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Can you imagine what a
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world without prisons would look like?
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Happier?
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Safer?
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Scarier?
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Or is it just impossible to imagine?
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Maybe that's because it feels
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as if prisons have just always been part of society?
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Even though they haven't.
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The idea that prison can reform and rehabilitate
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is only around 200 years old.
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Or perhaps it's because we're told we need prisons to deter criminals?
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Even though there's no consistent link
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between the prison population and levels of crime.
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Or is it because we think prisons keep us safe?
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For some offenders, their time in prison
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can be a period of reflection and growth,
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but others struggle and can become traumatised or more dangerous,
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and re-offending rates are high.
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But just because it's hard to imagine -
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and we don't have all the answers yet -
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that mustn't stop us trying to consider a world without prisons.
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And asking ourselves if there is a better approach?
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A world without prisons would mean upending our current system,
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and putting the needs of those who are harmed first.
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Right now, prisons are too often used as a kind of last resort
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for dealing with the inequalities and problems
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that our health, welfare,
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education and employment systems aren't solving.
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Which is one reason why people from some ethnic minorities,
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from poorer communities,
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those with a history of mental health problems,
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or people who've grown up in care,
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are all more likely to end up in prison.
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Crime won't be reduced by continuing to lock all these people up.
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What will help is tackling the societal problems
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that have led them to commit harm in the first place.
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So, in a world without prisons,
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funding priorities would need to shift.
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Using some of the current prisons budget might help.
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But this would just be a small contribution -
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in fact, far bigger and systemic change is needed.
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Because while we focus on blaming, prosecuting and punishing
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the harms and crimes of the poor,
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all too often we ignore the wider economic, structural
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and psychological harms committed by the powerful.
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A world without prisons would be fairer.
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But could it also be safer?
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Yes, a small number of people do need to be kept out of society
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for the safety of us all.
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But although the idea of evil looms large in our culture,
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our prisons contain fewer dangerous people than we imagine.
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Nevertheless, any attempt to reduce danger and harm in society
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would need a new culture of safety and respect,
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ensuring those who may be harmed are properly protected.
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And preventing violence in the first place,
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rather than allowing it to breed in prisons and return into communities.
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Properly funded interventions
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to safeguard vulnerable children from harm,
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and refuges for victims of sexual or domestic violence,
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would be essential.
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And how would victims feel in this world without prisons?
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Wouldn't they want... well, justice to be done?
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In fact, most victims don't cite revenge or punishment
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as their priority.
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What they care about most
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is protecting themselves and others from harm in the future.
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Restorative justice, or a truth and reconciliation process,
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is a very effective way of doing this -
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allowing victims to talk through grievances,
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accept what has happened to them, and rebuild their lives.
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The impact of any harm is formally recognised by the one who caused it -
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but also by society.
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This encourages communities to take responsibility
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for helping both victim and offender.
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Because when you can't simply lock someone up,
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everyone has a vested interest
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in finding ways to live more peaceably together.
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In a world without prisons, justice isn't about punishment.
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It isn't about repeating cycles of violence and harm.
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It's a world where justice is about righting systemic wrongs,
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about supporting people to meet their employment, education,
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and health needs.
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It's a world focused on social justice rather than vengeance.
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So a different approach isn't impossible.
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But maybe many of us are still imprisoned by old ideas?
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Imagining a world without prisons
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will require all of us to think outside the box.