crisis

Before we contemplate answering such a question the first thing one must aim to understand is the specific meaning given to the term 'crisis.' It has to be put in some context. If by crisis one means that the prison system is teetering on the brink of collapse then the evidence available would suggest that there is no crisis at all. However the more likely interpretation is that there are actually very serious problems that either cannot or will not be alleviated. now when you look at evidence under this guise, one could strongly argue that our prison system is in a state of crisis. Presenting such an argument inevitably leads one to explore the role of the prison system within contemporary society, and whether it is still fulfilling the purpose it set out to achieve. According to Michael Foucault in Garland (1990)....

"The prison has always been a failure in penological terms, but it successfully achieves important political effects at a wider social level, which is why it has never been abandoned."

What one can surmise from Foucault's thoughts are that whilst the prison may be a failure within penological terms, with the existence of a penal crisis strengthening the argument, it has actually been a success within the circles of politics.

In order to understand a crisis we need to further look at who this system benefits, it is not enough to simply state that it has been a success in political climbs. However let us start with the purpose of prison, and aptly with the work of Foucault, who carried out vast amounts of research regarding incarceration and subsequently published the well known 'Prisons and punishment' book. Cording to him the reason as to why prisons persist are primarily due the fact that it is rooted in the very fabric of society, and secondly it carries out specific functions to great effect. Effectively what may be deemed failure on an overt level, could be assessed as success on a covert level. The