Prisoners Vs French Prisons
In 2005, a study showed that twenty-one percent of ex-convicts left prison with depressive disorder. In addition to that, thirty-eight percent of ex-convicts left with other mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, and many more. A little over half of people who left prison, left with horrible psychological effects and some sort of mental disorder. (Khazan). Prisoners today are treated much different than French prisoners. In fact, French prisoners in the 1800s were treated much worse than they are today. They weren’t even considered humans, and they were treated worse than some animals (Prison Life). In the novel Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, the psychological effects of long-term imprisonment and solitary confinement
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The problem was that when most prisoners got out they were not the same person as when they entered. Their life in prison was very different than the life of a prisoner today. While in prison, they were forced to right all the wrongs they had ever committed (Prison Life). It wasn’t easy for prisoners who were in there long-term. To make amends for their crimes, they were put through horribly cruel punishments. They were viciously beaten, branded, mutilated, and quite often lead to their death (Lambert). If the prisoners didn’t die from ferocious beatings, they often died of starvation. Each prisoner was given one small ration a day. Frequently, these rations only consisted of a meagerly piece of bread and a small cup of water (Prison Life). It was even worse for the sick prisoners. They were given no medicine, no nurse to aid them, and nobody was allowed to visit them. Most of those who got sick in prison, also died in prison due to being malnourished and no medicines (Noailles 54). Their small prison cells rarely contained a bed, which was a small hammock tied to opposite walls. Normally there was no bed except a small wooden palate on the floor, and more often than not there was no bed at all (Prison Life). If the prisoners didn’t die from starvation, dehydration, or their horrible punishments, they finished their sentence to be released. Those who were eventually released, were rarely released the same person they were when they went
The problem was that when most prisoners got out they were not the same person as when they entered. Their life in prison was very different than the life of a prisoner today. While in prison, they were forced to right all the wrongs they had ever committed (Prison Life). It wasn’t easy for prisoners who were in there long-term. To make amends for their crimes, they were put through horribly cruel punishments. They were viciously beaten, branded, mutilated, and quite often lead to their death (Lambert). If the prisoners didn’t die from ferocious beatings, they often died of starvation. Each prisoner was given one small ration a day. Frequently, these rations only consisted of a meagerly piece of bread and a small cup of water (Prison Life). It was even worse for the sick prisoners. They were given no medicine, no nurse to aid them, and nobody was allowed to visit them. Most of those who got sick in prison, also died in prison due to being malnourished and no medicines (Noailles 54). Their small prison cells rarely contained a bed, which was a small hammock tied to opposite walls. Normally there was no bed except a small wooden palate on the floor, and more often than not there was no bed at all (Prison Life). If the prisoners didn’t die from starvation, dehydration, or their horrible punishments, they finished their sentence to be released. Those who were eventually released, were rarely released the same person they were when they went