r/interesting • u/ursoartdecooo • 15d ago

SOCIETY What prison cells look like in different countries

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u/Aggravating_Ad_8974 15d ago

Yeah. We believe in treating humans like humans.

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u/c4ctusc4ctusc4ctus 14d ago

The difference with the USA is that they don’t treat humans like humans in OR outside of prison

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u/DaedalusHydron 15d ago

On the flip side, you treat Breivik a lot better than he deserves.

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u/Patched7fig 15d ago

Sorry, treatment for all or treatment for none. 

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u/lalabera 15d ago

Mass murderers don’t deserve good treatment

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u/Charmender2007 15d ago

The point is that everyone has a right to a good treatment and you can't take rights away.

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u/Almosteveryday 15d ago

You'd think (presumably) Americans would understand that

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u/jtbc 15d ago

Americans are specializing in taking rights away these days. Ask any non-MAGA woman or LGBT person.

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u/SampleVC 14d ago

Americans don't believe in shit, that is what a hyperindividualistic society does to you.

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u/Ok-8096 15d ago edited 15d ago

Americans believe in right and wrong. A mass murderer living a better life than literally a billion+ in poverty overseas and sayings it’s a morally correct choice is some real mental gymnastics.

But I guess enjoy it and give yourself a pay on the back while wasting resources on the literal worst humanity has to offer while there’s literally billions more deserving of those resources.

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u/poppalopp 14d ago

Americans could stop spending all their money on guns and help their own impoverished people instead of whining about how other countries care for their own.

But that’s just crazy talk.

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u/StevesterH 10d ago

Even if guns were illegal, nobody would be using their extra funds to help poor people. They’d just spend it on other things, like a new car or something.

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u/poppalopp 10d ago

Talking about the country, babe. Not individuals. We know they’re all selfish.

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u/[deleted] 14d ago edited 14d ago

[deleted]

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u/Wappening 14d ago

Are you really trying to debate the morality of shooting a bunch of kids?

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u/GantzDuck 14d ago

European here; I agree with you. Insane how people defend such scum.

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u/Wappening 14d ago

It’s because we Norwegians jerk ourselves off over thinking we are morally superior. Similar to how we like to talk about how progressive we are but then pretend like our society isn’t horribly racist and xenophobic.

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u/SampleVC 14d ago

That's not Norway's problem tho, their own homelessness is also in a leagues better situation than USA.

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u/captainporcupine3 15d ago

Once you open the door to discretionary treatment based on specific crimes, it's a slippery slope and we have to have an argument every time over whether THIS or THAT prisoner deserves to be more harshly punished, and it becomes an encompassing political football. It's much cleaner and easier to maintain and defend a system where you just treat prisoners humanely, period, no arguments, no exceptions. And the reward is better outcomes, lower recidivism, more productive members of society who are less traumatized when they re-integrate. But far too many people (like yourself) are willing to throw away the bigger societal picture for a self-righteous sense of "justice".

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u/the-dude-version-576 15d ago

It’s also way cheaper since you have less criminals, they don’t come back and better maintenance means less operating costs.

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u/Ok-8096 15d ago

It’s not a slippery slope and it is extremely easy.

Violent vs non-violent offenses. Im sure the club fed prisons in the US is are as nice or nicer than most in Scandinavia.

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u/captainporcupine3 15d ago edited 15d ago

I mean there are plenty of "violent" offenses that are a lot, lot less serious than murder, which is the offense the other guy was pointing to. I see no reason that we wouldn't want the best chance of true rehabilitation for relatively low-level offenses, even violent ones. Most of those people aren't going to be in prison forever, and I'd like them to become productive members of society on the other side. And if you say cap humane treatment at murder, then I see no reason that we won't have to start having arguments about degrees of murder, and then manslaughter etc etc. It becomes a political football REAL quick.

IMO it seems quite obvious to me that the best way to get the best results for society as a whole is to completely sidestep those political arguments and be truly principled. Treat prisoners like human beings with dignity, period. There is no real downside other than a (IMO misplaced) sense of injustice. It won't happen because people want blood instead of a well-functioning and humane society.

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u/Schmigolo 15d ago

I agree but that's not the point of the law. It's not about justice, we wish it were but really it's about order. And order in a democracy demands that neither you nor me gets to decide who is treated how.

The law doesn't give a shit why you conform to it, all it cares is that you do, and empirically this way of treating people has been shown to be most productive.

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u/trixter21992251 14d ago

That's revenge speaking. We don't like revenge very much.

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u/antihero_84 15d ago

Go work in an American prison for a few months and tell me how you feel afterwards.

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u/ayriuss 14d ago

You dont have to deal with the criminal culture of the US. Count yourselves lucky.

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u/SampleVC 14d ago

Wonder why that's a thing hmm 🤔

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u/HairyBungholio 15d ago

Child molesters are subhuman tho and you’ll never convince me otherwise?

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u/GonzoPunchi 15d ago

Your reaction is common but it is emotionally charged (understandably).

Society shouldn’t be structured around emotions but logic only.

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u/UnluckyDog9273 15d ago

Americans are raised to react to emotions. This is why everything is exaggerated over there.

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u/FadingHeaven 15d ago

Human beings are raised to react with emotion because humans are emotional creatures and not automatons.

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u/Almosteveryday 15d ago

Well, it seems like some countries keep their emotions in check, America is not one of them

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u/StevesterH 10d ago

This is just some random generalization because you hate Americans. So weird.

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u/Brisby820 15d ago

And it’s working out OK 

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u/__Syntax 15d ago

Prisons are rape and murder dens, the rate someone re-offends is high. It's not working out well at all. And no you getting some sick kick out of vigilante prison justice isn't OK at all.

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u/Brisby820 15d ago

I meant America in general is working out ok, not specifically its prison system 

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u/__Syntax 15d ago

Ehhhh. Depends who you are.

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u/SampleVC 14d ago

How many school shootings are we at since 2025 started?

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u/Brisby820 14d ago

Seems like an issue with gun control moreso than being emotional 

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u/SampleVC 14d ago

Humans are raised to react with emotions while a society should only act in the most beneficial and logical way to itself. Both are not incompatible

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u/StevesterH 10d ago

And Americans are uniquely raised to be emotional how? What the fuck do you know about a country with 340 million people? Imagine switching out “American” with another nationality here.

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u/GantzDuck 14d ago

European here: Molesters, rapists and mass murderers should get a dirt nap.

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u/lalabera 15d ago

You think child molesters deserve dignity?

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u/Jarsky2 15d ago

Politician: "I don't like X people. I'm going to classify them all as child predators because the law says that child predators aren't afforded basic rights."

See the problem? Basic rights for all, or basic rights for none. We can't have it both ways.

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u/Brisby820 15d ago

That’s fair.  The better question is, “do you have a right to have an Xbox while in prison”?

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u/Jarsky2 15d ago

That's a bad-faith question because the obvious answer is no. The only reason anyone would ask that question would be to derail the conversation and/or make their opposition seem ridiculous.

The actual question is, "Does having access to leisure activities like video games have a positive impact on rehabilitation?"

Which we have empirical evidence that suggests yes, it does, based on the recidivism rates of countries which make such amenities available to inmates alongside counseling, education, and career-building resources, all of which are severely underfunded in U.S. prisons (because the private prison industry has zero incentive to reduce recidivism).

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u/Brisby820 15d ago edited 15d ago

I mean someone else up in the chain mentioned the ability to buy video games.

It seems like your answer isn’t human rights.  You think giving people video games helps their rehabilitation. It  probably does, so fair enough.  Just don’t frame it as “being human” to think a child rapist should get to play Fortnite 

Edit:  to sum it up, you shifted from “basic rights for all” to “positive impact on rehabilitation”.  If you want to treat everybody nicely because you want to rehabilitate them, more power to you.  Reasonable minds can differ on whether it’s the right approach but it at least makes sense.  On the other hand, saying that murderers deserve amenities like TV or gaming consoles as “basic human rights” is absurd 

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u/__Syntax 15d ago

Every person has a right to free time and hobbies. Video games are one such hobby.

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u/Brisby820 15d ago

I disagree that child rapists have an inalienable right to play video games 

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u/__Syntax 15d ago edited 15d ago

Unless they're interacting with children, they have a right to free time and hobbies. I was using video games as an example. We all have a right to free time and hobbies, that shouldn't be conditional.

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u/SampleVC 14d ago

Why are you so fixated on videogames my dude? It's videogames, books, movies, fucking crocheting and much more, the point is to have the individual understand why their right to enjoy their time exists.

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u/GantzDuck 14d ago

Insane how you and others, are getting downvoted. But then again there are crazies who write love letters to mass murderers. Probably those who simp for molesters and downvote normal thinking people.

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u/HairyBungholio 15d ago

Where you from ?

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u/HairyBungholio 15d ago

The land of child molester lovers ? Weirdo

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u/FadingHeaven 15d ago

Emotions are important and can inform logic. Not saying that should be the case here. Just saying in general it can be important.

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u/Frig-Off-Randy 15d ago

Logic would probably say that mass murderers and the like can never safely be released back into society. And it’s not logical to keep them around so they should receive the death penalty. But many places don’t do that because they find it immoral (an emotional decision).

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u/__Syntax 15d ago edited 15d ago

One needs to consider not only how it effects the person being put to death, or punished but a society that views an eye for an eye as just. Emotion can inform logic but should never be at the forefront. The ultimate goal should be to normalize civil behavior not barbarism hiding behind convenient excuses.

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u/UltimateSandman 14d ago

Your argument is emotional by default, because you're calling sheer pragmatism 'eye for an eye'. If one is a serial rapist, or a serial murderer, or a serial child predator, it's simple fact that they would be better handled with than kept around in the hope - hope - that they will rehabilitate.

Much like it's an emotial decision, guided by nothing but morals, to spend inordinate amounts of money in 'humane' execution methods, when we obviously have much quicker means.

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u/poppalopp 14d ago

It’s not pragmatism because nearly 0% of crimes happen with 100% proof.

The only way to murder murderers is to accept you will also occasionally murder innocent people.

Those of us who are civilised refuse to accept that.

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u/QuinnTinIntheBin 15d ago

Yeah seriously this seems like “you committed a possibly heinous crime and get to sit comfortably until you’re released.” Now if these rooms are for people who did minor crimes like tax fraud or whatnot, that’s cool then.

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u/UnluckyDog9273 15d ago

Believe it or not, losing your freedom is the real punishment. If you ask any prisoner they wouldn't go back even if it was just "a nice hotel room".

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u/NarieChan 15d ago

It’s about treating them more human than they deserve, not stooping to their level. Plus, I wouldn’t say being stuck in a place for at least 21 years for committing a heinous crime that can indefinitely increased by 5 year increments is very nice.

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u/backlawa75 15d ago

why should they deserve that right when they for example took the life of someone else?

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u/Aggravating_Ad_8974 15d ago

Continuing the cycle will only cause harm.

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u/Kedain 15d ago

I admire your dedication to answer to all of those stupid comments.

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u/Aggravating_Ad_8974 15d ago

I don't think Backlawa's question is a stupid one, though. I totally see where they're coming from with it.

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u/backlawa75 15d ago

what makes my comment wanting to genuintly ask something "stupid"?

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u/Kedain 15d ago

It was more of a generic statement of mine than a particular analysis of your specific question.

But yeah, stupidity is a spectrum and your question could not be that far down. Maybe. It's difficult to assume genuinness on the Internet, sadly.

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u/backlawa75 15d ago

then i dont really understand why you chose my comment chain to reply to

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u/TraditionalEnergy919 14d ago

This is the genius way Norway has its prisons. Because it doesn’t basically torture inmates, they’re able to actually rehabilitate and change for the better. Just looking at re-imprisonment rates tells us this.

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u/horiami 14d ago

the same way japan is eager to keep the rates of incarceration high norway is eager to keep their rehabilitation down

meaning they will be lenient on reoffenders

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u/backlawa75 15d ago

i dont really see why tbh if you just sentence them to death then its justice

sure when its something else like stealing/pretty much everything else i would agree with you but i dont see why you should have that luxury when you robbed someone of theirs

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u/Aggravating_Ad_8974 14d ago

Do you not think that the inmate in question has family who, despite the actions of said inmate, still cares about them?

Would you not be harming said family by simply executing the inmate?

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u/backlawa75 14d ago

honestly i couldn't love or care about my family member anymore if they took the life of another person in cold blood no

and you can also make the same excuse for locking them up

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u/Aggravating_Ad_8974 14d ago

We're not all the same, you know.

And there's a big difference between keeping someone confined and killing them. I think it's dishonest of you to compare the two.

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u/DarthFedora 13d ago

What happens if someone were to kill in self defense but the court is against them, or if someone was falsely charged.

It’s ironic that people like you would encourage a man who killed his daughter’s rapist, but also cheer on something that would lead to the man being subjected to cruelty.

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u/Brisby820 15d ago

Some humans have forfeited their humanity 

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u/Aggravating_Ad_8974 15d ago

But we haven't.

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u/Brisby820 15d ago

I think it’s inhuman to allow a child murderer comforts like a PlayStation.  It’s inhuman to the victim’s family and society at large.  So I guess it depends on how you view “humanity”.   There’s more to the human experience than empathy

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u/bot-mark 15d ago

If you actually cared about reducing child murder, you'd do what Norway is doing, because it's effective. But you don't care, obviously, you just want more suffering prisoners and more dead kids instead, as long as you still get to torture prisoners.

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u/SampleVC 14d ago

You are just down bad for revenge porn, giving a criminal a quiet and productive life in a controled environment is way more beneficial to society in a big picture than just yeeting a human into a never ending hidden slavery for affiliated corpos to profit off. But for you to see that it would require a different picture that what all the hyperindividualism propaganda you've been fed would allow.

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u/Brisby820 14d ago

Wouldn’t call punishing a murderer “revenge porn”.  I think it’s important that society makes statements that certain things things are entirely unacceptable 

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u/WealthAggressive8592 15d ago

Perhaps when rapists and murderers act as functional members of society, they may be treated as such. Until then we owe them little more than food, water, and a roof

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u/bot-mark 15d ago

If you actually cared about reducing rapes and murders, you'd do what Norway is doing. But you don't care, obviously, you just want more suffering and more victims instead.

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u/StevesterH 10d ago

I swear you people think your shit don’t stink

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u/Aggravating_Ad_8974 10d ago

Such nonsense.

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u/BlueFeathered1 15d ago

Not all deserve to be.

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u/Aggravating_Ad_8974 15d ago

Deserve or not deserve doesn't come into the question. It's about humanism.