U.S. prisons have kind of a bad rep for overpopulation, maltreatment of prisoners from both guards and other prisoners; and generally harsh, dehumanizing environments. Like all things, some prisons are worse than those in the states, and some are much better. Is there a happy medium when it comes to incarceration?
Europe is obviously winning by a longshot for most humane prisons, especially in countries like France, The Netherlands, and Switzerland. But countries in other, less-developed parts of the world have also put more effort into funding their prisons so they cater a bit more to prisoners’ modern everyday needs. For example, some in Argentina and Afghanistan allow mothers to care for their children for up to four years if they are pregnant when imprisoned, and some in Lebanon allow prisoners to watch TV in spacious cells. Sometimes prisons for women in developing countries are so nice, they chose a life behind bars instead of a life in their own homes.
While these prison perks may be controversial in some areas and for some prisoners, there are also prisons across the world, in both developed and developing countries, without any special perks and instead with a complete lack of comfort. Some in Asia and Africa separate their inmates based on religious preference and treat those who practice minority religions much worse than those who practice popular religions. Prisons housing war criminals are also particularly devastating.
Are you curious yet? We thought so. Here are some pictures of prisons from around the world:
