LogFAQs > #979767311

wackyteen posted...

You can condemn it all you want and try to limit it all you want

Prison violence is still going to happen, unless you want the state to start controlling criminals to a level that would, in itself, be criminal

I think the idea that the only way to reduce violence in prisons is to ratchet up draconian treatment is flawed.

For example, improving the inhumane conditions people must endure while incarcerated can decrease the likelihood of violence. Research shows a correlation between rising temperatures and an uptick in violence in prison. Yet many U.S. jails and prisons lack air conditioning, trapping people in concrete and metal structures that provide no reprieve from dangerous triple-digit heat during the summer months. In addition, poor nutritionjail and prison diets are notoriously unhealthyhas also been linked to violent behavior. A 2002 study in the United Kingdom concluded that a healthy diet with adequate levels of vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids can reduce antisocial behavior, including violence, in prisons. Prison administrators can also work to reduce violence in their facilities by providing programming that improves quality of life. Veras Restoring Promise initiative is working with correctional partners in five states to repurpose existing housing units into places that are grounded in accountability, dignity, and healing for young adults. This work is co-led by Vera and the MILPA Collective. At one of those units, the Community Opportunity Restoration Enhancement (C.O.R.E.) unit in South Carolinas Turbeville Correctional Institution, older men with lengthier sentences mentor young adults between the ages of 18 and 25. The housing unit has walls adorned with murals, windows that allow natural light in, and rooms covered in photographs. Incarcerated people in these units spend as many as 15 hours outside their cells and participate in classes focused on life skills, financial literacy, conflict mediation, and nurturing healthy relationships with family and loved ones.

https://www.vera.org/news/prisons-and-jails-are-violent-they-dont-have-to-be