Prison A Break From Societal Programming?

Is Prison/Jail A Break From Societal Programming?

I was thinking about this from many different perspectives.

From the poor "criminals" to our richer celebrity type criminals.

Then I got to thinking that a lot of what we as humans do is learned behaviour, meaning that we learn certain behaviours and actions/responses from our society and culture.

Through television, our "new-generation" cell phones, even magazines we are being bombarded with "programming" ... television programming, internet videos, applications, articles etc.. It's an insane amount of information being thrown at us on a daily basis and it's horrible quality. A Poor Education at best.

We've heard and seen many people complain about the societal ills and how they effect our crime rates but let's look at our prison system / jail systems.

They remove you from society.

Away from the barrage of programming apparently you can "rehabilitate" and are then released (once rehabilitated) into the noise of cultural norms and the envelope pushers of society who take things to or past their limits where we learn what is socially acceptable or even what is socially present.

I realize we're all supposed to have healthy filters for all of this information we're bombarded with but I believe we need to refine our filters. We need to really take a serious look at what we present to "the public" and I am not talking about censorship by any means, I am NOT a supporter for any type of censorship. But I am for proper education. A lot of people are not consciously aware of how certain things are triggered off in their subconscious and certain things may be unconsciously picked up that a person may not have the mental "tools" or resources to deal with or filter into a proper learning that is beneficial instead of detrimental.

Just some thoughts about society, crime and people.

I hear you on that. Even browsing the internet, sitting in your home, you are not safe from advertising. On the radio, television, walk down the street theres signs, and advertisements, and lights, go to a car the audio system is blaring advertisement, public transport... I think in total we see about 3000 advertisements in a single day.

But the only thing that will save us is if people stop thinking for profit and start thinking for sustenance instead. Why have so much money you don't know what to do with it? Is it because you don't feel secure that if money were to no longer hold a value you could not produce anything of use to society? Because thats essentially what the economy and 'democracy' (most of you wouldn't call it a democracy, but capitalism, but it's come down to it that both are basically interchangeable) has done to modern society. Added on with the fact that all mechanical labor jobs could potentially be replaced technology has made everything so cheap to produce... but the companies never realized that by outsourcing their labor that their customers wouldn't have jobs because other companies outsourced their labor force to technology too...


Honestly - I think we're heading down a slippery slope. We really need to change our attitude about technology and business. We need to re-think the economic system because a CHILD can tell you that it is unjust that politicians, bankers and accountants - people who bring nothing of true value into society other than a complex web of debts and loans - are allowed to hold so much power, when the people who do all the dirty work - thinking of the product, financing the product, creating the product - hold no power. Why does advertisement even EXIST as a business?

If we stopped for a second, just slow down the technological roller coaster that we have strapped ourselves onto, we'd realize that we're going down the intellectual road far too early. Do we REALLY NEED to know about black holes and higgs bosons or whatever? I'm sure there's plenty of useful applications for knowing such things but what about solving the problems we know we already have rather than creating new ones with new technologies? Looking back in history one can say safely that each new technology was admired first, and imprisoned by the same technology later. Automobiles? Sewing Machines? Computers? These things were glorified at first, and truly enough they are very useful, but when people are FORCED into using a technology it makes them tired, and then being constantly barraged by advertisements to fill the void that is the lack of freedom. the lack of escape from technology.

RE-THINK BUSINESS. NOT FOR PROFIT FOR SUSTENANCE.

reply to post by PuRe EnErGy


Prison and Jail is programming at its best. Have you ever been to either? This whole idea is ridiculous.There is nothing but violence and control found in both, every single aspect of your life is controlled all the way down to farting and burping.

You are kidding right? You have television and newspapers, some even internet access in prison and you call that a hiatus from programming? What about the prison guards that can make prisoners do whatever they choose for fear of being put in the hole or a sentence extension. You speak as someone ignorant of these conditions. That is good for you I guess, but stop theorizing in things you have no experience with.

Originally posted by ninthaxis
You are kidding right? You have television and newspapers, some even internet access in prison and you call that a hiatus from programming? What about the prison guards that can make prisoners do whatever they choose for fear of being put in the hole or a sentence extension. You speak as someone ignorant of these conditions. That is good for you I guess, but stop theorizing in things you have no experience with.

No I'm not kidding, those mediums of information are controlled within the prison system.

My point is that the amount and type of information is filtered.

I'm aware of all the points you mentioned, I'm not being ignorant; you're purposely glancing past the fact that the whole point of prison is to take people out of society because they have become unfit to socialize properly.

It goes beyond mere advertisements; if anything the experience of socializing with prison inmates (as one yourself) does nothing to benefit rehabilitation.

I propose that an education on society and different cultures would go much further than putting all the social misfits together. In essence it has created an underground society where it becomes socially acceptable to draw on negative avatars such as thief, pimp, drug dealer, tyrant.. etc..

What about the prison guards that can make prisoners do whatever they choose for fear of being put in the hole or a sentence extension. You speak as someone ignorant of these conditions.

This is exactly what I'm talking about, a prison guard has a specific job but has learned through either experience or movies and television that a prison guard could act outside of that job description. Our societal programming isn't nearly as primitive as prison programming where fear and control are used to program you. Societal programming uses sex, desire, jealousy.. etc

It is quite the opposite.

As someone has already said, prison is the epitome of programming. Sleep deprivation, food additives, repetition, torment, forced servitude-these are all forms of mind-control techniques, and all are used on prisoners.

Anyone who thinks prison is a 'break' has never seen one....

Originally posted by captaintyinknots
It is quite the opposite.

As someone has already said, prison is the epitome of programming. Sleep deprivation, food additives, repetition, torment, forced servitude-these are all forms of mind-control techniques, and all are used on prisoners.

Anyone who thinks prison is a 'break' has never seen one....

Jesus Christ will you people LEARN TO READ, I am saying it is a break from societal programming!!!!!!!! SOCIETY I never said there isn't programming in prison for god sakes people learn to read!

EDIT: You know guys instead of just skimming through a post and giving your opinion on the general gist of a post you should read it from the OPs perspective so you can give a meaningful response instead of just flaming someone.



[edit on 6/8/2010 by PuRe EnErGy]

I popped into this thread because the title caught my eye. (I've been reading a lot of prison books lately.)

I'm sorry, what was the question?

Originally posted by PuRe EnErGy

Originally posted by captaintyinknots
It is quite the opposite.

As someone has already said, prison is the epitome of programming. Sleep deprivation, food additives, repetition, torment, forced servitude-these are all forms of mind-control techniques, and all are used on prisoners.

Anyone who thinks prison is a 'break' has never seen one....

Jesus Christ will you people LEARN TO READ, I am saying it is a break from societal programming!!!!!!!! SOCIETY I never said there isn't programming in prison for god sakes people learn to read!

EDIT: You know guys instead of just skimming through a post and giving your opinion on the general gist of a post you should read it from the OPs perspective so you can give a meaningful response instead of just flaming someone.



[edit on 6/8/2010 by PuRe EnErGy]

Ive notcied an influx of juvenile responses the last few days...school must be out for some.

What youi are missing is that this IS societal programming. It is teaching you to be a good member of society. It is teaching you to follow the rules. It is teaching you that you are inferior to law enforcement.

And, as someone else already said, access to all ads and programming is abundant in prison.

also, someone disagreeing with you is not flaming. Not everyone will agree with your OPINION. Thats all it is, by the way. If you dont like it, probably shouldnt be on discussions boards, huh...