by Fatima Faisal and Leah Kim
Prisons serve a primary purpose in our criminal justice system. They are supposed to be used for rehabilitation, punishment, deterrence, and incapacitation. Simply put, we would think it’s a place for criminals as a punishment for a crime they’ve committed. However, how many of these aspects are actually addressed? While prisons temporarily incapacitate and punish offenders, very little is actually done within our prison systems to rehabilitate them. The Federal Bureau of Justice finds that 66% of state prisoners were rearrested within three years, and 82% were arrested at least once during a ten-year follow-up (SSRN). These exceptionally high recidivism rates beg the question: Are prisons actually helping prisoners to become better people?
To answer this question, it’s important to address the roots of why crime occurs in the first place. It all begins with where an individual lives, how they were brought up, and the environment around them. Factors like biology, psychology, and social environment play a huge role in influencing criminal behavior. Our unconscious mind takes into account our childhood trauma and inner conflict when taking any actions. This inner turmoil, combined with our social conditions, directs our influence on criminal behavior.
A perfect example is Adam Procell. At 14, his best friend Jake Paul was killed. The trauma from this shock took a significant toll on his mental health, which is when he moved to Milwaukee to live with his grandparents. After one bad friend led him down the wrong path, he ended up committing homicide as a part of a gang, being waived into the court system at just 15 years old (Procell, 2025). Adam’s life choices were not by choice but rather shaped by the environment around him. This highlights the sociological perspective of how our social environment matters.
According to the Chicago School of Criminology, the highest level of crime has been linked with poor housing, high population turnover, and weak community ties, emphasizing how our institutions facilitate this criminal behavior. Social disorganization, such as limited access to healthcare, poverty, neighborhood neglect, and tolerance of petty crimes, contributes to higher crime rates in these specific urban communities.
The purpose of prisons is to teach criminals to stay within the lines of law, with the aim of preventing such crimes from recurring. Considering how childhood and social environments around incarcerated individuals deeply shape their criminal behavior, this mission is intertwined deeply with rehabilitation rather than punishment. Yet, many prisons in the U.S. today are driven instead by monetization.
Contrary to popular belief, prisons often act as businesses. In 2022, more than 158 private prisons were in operation in the US (Criminon). But it’s more than just the prisons themselves; the vast system of prison operations, including government agencies, private corporations, and cheap labor, combines to exploit incarcerated individuals.
Instead of therapeutic activities rooted in rehabilitation, many prisoners are forced to work with little to no pay. While the 13th Amendment protects citizens against any form of slavery or involuntary service, an exception is made for criminals. Essentially, people jailed in the US can legally be enslaved.
Today, this framework for modern slavery translates to long work days with limited breaks and threats of inhumane punishment, with almost no pay. In 14 states, prison jobs pay less than a quarter per hour. In Oklahoma, Missouri, and Louisiana, it drops to a dime or even a nickel every hour (Statista). In Alabama, cheap prisoner labor has generated more than $250 million for the state since 2000. The commercialization of the prison industry leaves the question: are prisons prioritizing people or profit? When prisoners are left without the same basic protections and rights as other citizens, they’re left with the mental burden and belief that they’ll forever be defined by their incarceration.
The prioritization of profit over people in one of America’s most flawed and complex legal systems leaves consequences that follow prisoners beyond cell bars. Lacking support and guidance after prison, 60% of ex-prisoners are left unemployed in the year after their release (Prison Fellowship). Their criminal records follow them everywhere, driving a stigma that limits the opportunities for new beginnings that prisons are meant to facilitate. But our government plays a hand in pushing this prejudiced narrative. In Virginia, Iowa, Kentucky, and Mississippi, some prisoners even permanently lose their right to vote (TSP).
When we don’t treat ex-convicts like people, they’ll adhere to the identity that everyone sees them as: a criminal. Which is why it’s unsurprising to find that American recidivism rates are one of the highest in the world. NBC News found that 44% of ex-criminals return to prison within their first year after release. 76% return within five years (NBC News). Our flawed incarceration system fuels cycles of injustice and struggle, anchoring communities to be inevitably tied to prisons for generations.
Bad social environments lead people to prison. Bad prisons lead people to come out unprepared and misguided. Bad systems lead people back to prison. Ultimately, our system has failed incarcerated populations in helping to morally improve and change their criminal behaviors.
This is where our government comes into play, as it should be providing resources to aid our communities, giving precedence to mental health and rehabilitation rather than focusing on retribution and profit. Our society only looks at actions and makes judgments based on that instead of looking to address the root of the problem or the situation that could lead an individual to make such a decision. Communities must foster a sense of belonging and support, and that starts with those in power taking action to help their citizens.
