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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFormer female inmates speak about widespread sexual abuse by prison staff Yesterday 9:28 PM
No worries you can trust law enforcement! What a sick joke. America we have a problem. We have more citizens in jail than any other country and our law enforcement is corrupt!
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/former-female-inmates-speak-about-widespread-sexual-abuse-by-prison-staff/ar-AA15fbxa?li=BBnb7Kz
Johnny2X2X
(19,074 posts)In the 70s, this experiment showed that the very act of imprisoning people makes those with authority over the prisoners prone to horrific abuse. It seems we've learned nothing since then. The entire prison system needs to be reworked to be entirely focused on the humanity of those that are incarcerated. It's the only way to have a humane and successful justice system.
2naSalit
(86,650 posts)That crosses my my whenever I see stories of this kind.
Jim__
(14,077 posts)The conclusions of that experiment are, at least, controversial. An excerpt from Vox - 2018:
The study took paid participants and assigned them to be inmates or guards in a mock prison at Stanford University. Soon after the experiment began, the guards began mistreating the prisoners, implying evil is brought out by circumstance. The authors, in their conclusions, suggested innocent people, thrown into a situation where they have power over others, will begin to abuse that power. And people who are put into a situation where they are powerless will be driven to submission, even madness.
The Stanford Prison Experiment has been included in many, many introductory psychology textbooks and is often cited uncritically. Its the subject of movies, documentaries, books, television shows, and congressional testimony.
But its findings were wrong. Very wrong. And not just due to its questionable ethics or lack of concrete data but because of deceit.
...
(Update: Since this article published, the journal American Psychologist has published a thorough debunking of the Stanford Prison Experiment that goes beyond what Blum found in his piece. Theres even more evidence that the guards knew the results that Zimbardo wanted to produce, and were trained to meet his goals. It also provides evidence that the conclusions of the experiment were predetermined.)
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Just a note, the study in American Psychologist is from 2019. The Vox article also contains a link to a defense of the experiment.
Johnny2X2X
(19,074 posts)But the principle is sound and can be helpful. If you go into it knowing that prisons guards are going to abuse prisoners if you don't constantly train them not to, you've learned the lesson that was needed.
Taken as a scientific study probably not valid, taken as a revealer of a basic truth? Valid and useful. When you give human beings absolute authority over other human beings, abuse is a forgone conclusion unless you actively work to prevent it. We see that everywhere in our prison system.
2naSalit
(86,650 posts)I'm wondering just who out there doesn't know about this?
Yes, we need to make some major changes in our penal code, among a thousand others, starting with the inhumanity in incarceration. Other countries have found answers to this issue, we should have been further along then we are.
The Jungle 1
(4,552 posts)What continues to be repeated is: It is just a few bad apples. That statement is just not true.
Many in law enforcement love the adrenaline rush of abusing or beating someone who is smart enough not to fight back. They are cowards with power.
2naSalit
(86,650 posts)I recall one time I was out on a two-lane in the middle of a rural state kind of doing a "passing tag" thing with a private vehicle for a while since it was a long, gradual climb in elevation. I had to stop for a break at a remote truck stop, the other stopped too. The guy wanted to say hi to the driver of the rig he'd been running with and was really surprised to find it was me. We chatted for a couple minutes and then got back on the road.
My impression of the guy was immediately cemented when he told about how he worked at a prison in the region. I didn't say much but he was happy to tell me how he loved his job which he described like this, "Yeah, it's a gas, you get to rock'n'roll without resistance." with a big smile on his face. I think he was trying to impress me with hoe tough a guy he was or something.
I told him that was interesting and mentioned my schedule, got back in the truck and let him get a good head start, a big climb was a short distance ahead so he'd lose me soon enough, I just didn't want to encounter him ever again. Creeped me out.