What kind of world would it be if you had to live everyday of your life in fear? What would if feel like to be constantly surrounded by social evils such as: drugs, sexual abuse, extortion, and physical violence? Although this sounds like a description of a boarded up neighborhood in one of our major urban centers, I was describing the average state of a normal prison today. Most people don’t know the harsh realities of prison life, because they have not witnessed it firsthand. Without knowledge of what prison life is like many of these same people think that the American prison system is doing a good job. I strongly disagree. I feel that the American prison system has become too corrupt to do its job of reforming criminals. I also think that the American prison system and our concept of rehabilitation need to be corrected so that prisons can effectively reform the criminals they hold.

Indeed, an increasingly violent element, coupled with a corruption which is allowed to continue make it impossible for prisons to do their jobs. Today, the same kinds of activity that put prisoners in prison take place on a day to day basis in the place where these criminals are supposed to be reformed. An example of this criminal activity is the rise in prison gangs. Many prisoners were gang members before they came to prison and they continue their gang activity in prison. However, many of these gangs are more violent than their outside counterparts because they no longer fear arrest. It is this violent element that prison guards fear. Regarding this, prisons across the country are having to deal with cases of assault, rape, and even murder, crimes that shouldn’t be taking place where criminals are trying to be reformed. In spite of the fact that these crimes are being committed, the Department of Corrections Services maintains that assaults in prisons were down last year. On the other hand, Times Union

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