Should prison systems be abolished?

Luis (No)

While the prison system might need some reforms, that doesn't mean it should be abolished. One of the main reasons is punishment and deterrence, as every single prison is the most efficient way to punish criminal behavior. Different reports have shown that the punitive aspect of incarceration tends to dissuade potential offenders from committing a crime.

Prisons are useful and promote public safety, as prisons have always been one of the most efficient ways of protecting citizens of a city or a country from those who pose a threat. After all, removing these types of individuals from society will always prevent further harm. Since prisons guarantee that criminals are separated from society to maintain order and protect innocent citizens, they should stay intact. 

Moreover, the prison system must be maintained as a matter of justice and accountability. The justice system, which includes prisons, has been a powerful mechanism for holding people accountable for their actions. It has also delivered a structured process for adjudicating almost every type of crime and administering consequences depending on the severity of the crime committed.

Additionally, the existence of a prison system in the US has been integral to the proper functioning of the legal system, which is one of the most efficient in the world. Abolishing every prison in the country will need a comprehensive overhaul of the entire justice system, which could prompt a rise in crime and unpredictable consequences. The prison system has numerous problems that need to be fixed. However, its abolition will only make everything worse.

Amani (Yes)

The public outcries for the abolition of prisons need to be properly heard and acted on soon before the current prisons devolve further into cesspools of abuse that burden taxpayers without stopping crime. 

For decades, prisons have been doing more harm than good. Firstly, they’re ineffective in deterring crime. The National Institute of Justice states that long prison sentences don’t prevent future crime. Instead, they allow incarcerated individuals to learn effective crime strategies. Moreover, they make individuals desensitized to the threat of future imprisonment. 

Prisons also don’t prevent incarcerated individuals from engaging in misconduct or committing more serious offenses. That’s why some criminals make headlines again for crimes ranging from assault to drug possession to murder—all while serving their sentences. Further, prisons are failing to rehabilitate prisoners. Commonly used punishments, such as solitary confinement, lead to long-lasting effects on incarcerated individuals’ minds and bodies. In some prisons, prisoners are too traumatized even after their release, shortening their life expectancy and impacting their families and communities.  

In addition to prisoners, taxpayers are impacted by the existence of prisons. According to research by the American Action Forum, $300 billion is spent on policing and incarcerating individuals. This number goes up to $1.2 trillion after adding societal costs like lost earnings. Therefore, abolishing prison systems can free up this money and other resources to make more meaningful changes for people and society. Rather than figuratively burying people alive, especially the 39% of the prison population unnecessarily incarcerated, abolishing prison can fuel the restructuring of the criminal legal system as well as the society.