I like the Norwegian penal system's view on prison terms: the punishment is the loss of liberty itself; there's no need to also treat prisoners inhumanely as an "additional" punishment -- which is what the U.S. generally does (and a lot of Americans agree with it). In the U.S. there seems to be this idea that "the worse you treat people in prison, the more it will scare people about going to prison". And yet, statistically that doesn't work. Norway's rate of recidivism is one of the lowest in the world, and nearly half that of the U.S. (Granted, this has a lot to do with social conditions outside of prison.)
If the goal of prison was "change behavior" rather than "make miserable", it might seem unfair ("bad people are getting away with it" etc.) but better for society in general (all of us). Yes, it won't work for everyone and there are some people who will never change and are just evil. But we tend to laser-focus on those few instead of the many who are not like that.
I think the major difference here is exactly what you point out: social conditions outside of prison.
The US's general lack of a social safety net, and the "every person for themselves" attitude, means that life for a lot of Americans, in the world's richest country, is super miserable and hopeless.
If US prisons treated people decently, I think many people would choose life in prison over their existing life outside of prison. Guaranteed meals, shelter, medical care, all paid for by the state? That's a lot more than many Americans have today.
So for their social structures to have at least some paper-thin justifications, life in prison has to be worse than life outside prison. I am sure this is at least somewhat by design.
Absolutely.. when you believe in the idea that prison must be relatively worse than everyday life, it can get pretty horrible pretty fast.
And I will say the US is not unique in having horrible prisons, but they are uniquely the wealthiest country in the world, and actively choose to have that system.
> Do you want a hardened criminal or a reformed citizen to move in?
That's not a choice you make regardless of who your government is. At least when Norway arrests someone, they seem to keep tabs on them instead of dropping them off across the street from the liquor store when they served their time.
If the goal of prison was "change behavior" rather than "make miserable", it might seem unfair ("bad people are getting away with it" etc.) but better for society in general (all of us). Yes, it won't work for everyone and there are some people who will never change and are just evil. But we tend to laser-focus on those few instead of the many who are not like that.