Human Dignity Behind Bars: Public Support for Quality-of-Life Reforms in American Correctional Institutions

• In Event: Perceptions on Rights and Reform in American Corrections

Abstract

The U.S. prison system faces challenges in upholding the human dignity of incarcerated persons. It imposes extralegal punishments on incarcerated people through harsh management practices, such as depriving them of basic daily necessities (e.g., toilet paper), restricting access to information sources (e.g., books, television, or the internet), paying low wages for prison labor, limiting conjugal visits, and enforcing solitary confinement. A critical re-examination of current prison management and ongoing quality-of-life reform efforts is necessary. Based on a YouGov survey (N = 800) conducted in July 2023, this study measures and examines public support for various quality-of-life prison reforms, including but not limited to expanding library selections, ensuring adequate access to toilet paper, allowing sexual contact during conjugal visits, and eliminating solitary confinement. Our findings indicate that while support for individual reforms varies, racial resentment and conservative political ideology consistently and significantly predict opposition to such reforms. Respondents with stronger conservative views or higher racial resentment tend to be less supportive of quality-of-life improvements for prisoners. These findings provide critical insights into public opinion on prison reform and highlight the political and racial ideological divisions that shape public attitudes toward prison policy.

Authors

• Li-Chen Chu, SUNY Albany

• Justin Pickett, SUNY Albany

• Paula H. Smith, University of Cincinnati

• Francis T. Cullen, University of Cincinnati

• Cheryl Lero Jonson, Xavier University