Justis - I have a nodding acquaintance not by personal incarceration or such, but by having a friend who works in the prison system and things slip out now and then, although he is on the whole very discrete - and myself having inspected prisons on two occasions as part of an education package when I volunteered for local court service, which I did for 2 years - some people there have done this kind of voluntary work for most of their lives. I stopped because I realised the authorities were cutting costs on paid employees and were going to get 'us' to come in earlier to make up for the time-shortfall, which made me realise 'we' were really taking a place of possible employment from someone.
Prisoner get treated well - on the whole - the misery they sometimes experience is self-inflicted. Sure it isn't nice being in prison, but Dickensian conditions no longer exist - they get 3 good meals per day, have access to exercise, gyms, education if they wish, religious services, conjugal visits, relatives can visit etc. etc.
Of course, freedom is what is not available and what keeps the general public safe - in some instances, in many instances it is the wrong place for teenagers. IMO we are holding far too many young men of Aboriginal descent in our prisons here in W.A. - to me that is a biggy which is only going to get bigger, if we don't re-think our attitudes (and they, theirs) Taurisk
