What Is Prison Reform?

@livereal - There are problems in all countries in terms of penal systems and prisons, but I think it is widely accepted that some countries are far more advanced than others. It is complicated by the variability of resources and accessibility throughout the world. For instance, many poorer countries and those with very limited resources can’t hold as many prisoners. In terms of the prison buildings themselves, there are usually not as many and the ones that do exist can be very deteriorated. For this reason, these types of countries often use forms of punishment and incarceration that more developed countries would consider archaic.

Of course, this also lends itself to the belief that more developed countries are at least better in terms of prison systems than less developed ones. This is problematic, as there is still much progress and development necessary. As the article states, many countries are not operating in a way that promotes rehabilitation. Prison reform could seriously help societies beyond the prisoners themselves, as it would probably decrease crime and offer real solutions to problems of crime and criminality.

I am most interested in the idea that the article presents about convention and tradition. When it says that some countries maintain penal systems that have been in place for centuries while others are continuously making large changes in their systems, I am wondering which countries specifically fit these two separate categories. The idea of progress is very fluid, especially in terms of prison reform. For instance, while some countries would be considered far more progressive than others, to what extent do even the more progressive countries need to reform their procedures?

Another topic that I think needs to be explored is the extent to which prison inmates are involved in the process of prison reform. In the same vein, to what extent are their opinions on the topic considered valid or necessary?