From Brennan Center for Justice:
What principles does a dignity-first approach to incarceration entail?
The twin organizing principles are normalization and rehabilitation. Life inside prison should approximate life outside as much as possible. This means giving people access to education, recreation, and treatment; maximizing their interactions with family and friends; and allowing them a certain amount of autonomy in their daily activities. Currently, life in American prisons is characterized by total, all-encompassing control: the prison dictates the activities someone is allowed to do, the treatment they may receive, where they are allowed to go in the facility, even where they walk along a corridor.
Incarceration should enable people to lead a life of social responsibility after release, which requires a recognition that people can change. Providing productive and meaningful activities, such as education or work opportunities with fair compensation, is central to this new approach. In many northern European countries, incarcerated people have their own rooms with a private bathroom, and they often have a key to their living area. Corrections staff are encouraged to engage with them, share meals with them, and see them as human beings. Continue reading >>>
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