A large social science research literature examines the effects of prisons on crime and socioeconomic inequality, but the penal institution itself is often a black box overlooked in the analysis of its effects. This paper examines prisons and their role in rehabilitative programs and as venues for violence, health and healthcare, and extreme isolation through solitary confinement. Research shows that incarcerated people are participating less today than in the 1980s in prison programs, and they face high risks of violence, disease, and isolation. Prison conditions suggest the mechanisms that impair adjustment to community life after release provide a more complete account of the costs of incarceration and indicate the performance of prisons as moral institutions that bear a responsibility for humane and decent treatment.

中文翻译：

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盒子里面：监狱中的安全、健康和隔离

大量的社会科学研究文献研究了监狱对犯罪和社会经济不平等的影响，但在分析其影响时，刑罚机构本身往往是一个被忽视的黑匣子。本文探讨了监狱及其在康复计划中的作用，以及作为暴力、健康和医疗保健场所以及通过单独监禁造成的极端孤立的场所。研究表明，与 1980 年代相比，今天被监禁的人参与监狱项目的人数更少，而且他们面临着暴力、疾病和孤立的高风险。监狱条件表明，释放后影响社区生活调整的机制提供了对监禁成本的更完整说明，并表明监狱作为道德机构的表现，承担着人道和体面待遇的责任。