In October, the Vera Institute of Justice brought a group of New York criminal justice professionals to inspect Berlin's Tegel Prison. The visitors observed quiet environments featuring wooden furniture, porcelain toilets, natural lighting, and cell keys provided directly to incarcerated individuals. German corrections adheres to a constitutional mandate of human dignity, where the loss of freedom serves as the sole punishment. To support this philosophy, German correctional officers complete multi-year training programs in legal frameworks and social work.
Key points
The German constitutional focus on human dignity treats the loss of liberty, rather than…: The German constitutional focus on human dignity treats the loss of liberty, rather than poor treatment, as the punishment.
The principle of normalization seeks to mirror life outside custody through home-like ame…: The principle of normalization seeks to mirror life outside custody through home-like amenities such as quiet surroundings and wooden furniture.
Staff members in German correctional facilities receive years of targeted training in fie…: Staff members in German correctional facilities receive years of targeted training in fields like social work and law to foster rehabilitation.
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More than a dozen New Yorkers crowded into an empty prison cell in Berlin, Germany, this October. Inside, they found many contrasts to U.S. prisons: For one, prisoners held at this German facility, Tegel Prison, have keys to their own cells.
The reason, prison director Martin Riemer told the group, is so the men held here can lock their own door when they go to work or school, just like someone might at home. The guards still have keys, but Riemer said this gesture offers a semblance of privacy.
Riemer also noted that every prison cell in Germany must have natural light and ventilation. In the cell the tour group inspected, the large window still had bars on it, but it opened. A breeze was blowing in.
The purpose of this trip was to inspire key players in the criminal justice system — a judge, a prosecutor, a prison official, among others — to see new ways of improving New York City's troubled jail system, which officials are in the process of reimagining.
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