LOCK 'EM UP! AND PAY UP!

As far back as history allows punishment (a kinder word for pain) has been a cure-all solution to mankind's knaves, no-goods, miscreants, and rapscallions we didn't or don't execute.

The Romans and Greeks introduced Justice, justifying punishment which evolved into CORRECTIONS, a gentrified punishment. Because corrections was not the cure-all in modifying criminal behavior, new words of RECIDIVISM and RECALCITRANT found their way into the penological/judicial lexicon.

Fast-forward to the 20th century corrections: recidivism and recalcitrant are thriving, even though REHABILITATION has entered the penal lexicon. Which was dismissed because everyone knows corrections is the only way to deal with scofflaws. Albert Einstein warned us, "Doing the same thing over again expecting different results is insanity."

THE PRISON POLICY INITIATIVE, an esteemed NGO that studies and assess prison systems throughout the United States, reports: "In 2025 to subsidize 2 million people in some form of lock-up in the United States will cost taxpayers $180 billion a year, thereby out spending and incarcerating more people than any other country in the world. This might suggest Einstein was right!

To start, it is important to understand: what is the difference between CORRECTIONS and REHABILITATION? A quick visit to Webster's will reveal corrections is punishment while rehabilitation is teaching.

Now, in the 21st century, California's legislation realizing corrections's "get tough" philosophy only makes a bad problem worse passed a progressive bill: AB1004 "REHABILITATION" Bonta, calling for rehabilitation focus and corrections only in loss of liberty; activated January 2024.

October 2025, the old adage holds true, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks," with corrections alive and well. Very little has changed.

Not surprising. For millennia, punishment has been the gold standard to modify criminal behavior. A by-product of this penal doctrine has been polarization of staff and prisoners: the punishers and the punished.

Enter RECIDIVISM, prisoners paroling from corrections driven prisons as being "reformed," only to return to their criminal activities, creating a cycle of in and out of prison. This phenomenon has been recognized by philosophers, academia, and psychologists for years as a result of "obedience to authority."

Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, 19th century
"The broad effects which can be obtained by punishment in man and beast are the increase of fear, the sharping of the sense of cunning, the mastery of desires; so it is that punishment tames man, but does not make him better."

Psychologist Bruno Bettelheim, 20th century
"Punishment may make us obey the orders we are given, but at best it will only teach an obedience to authority, not self-control which enhances our self-respect."

Too many "reformed" prisoners have been paroled with "obedience to authority," but not to society's social contract, social responsibilities, moral codes, decorum, or self-control/respect e.g. absent the presence of authority, a burgular has no obedience or responsibilities. And the cycle continues.

For "REHABILITATION" to succeed, it has to be understood at current a common thread of intellectual and cultural ineptness weaves through the greater prison population. Most prisoners are products of generations of dysfunctional families, leaving them culturally and socially crude.

Prison staff, guardians of the public trust, are critical to this progressive penolgoical transition. Authority figures must realize they have tremendous influence over their subordinate prisoners, and the best form of teaching is by example. i.e. If the authority figure is a bully, mean-spirited, indifferent and unreliable, what will his subordinate protege be back in society?

Enter RECALCITRANT, those chronic recidivist, aliterate prisoners have to be identified and removed from the conforming prison population as "obstructionists." These individuals must be exposed to a different level of rehabilitation and not allowed to obstruct routine rehabilitation.

Establishment of a lyceum dedicated to studies in THINKING/MORALS/CRITICAL SOCIOLOGICAL SKILLS, in conjunction with general education, must subscribe to a serious curriculum with dedicated credentialed teaching staff. e.g.

CRITICAL THINKING: basic, intermediary, advanced,
MORAL & ETHICS
PERSONAL & SOCIAL MORES
SOCIAL NETWORKING
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES / MINDFULNESS: welfare of others, all levels of philanthropic assistance, altruism
DEBATE SKILLS WITH ON-GOING CLUBS: skills in using words rather than violence
PUBLIC SPEAKING WITH ON-GOING GROUPS: communication skills

Society has allowed prisons to become a social malignancy, and only society can cure this malignancy. Prisons have to be open to closer social scrutiny. So far, prisons grading their own homework isn't working well.

More attention has to be paid to NGOs such as THE PRISON POLICY INITIATIVE of Northampton, MA. This organization does in-depth assistance of prisons nationwide. CALIFORNIANS UNITED FOR RESPONSIBLE BUDGET (CURB), over 80 organizations forming one organization that has every reason to demand what transpires within the confines of prison lethal electric fences.

If you are concerned about crime and the costs rising to insane levels, get involved. Demand rehabilitation. Or just sit there and watch both sides and taxes grow out of control.

20 September 2025

Robert H. Outman
Prisoner P-79939
http://betweenthebars.org/blogs/895