Quote

I know what it's like to be ignored, and I think that is the big problem about the prison system: These people are being thrown away. There is no sense of rehabilitation. In some places, they are trying to do things. But, in most cases, it's a holding cell.

All prisons that have existed in our society to date put people away as no human being should ever be put away.

We can agree that keeping serious criminals in prison is an effective means of preserving public safety, but we must also recognize that the axiom of 'putting people in jail and throwing away the key' does not apply to all offenders universally and can actually be counterproductive.

Prison is a recruitment center for the army of crime. That is what it achieves.

Prison has a universal fascination. It's a real-life horror story because, given the right set of circumstances, anyone could find themselves behind bars.

Without turning prison life into something more meaningful, prisoners are more likely to reoffend.

Most go to prison not on account of their irreducible uniqueness as people but because they are part of a marginalized sector of the population who never had a chance, who were slated for it early on.

The eyes of others our prisons; their thoughts our cages.

Prisons are like the concentration camps of our time. So many go in and never come out, and primarily they're black and Latino.

By and large, prisons are survivable, though hope is indeed what you need least upon entering here; a lump of sugar would be more useful.