Re:Prisons Are an Abomination
by umvi on Tuesday February 26, 2019 @12:10PM
(#19256169)
Are they really that bad though compared to historical prisons? What makes them "hell on earth"? Modern prisons you get climate control, TVs, gym access, library access, (limited) internet access, 3 meals a day, etc. Not even 200 years ago, prisons were often the crawlspace under a building where the ceiling was only 4 feet off the exposed ground. If it was summer, you sweltered. If it was winter, you froze. No entertainment of any kind was provided, you couldn't even stand up straight without hitting the ceiling and you were lucky to be fed once a day.
[ Parent
| on HN ]
> Are they really that bad though compared to historical prisons?
Yes. But that particular comparison wasn't the point anyway.
> What makes them "hell on earth"?
Beatings. Rapes. Gangs. Drugs. Being forced to do illegal things by the guards. Prisoners being at the mercy of people whose word always trumps theirs (which means they will lose most cases of "I said, he said", which is a big deal in prison). Many inmates enter prison as petty criminals and end up graduating to the big leagues inside.