What is Prisonism?

Prisonism is punitive dehumanization. It has two definitions: (1) The dehumanization of people in prison, and (2) The practice of aggressively sending people to prison. The result of such an inhumane custom is seen in our country's recidivism rate which is why society's No.1 goal is the reformation of our federal prison system. 

Examples of prisonism toward inmates include:

• Abuse of authority (This is when authority figures use excessive force against prisoners)

• Advocation of unjust treatment (This is when people support, defend, or recommend, the cruel treatment of prisoners)

• Indifference to living conditions (This is the acceptance and/or "blind eye" to overcrowding, poor sanitation, lack of privacy, pest infestation, etc)

• collective punishment (this is the practice of penalizing a group of people for the actions of one or a few, which is prohibited under international humanitarian law)

• exploitation of labor (this involves forcing inmates to work for little or no pay)

• inadequate healthcare (this includes poorly-trained staff and/or having too few medical staff to operate effectively, delays or denials of necessary medical treatment, neglect and preventable deaths, etc.)

• economic exploitation (this includes mismanagement of funds whereas monies generated from inmate purchases and communications, which are supposed to go into "Inmate Welfare Funds," are often mismanaged and diverted)