The prison system in the United States is fascinating to study due to the complexity and how little people know about them. We joke that you get shelter, food, and free time but is it really that good? Regardless of your opinions on how things are handled, I would recommend that you think about these questions. Feel free to use the questions as research prompts because there is plenty to be researched.

1) How much do you know about the system?

2) Why are people in prison? The number one reason?

3) Who gets incarcerated more – men or women? Is one more likely than the other to be incarcerated?

4) What is the racial breakdown in the system? Is the breakdown problematic? What does it say about the system, if anything?

5) Should we have for-profit prisons, or not?

6) What hygiene goods are provided to prisoners? Is it enough?

7) How should prisons handle women’s hygiene products?

8) Who is making the decisions on what goods prisoners receive?

9) How much transparency does the system have regarding the treatment of people?

10) Are prisoners exempt from basic rights? Are there “prisoner rights”?

11) Do we need prison reform?

12) What can be taken from data regarding prison attacks? Is there a trend?

13) Are LGBTQIA+ individuals at risk in prison?

14) What happens in a day in the life of someone in the system?

15) Should prison be used as a rehabilitation program? (Remember that not everyone is in prison for life)

16) Are there rehabilitation programs in place? How successful are they? How can we measure success in this?

17) How many people return to prison upon being let out? For what reasons do they return?

18) Why should we care about people after they leave the system?

19) What can we take away from other prison systems around the world?

20) How much reform has the US system seen?

21) What is the point of prisons? What should the point and mission be?