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Haven or Hell? Inside Lorton Central Prison: Experiences of Punishment Justified

NCJ Number
125389
Journal
Stanford Law Review Volume: 42 Issue: 5 Dated: (May 1990) Pages: 1149-1249
Author(s)
R Blecker
Date Published
1990
Length
100 pages
Annotation
This study examines whether the reality of punishment fits traditional penal philosophy. A field study of one prison is conducted to determine whether inmates' perceptions of their punishment correspond with the goals of society in establishing the traditional forms of punishment.
Abstract
The study consists of interviews of prisoners, guards, and first hand observations by the author. The subject of the study was the Lorton (MD) Central Prison facility. Limits of the study are discussed with emphasis placed on the fact that only one penal institution is examined and the author's conclusions are prone to subjectivity. Personal inmate accounts are provided to illustrate differing accounts of prison life. Moreover, the recounted experiences of Lorton are discussed to determine whether such experiences are consistent with the traditional punishment goals of retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation. Based on the widely varying impressions of prison life, it is asserted that none of the goals of punishment are adequately accomplished within the prison. Suggestions for reform are provided with the caveat that traditional notions of punishment may be inadequate as a response to crime. 159 footnotes.

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