting others from the threat by locking them up

  • Personally I'm not completely sure what the top priority is or should be but I think it is maybe trying to help the prisons out of there mental state so when they leave the prison the don't just go "Yay I'm free, I don't have a house or a place to stay now, I don't have any money or food, What should I do know, I know what I'll do I will go take money." And end back up in prison so maybe the prisons could have like therapy sessions and meditation just to try and calm the body from doing illegal things, But I do understand how there could be many down sides to this and it would cost a lot of money from the government, But maybe it wouldn't be that bad because the amount of criminals could go down massively, but on the other half I feel like the one that should be prioritised the least should be punishment because unless they have done something absolutely terrible, jaw dropping I don't think they should focus on punishment, I just feel as if it isn't worth it.

  • I think security should be the priority of a prison officer because if, like in Ecuador, any prisoner breaks free it will be a great threat to the country and its citizens. A prisoner could be anyone with any intentions, they could be a thief, a murderer or even a serial killer. Having someone so dangerous just roaming around freely would be putting everybody's life on risk. Security measures within the prison also help protect the safety and well-being of staff members, reducing the risk of assaults or injuries. As studies show that about 42% of prison staff plan to leave there job in the next five years, making prisons more secure might make them change their minds by making them feel safer. For any country it's citizen's safety should be a priority, therefore it's necesarry for prisons to be a place from where no one can run loose.

  • In my opinion, I prefer that reformative is the most important as if you do reformative , you will not only prevent yourself from doing crime, but you can also maybe teach someone else who wants to do crime to prevent getting the bad consequence of jail and uncomfort. Another reason I would choose reformative is because you can lose a lot of talent because you cannot practise and freshen up your skills. If you do reformative, you can learn more skills and provide and care for the people you live with.

  • In my opinion, I think that the number one priority of prisons should be reformative because the whole point of prison is that prisoners should learn a lesson so that they might be able to be free if they are better citizens and do not harm anybody.
    Secondly, prisons should be secure so that prisoners that are very dangerous can't get out to injure innocent people.
    Thirdly, prisons should be safe so that prisoners can't beat up staff or other prisoners.
    Fourthly, prisons should have punishment so prisoners will not think that it's alright and carry on doing crimes.
    Lastly, prisons should be comfortable so that prisoners will not feel too uncomfortable in prison.

  • I think punishment is most important. If they are punished they might not want to do it again. I think the prisoners shouldn't feel that comfortable and be relaxed as that won't stop them doing bad things. Another purpose of prison is that prisoners have time to think about what they have done wrong so they never do it again.

  • For prison officers I think the top priority would be security and safety as there job is to make sure the prisoners stay in prison and that people are safe.In my opinion the least important priority for prison officers is comfortably because it’s there job to keep them safe locked in prison not to make sure it’s comfortable.

    1. I agree because... people deserve to be safe even if they have done bad things, but the people outside also deserve to be safe from them. i found your comment very informative and detailed.

  • Hello everyone! In my opinion, I think that reformative is the most important and top priority of prison officers because these prisoners, have committed a dreadful, menacing, spine-tingling crime, making them unforgiving, horrible citizens, who have hurt innocent people's lives. So they need to be thinking, how to be a better person. I think that the least think that prison officers should prioritise is comfortable because these prisoners are ( here at prison) as they have done something traumatizing, so they should not feel at ease. They should feel sorry for doing their crime.

  • The top priority for police officers should be security. If a prison is secure, then prisoners cannot start riots to break out of the prisons. Secure prisons can also check that the prison will be safe. There are no least-prioritized subjects because all of these things are important. If just one of the following things on the list were removed, prisons would fall. There are 2 purposes of prisons I would like to add to the list. The first is education. When I say education, I do not mean going to school. I mean prisons should know what is happening to the outside world. Prisons are meant to keep people safe, so I would also want prisons to be isolated. An ideal place for a prison should be a place where there is a low population density. Prisons need to have better qualities, especially in Ecuador. Thank you for reading my comment.

  • I believe that prisons should focus on being more reformative rather than being a punishment. Because prisons are more of a punishment people will most likely do the same thing again because they did not learn anything. If a prisoner is done with their time, they will most likely commit another crime. If prisons were more reformative, the person can learn from their mistake and they will not end up in prison again.