Unlock the Cages: Why Prisons Need to Go
Photo Credit: Amal Ali “Prison is a second-by-second assault on the soul, a day-to-day degradation of the self, an oppressive steel and brick umbrella that transforms seconds into hours and hours into days.” ~ Mumia Abu-Jamal Imagine living in a dark, dingy cage. Imagine following a rigid, monotonous schedule that consists of only eating, sleeping, maybe exercising. Imagine having near-tonone human contact. Every interaction is monitored. Every movement is traced. Every action is watched. No friends. No family. No sex. No privacy. Several years pass. You don’t know when you’re going to be released. You’ve lost your name; you’re just a number. . Court cases never end. It’s overcrowded. Absolutely no personal space. What does your daughter’s face look like? Some more years pass. No control of what you’re doing. 46
Many elections have passed, but you weren’t allowed to vote. You still don’t know when you’re going to be released. More years gone. You’re finally let out. But everywhere you go, all people see is ‘ex-offender’. As if that word is tattooed across your head. Eyes judge you everywhere. No job. No future. No purpose. No second chances. And maybe, if you’re lucky, you’ll stay out. But in most cases, you won’t. Isn’t such a life bound to damage your mental health? There are several psychological studies that prove the link between prison conditions (such as overcrowding, violence, unpredictability) and psychiatric disorders (including anxiety, depression, trauma).
