April Blog: Prisons in the United States

The Stranger’s ending brings up the question of whether or not the prison system harms its’ prisoners rather than provide them with the necessary rehabilitation provided to succeed in society once they serve their sentence. By showing Meursault come to a revelation while being in prison, The Stranger goes against the current view in American society about prisons. In today’s society, especially in the United States, the prison system is becoming more and more criticized for its harsh punishments for minor crimes, taking people completely out of society for life for a crime that did not deserve to do so. The United States prison system has led to millions of people losing job opportunities because they have a felony on their record as well as leaving these same people with mental liabilities for their rime spent in prison. However, The Stranger reveals Meursault’s coming to life and reality as he finds his purpose in his prison sentence to be executed. Instead of harming Meursault, prison actually helped him realize his only purpose in life. By no means do I think the United States prison system provides everyone with a life changing revelation, but I do feel that there’s a lot more benefit to it than the majority of Americans view it has. I feel that our prison system does provide certain people with a better outlook on life as they are able to change their life around due to seeing how rough life can be as a criminal. However, I do feel that the prison system overall is a bad system as too many prisoners end up ruining their lives over petty offenses due to their prison sentences are too lengthy. I believe in getting punished where a punishment is due, but I feel like the overcrowding of United States’ prisons occurs because of strict punishment. Meursault had no problem with his punishment because he knew he committed a heinous crime. This is why he didn’t lie to protect himself because he had no reason to. The United States prison system should strive to imprison people like that instead of imprisoning people that still can contribute to society.