Prison Reforms? What About Education Reforms?

Prisons have very serious health implications. In our country, Filipino prisoners are likely to have existing health problems on entry to prison, as they are predominantly from poorly educated and socio-economically deprived sectors of the general population, with minimal access to adequate health services. Their health conditions deteriorate in prisons which are overcrowded, where nutrition is poor, sanitation inadequate and access to fresh air and exercise often unavailable. Psychiatric disorders, HIV infection, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C, sexually transmitted diseases, skin diseases, malaria, malnutrition, diarrhoea and injuries including self-mutilation are the main causes of morbidity and mortality in prison. In our country, with a high prevalence of TB in the outside community, prevalence of TB can be up to 100 times higher inside the prisons. In most countries HIV infection in prisons is significantly higher than within the population outside prison, especially where drug addiction and risk behaviours are prevalent. Prison staff are also vulnerable to most of the diseases of which prisoners are at risk. Prison reforms? What about education reforms in our poor and backward country? Indeed, schools, colleges, and universities are places where most of our sinners and criminals are the sick products of. Specially college-educated sick sinners and sick criminals who end up occupying high positions in the judicial, executive, and legislative branches of our sick government! As an atheist, I said it before, I say it again: radical reforms in any society can only achieved via radical reforms of its worthless beliefs and mindless values. After all, it is nature's decree: on this earth, the aim of life as a people should be self-improvement via thinking; and the aim of life as a nation is self-development via more thinking. Nothing else matters. Nothing else counts! Poch Suzara Twitter# Facebook# Google#