A nightmare or a thrill? : prison life as perceived by adolescents

Abstract

“Bad breath and butt smell; that is prison, in a nutshell” (Butcher, 2005). Is there a clear indication of what life is like behind bars? How do adolescents perceive life in prison? Does it scare them, or do they see it as a possible way of life? Do they see it as a nightmare or a once in a lifetime thrill? This study explores the perceptions of male adolescents and ex-inmates regarding incarceration. Eight youths were interviewed, and fourteen other students participated in an online survey. This study portrays what youths really think of prison and incarceration and how realistic their ideas are by comparing and contrasting their different perceptions to real life experiences of inmates. The results established that the youths had a vague and imaginative idea of what incarceration really means and that knowledge was mostly acquired from popular digital media. The current education system includes life skills as an important part of the curriculum. This research study confirms that there is a lack of knowledge about incarceration whilst prison awareness is important because it helps in the prevention of crime and in instilling tolerance towards ex-offenders once they are out of prison. This research also provides more insight to what is required to create prison awareness and possible programmes that can be implemented in adolescents’ education system.