The Psychological Effects of the Prison System in Foucault's Discipline and Punish

Prisons are a logical solution for punishing criminals. As Michel Foucault says in his book Discipline and Punish, "The prison is the clearest, simplest, most equitable of penalties," (215). It makes sense to lock someone up and isolate him or her from society for committing a crime. We have seen forms of prisons throughout history, dating back to the penal system. They are a part of society as we know it. But, are prisons truly the best way to punish a criminal? Going to prison prompts a transformation for the criminal. This transformation from when they go to prison to when they leave and begin a new life is composed of three stages: the psychological breakdown, the start of delinquency, and recidivism.

Criminals in prison are observed almost like lab rats. They are studied day in and day out. When observing a criminal, the officials of the prison must take into account the "instincts, drives, tendencies, [and] character" (Foucault 220). This observation should be used "to know what treatment to apply to each prisoner individually" (Foucault 218). Not all crimes deserve the same punishment and people respond differently to types of discipline. But, the prisons misuse the information they collect and instead of being put to good use, it plays mind games with the prisoners. Foucault brings in the example of a penitentiary, or a circular prison where all the prisoners can be observed at once. Prisons typically aren't set up this way, but it is used as a theme. The prisoners don't know if they are being watched but have to assume they are at all times, which is mentally exhausting and breaks down the prisoner. Rather than thinking about how they have sinned and how they will repent, the prisoners can be consumed by thoughts of observation.

Not only does the prison use "surveillance and observation", but they also control the criminal with "individualization and totalization" (Foucault 217). They take away the human connection and freedom, both of which are basic human needs. When a biological need is taken away, people can develop "moral diseases, as well as breakdowns in health" (Foucault 216). The prison wants to make the criminal in a moldable worker to do whatever they ask. At this point, the prisoner's previous identity has been stripped from them and their psyche is entirely changed. They can seem almost like a completely different person once they leave jail. But this submissive worker that the prison tries to create does not last because of the conditions in the prison that lead to delinquency.

Many criminals come from violent backgrounds or were involved in violent crimes. A big issue with prisons is that it is not an escape or a place for the prisoners to learn to be better. A prison should teach its inmates why what they did was wrong and why they shouldn't do it again. In reality, they continue to observe and experience this violence

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