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Prison Prevents Violence Violence is a major concern amongst the youths of
this generation. It is an important issue that is being neglected. Several
causes that may lead to this behavior would be the surroundings the youths are
brought up in, or the image they wish to present themselves as - macho, tough,
and untouchable. However, the causes are not important. What is important is the
solution we can provide in order to help these youths stop violence. One
solution to prevent youth violence would be to take them on a field trip to the
local prison to spend a day as a prisoner. According to West Midlands Police
Museum, spending a day in jail would mean eating repetitive, unappealing food
such as oatmeal, bread, and potatoes. Daily chores include laundry, yard work,
and general maintenance. However, the worst experience of going to jail would
mean having freedom taken away. If the youths spent a day living behind bars,
they would hopefully learn to cherish freedom more. By going to jail, the
students would realize this and change their violent behaviors. Another reason
that going to jail may prevent youth violence is that the prisoners in there
doing time already can tell them nonfiction, breath-taking stories.
This would
be a memorable experience that would linger within the youths. Stories might
include how the trial impacted their families, the regrets that they have (if
any), or how guards treats them. It is not the ‘outside world’ where orders from
parents could be disregarded. The prisoners have to listen to every order that
is given to them, or a severe punishment would be the outcome. One story that
might be of interest belongs to J.J Maloney, an ex-prisoner of Missouri State
Penitentiary. He stated that “[s]tabbings and killings, robberies and rapes were
common” (1). Every time youths choose violence as the answer to their problems,
they could think of how the prisoners are treated in jail and how much pain they
are living with. Furthermore, spending a day in prison can be a solution for
youths to stop violence because delightful activities are limited - no more
video games, no more long conversations with friends on the phone, no more
parties to attend. The guilty have nothing to show for themselves; they are
shameful and prideless individuals who have lost their souls.
However, a
negative factor of this field trip would be the exposure and easy access of
drugs. Maloney adds that even “captains on the guard force…owed their souls to
certain convicts” that sold them the drugs (1). He further elaborates: …in a
one-week period, one inmate smuggled in 14 ounces of amphetamine, another inmate
2 ounces, and another four ounces. So much dope was available, in so many hands,
it was almost impossible to sell all of it. Then, in one 24-day period, four
inmates were murdered (Maloney 2) It is evident that only one day is enough for
youths to spend at the prison for violent behaviors to stop. Longer visits would
likely cause another major concern in youths – the use of drugs. The opportunity
to take a prison fieldtrip would be very unusual, but it would give the youth a
chance to have a taste of the consequence without actually committing the crime.
This may not help all of the students, but if one would change their violent
behavior because of this field trip, then the time spent in organizing it would
already be worth it.
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