To what extent do today’s prisons help to rehabilitate criminals and prepare them for their lives beyond their incarceration?
What effect has mandatory minimum sentencing in drug offenses had on the prison population?
What effect has the opioid crisis in the Midwest and other parts of the country had on the prison population?
How can prisons become reformed to result in more positive outcomes for inmates and for society?
What effect does incarceration have on the family (especially children) and friends of inmates?
To what extent does privilege (racial, socioeconomic, heteronormative) affect rates of conviction and incarceration?
What are some ways that prison is dehumanizing or humiliating to inmates? Is this humiliation warranted?
Do inmates ever create a sense of community while incarcerated? If so, how? If not, why not?
A few things to remember: