The enlightened prison
Special Issue: The Beautiful Prison
ISBN: 978-1-78350-967-6, eISBN: 978-1-78350-966-9
Publication date: 17 June 2014
Abstract
Thirty men from the maximum-security Jessup Correctional Institution (Maryland), and Drew Leder, Professor of Philosophy, through small-group discussion, envision an alternative and authentically constructive institution. Uncomfortable with the notion of a truly “beautiful” prison, the group develops ideas of an “enlightened” prison, designed in counterpoint to the de-habilitating and destructive features of the existing prison. The enlightened prison would embody five core virtues: hope, growth, recognition of merit, individuality, and community. In the absence of these attitudes – all too often a characteristic of current-day institutions – there persists the “endarkened” prison, marked by despair, stasis, recognition of demerits, class-ification, and isolation.
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank all the “Jessup Correctional Institution Scholars” who participated in our discussion, sharing their thoughts, experiences, and insights, thereby functioning as co-authors of this piece: Douglas Scott Arey, Kenneth Bond-El, Dalphonso Brooks, Craig Cobb-Bey, Anthony Davenport, Jeffrey Ebb, Sr., Vincent Greco, Eric Grimes, Donald Gross, Tyrone Herrell, Edward Hershman, Warren “Ren” Hynson, Michael Jeffrey-Bey, Marvin Jenkins, Arlando “Tray” Jones, Kevin Jones-Bey, Fortunato Mendes, Wesley Moore, Shaka F. Muhammed, Christopher Murray, Shakkir Talib Mujahid, Lakhem Ra-sebek, Michael Razzio Simmons, Clarence Somerville, Michael Thomas, Gregg Dallas Wakefield, Mike Whittlesey, Jacobi Williams, John Woodland, Zaeed Zakaria.
Citation
Leder, D. (2014), "The enlightened prison", Special Issue: The Beautiful Prison (Studies in Law, Politics, and Society, Vol. 64), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 19-32. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1059-433720140000064002
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014 Emerald Group Publishing Limited