Lauren-Brooke Eisen, senior director, and Ram Subramanian, managing director of the Brennan Center’s Justice Program, discuss an initiative aimed at transforming the incarceration experience to be more humane and constructive.
Principles of a Dignity-First Approach to Incarceration
The initiative is grounded in two core principles: normalization and rehabilitation. The goal is to make prison life resemble life outside as much as possible. This involves providing access to education, recreation, and treatment, encouraging interaction with family and friends, and allowing inmates some autonomy in daily activities. Currently, American prisons exercise all-encompassing control over inmates, dictating their activities, movements, and interactions within the facility.
The aim is to prepare individuals for socially responsible lives post-incarceration, recognizing their capacity for change. Offering meaningful activities such as education and work with fair compensation is crucial. In countries like those in northern Europe, inmates often have private living spaces and keys to their quarters, with corrections staff encouraged to interact and share meals with them.
Challenges to Implementing Dignity-First Approaches in the U.S.
Unlike northern Europe, the United States has a vast prison population, with over 1.2 million people in prison and more than half a million in local jails. The decentralized management across 50 states and the federal system complicates efforts to reform correctional culture.
U.S. prisons are entrenched in a culture focused on security and discipline, with anti-fraternization policies that limit or prohibit interactions between staff and inmates. Training for corrections officers in the U.S. is often brief, centering on safety and control, whereas northern European counterparts receive extensive training in social and behavioral management, including psychology, social education, and human rights. Their training promotes a therapeutic management approach, emphasizing positive reinforcement and de-escalation strategies.
Innovative Programs Observed
The team has observed programs that rethink the relationship between corrections officers and inmates. In Washington State and Oregon, the non-profit Amend applies a public health perspective to change prison culture. Indiana’s Last Mile program offers coding and web development training. Connecticut and North Dakota feature the Restoring Promise initiative, providing young adults with mentoring in financial literacy and conflict mediation, aiding their reintegration post-release.
In Pennsylvania, the Little Scandinavia unit, inspired by Norwegian prisons, provides single-person rooms and communal kitchens, with access to green spaces and educational facilities. Officers here act more like counselors, sharing meals and offering guidance. These initiatives demonstrate successful collaborations between correctional leaders, researchers, and technical assistance providers, despite political challenges.
Goals for the Upcoming Report
The forthcoming report aims to challenge the notion that U.S. prison reform is unattainable. By showcasing various successful approaches, the report intends to inspire further investments in improving conditions. Educating the public on how better prison environments can reduce violence within and beyond prison walls will be key to transforming the U.S. correctional system.
