Prison or holiday home?
Do we want our prisoners in a prison or holiday home.
The latest available data shows a current prison population of approximately 92,500 in the United Kingdom, in context for the population of England and Wales alone that’s 179 prisoners per 100,000 of the population. With the highest age bracket being between 30-39 with over 25 thousand prisoners, followed closely by the age bracket 25-29 and with only 645 prisoners aged 15-17 years old.
When thinking about these shocking statistics and, the number of criminals that are behind bars little thought is spared for the family at home. The partner that’s now left to look after the family on their own. The kids who don’t understand what’s happening but know that mummy or daddy isn’t around anymore? The parents who don’t know where they went wrong but now their child is wasting away in a prison cell?
Well good news a Nottinghamshire private prison facility has introduced a photo booth into their family visitor’s rooms in early march. They are installing the photo booth so that inmates can take photos with family members. This is to help reinforce both a positive atmosphere for children who are visiting their parents in the prison. Also for the inmates to have the opportunity to bond with their family. This creates a positive rehabilitation experience.
The oxford dictionary definition:
Prison : A building in which people are legally held as a punishment for a crime or while awaiting trial
This has received much backlash from others who have expressed that by installing the photo booths into the prisons its making the legal punishment system a laughing stock. Promoting prisons as a holiday home rather than a building which legally holds people as a punishment.
I personally feel that this small movement can help to make the transition for children visiting parents slightly easier and more comfortable because let’s face it the children are innocent, it’s not their fault that they have a parent who’s broken the law yet they now have to live with this and being punished also.
Prisoners at the privately-run HMP Lowdham Grange gave the opportunity to use the booth to capture group shots. With relatives during visits, an inspection report revealed. Ministers introduced the photo booth initiative having highlighted the importance of enabling prisons to have relationships with their loved ones when behind bars. Providing positive reinforcement helps with reintegration.
The photo booth gives a print out that both the family and inmate can keepp. Allowing them to share memories and keep each other close. Im sure you all agree that punishing the prisoner is fine. However as a society we shouldn’t be punishing their innocent children. After all they too are victims of their parents wrong doing!
