Foucault Prison Chapter Summary

In this chapter, Foucault explains how the prison system works. Foucault explains how prison doesn't reduce the crime rate, but in fact increases it. Statistics prove that a lot of crimes have been organised in prisons; gangs are a great example to show this. Foucault states that crime rates don’t go down after being incarcerated but in fact they go up for an ex-inmate.

A key theme in this chapter, is the failure of prison as a way to reduce crime within society. Foucault doesn't say that prison reduces crime, but but merely changes the image of a criminal and crime. Prison is a symbol of security, removing it from society would create havoc and would not work. Prison is seen in this chapter as a great failure. There a six steps as to how prison has become such a disappointment and a

Being a part of a gang is an easy way to commit another offence once released from prison

Prison produces delinquency by making the convicts family bankrupt, exhausted and impoverished

Prison conditions encourage deterioration and future surveillance on the ex-con

Over the last 150 years, many reforms on prisons have taken place in order to change the system and prevent future crimes. These reforms are:

The individual’s physical and mental behaviour must be transformed once incarcerated

Depending on the convicts age and offence, then they get isolated and incarcerated in different prisons, and get placed/secluded in specific parts of the prison

Penalties should be adjusted to the individual

Work is important to a convict/ex-convict. It enables them to reintegrate into society and adapt to the transformations of society

Education is a key element for prisoners and for the reintroduction of ex-cons to society

Specialised staff must supervise the prison regime, in order to know if any suspicious behaviour is taking