The Death Of Prison Works - 2069 Words

The proposition that ‘prison works’ has been the topic for many a debate for centuries, ever since civilized community came into existence, and it will be debated on for many centuries to come. The debate heated in 1993 when Michael Howard released a statement claiming that prison works; the dramatic fall in crime is due to the increase in the prison population. This might very well be true but only to a certain extent. There have been countless works either supporting the prison system or denouncing it in its entirety. There can never be a definite theory or answer to this debate. However, it is important to analyse the notion and to understand why, despite arguments against it, the prison system has withstood the rigors of time, and†¦show more content†¦Following the promotion of the prison system, there was a steep increase in the prison population. This led to the overcrowding of prisons as they were not built for a sheer increase in numbers. Following the backlash of his statement, Howard then went on to link crime rates to imprisonment and mentioned that as the prison population went up by 25%, crime rates for that same period decreased by 8.5% (Burnett, Maruna 2004). However, as much as it seems possible to conclude does prisons do indeed work, it would not be possible to simply agree with the notion that ‘prison works’ based on just that. Yes, the prison system might wo rk to a certain and we must scrutinize the statement using the theories of punishment available to do so. It is human nature to want to seek vengeance or revenge on someone who has done harm or wronged. Seeking vengeance was an individual choice in the primitive era of mankind. And as humans evolved and started forming societies consisting of countless families, the idea of individual vengeance was unsustainable and paved the way for the idea of state punishment on behalf of the individual. And as the importance of human life increased over the years, the need to preserve life became