Prison movie of choice
The prison movie of choice is the Shawshank Redemption. The movie is set to be in the 1950s – 60s. Although there was some initial doubt on how the movie would fit into modern day prison and fit into the textbook’s definition, it had a few surprising links (Schmalleger, 2015). The prison as a reformation center in the textbook finds relevance in the later part of the movie with Andy opening the new library dedicated to Brooks. The inmates taking their high school diploma exams, the warden’s initiative to use prison force outside the prison to engage in public works, and Andy working on the tax returns of the prison guards resembles the textbook’s version of how a prison should operate.
The violence depicted relates with some prisons in operations today. Rivers in New York were in a similar controversy when inmates sued the prison in Andy style if the episode requires comparison with the movie. The concept of rehabilitation if introduced in Shawshank in the movie would have not taken well. However, the problems such as the sexual abuse and corruption can find contemporaries today. The violence was missing in Shawshank among inmates and the racial lines seemed remarkably relaxed in the movie. These are probably not very believable about a prison, even if it was at a different time.
The prison was not overcrowded and perhaps this kept the violence down however; street gangs were around during that time period and it is inconceivable that Andy got away easy. The prison escape is probably conceivable since the United States is still witnessing escapes. The reality is that if Andy was in any correctional facility in the United States today, the movie might have a more serious rating and probably too violent for casual watching. Besides, Andy would not be able to tunnel through to escape. He might have simply died or committed suicide if he was to face a prison term in present day circumstances. Prison segregation will also ruin his chances of interacting with some of his friends. The advancements in prisons certainly shaped themselves based on how the storywriter scripted the Shawshank Redemption.
References
Schmalleger, F. (2015). Criminal Justice: A Brief Introduction. Pearson. New York: NY. Pp. 337-398.
