Analysis of “Why Prisons Don’t Work”

An article written by Wibert Rideau titled “Why Prisons Don’t Work”, published in Time Magazine on March 21, 1994, was written by a man who was sentenced to die in prison. He was accused of murdering a white person in Lousiana in 1962, long before the civil rights movement really took hold. He was in prison for 44 years by the time he walked a free man. The same system of justice used in 1964 is still the same system we use today, and the only difference is that there are far many more people in prison today than ever. We should all wonder how many Wibert Rideaus are sitting in cells, in prisons, throughout America today. Let his article be a wake up call that many people are wrongfully convicted every day in the United States. The ethos of Mr. Rideau is of a very high caliber for more than one reason. The first reason is that he was in prison 44 years and strives to educate the public on why prisons don’t work. He could be home, angry and licking his wounds and yet he tells his story in an effort to use his experience for positive change. The second reason for ethos is that he is a persuasive writer whose intelligence and use of language is excellent. Third, he is committed to using the remainder of his life to do what can be done to change prison systems and punishment in America by giving us an inside view. Fourth, he has come such a long way in building a memorable career for himself after being a convicted felon and has gained the attention and respect of many people. I think everyone agrees that the author is an extraordinary man. It begs the question though, “does one man, imprisoned in Louisiana, have enough perspective or insight on criminals, crime and punishment to make statements that represent all prisoners and prisons across the United States”? While Mr. Rideau’s position is clear, there is