When I walked into the prison (which is in the middle of a town) I felt a chill crawl up my spine. I know that phrase stirs up images of scary inmates and tin cups on jail bars but it wasn't the thought of inmates that provoke me. It was the guards. The moment I saw the guards at the sign-in desk I thought about the amount of power they held and realized that for a few hours on my Thursday nights I was completely dependent on them. They were the judges, jury and distributers of punishment in this concrete world. I was just a little mouse in my SU sweatshirt.
Although I did not meet any inmates yet the orientation leader and guards explained through past experiences, situations, and regulations that this was another world with its own laws and code of ethics. My mind immediately connected the prison with refugee camps. Argue with me on this if you want, in fact I have been brainwashed by Writing Prof A, and Prof S that I like arguing.
Just think about it, a group of people who cannot leave a compound area that operates on a set of rules of its own making, government guards/soldiers keeping watch, little to no control over their own destiny, displaced individuals with no rights only earned privileges within that compound, people coming in and others waiting to leave. Could you really say I was off point?
So my goals are to research the prison to support my theory on the connections between refugee cams and prisons. Also to further understand the history and purpose behind a prison as well as the philosophy and ethics that goes into the system.
Including my assigned reading from my Writing adviser I plan to read Foucault's Discipline and Punish.
These are my goals so far. I am sure that after my first tutoring session this Thursday I will have additional ideas and questions to dive into.
So my goals are to research the prison to support my theory on the connections between refugee cams and prisons. Also to further understand the history and purpose behind a prison as well as the philosophy and ethics that goes into the system.
Including my assigned reading from my Writing adviser I plan to read Foucault's Discipline and Punish.
These are my goals so far. I am sure that after my first tutoring session this Thursday I will have additional ideas and questions to dive into.
An excellent analogy, if you look into any situation (prison, refugee camp, pow camps etc)historically they do indeed become a micro society and will of choice and by human nature itself create a set of rules, and protocols to live by.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the insightful comment dad. I hope I get to see a glimpse of this system. And I should only hope that jail is not set up to be as oppressive as POW camps (which I want to read up on a little). My main connection was similar feeling of being displaced in both settings. And I wondered if prison should make one feel displaced or if it should focus more on reform and less punishment? In my view being displaced is for those who are caught in international crisis with no home to speak of and are practically destitute. Prison should be something else altogether.
ReplyDeleteI fand it interesting that you are continuing to use analogy with war crmes of one type or another. I'm sure this is creating a sympathetic viewpoint with people who wish to see themselves as victims of the system. Do you feel that it would be a negative to address the concept of crime and punishment? I'm sure this could be a much more sensetive subject, but ideas as to altervative methods of redressing wrongs coud be interesting
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