Failure™ Magazine

The Culture of Punishment

Examining the role of popular culture in shaping America’s policy of mass incarceration.

Written by Jason Zasky   Filed under History, Science & Technology

What makes The Shawshank Redemption the quintessential prison film?
That’s something I’ve thought about a lot. I did research at the prison where it was filmed [Ohio State Reformatory], and that’s one of the sites that is open for tours. I work with students all the time who say it is their most beloved film. But very little of it is about imprisonment. And one of the things that disturbs me is what it means for an audience to adore that film and think that it shows them something about prison. For me it’s one of those movies that have this lovely amnesia. I can see why it’s good and why it’s epic, but I hope I never see it again [laughs].

What is prison tourism and why are prison tours so popular?
Prison tours allow people to access institutions that they normally can’t or won’t visit because of security issues and things that make it difficult to access functioning institutions. You can open the doors to a defunct prison and people will pay to come in.

I’m torn because I would like these institutions to be preserved. They are important memorials to how we punish. But I also believe we haven’t gotten the structure down in a way that seriously challenges anyone. The folks who run the tours that are most successful—Alcatraz and Eastern State Penitentiary—will tell you that right away. They walk a line between spectacle and education.

How are tours of Alcatraz and Eastern State different from a tour of an active prison?
Both are bound up with spectacle. But when you go into a live prison there are prisoners looking back at you. Even if they are only looking, you have to engage. There’s a different level of accountability in terms of how you are interacting in that space so it’s a stronger encounter. The problem with that encounter is that it’s generally very short—an hour to two hours—and carefully constructed, framed purely in terms of security.

It’s only over time where you see any real transformation in people’s assumptions and attitudes about punishment. In most cases, a quick tour simply reaffirms whatever perspective you go in with.

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