Rethinking Jail

Article by Sam Quinones

Unit 104 offers G.E.D. classes, instruction on criminal-addictive thinking, 12-step meetings, overdose-resuscitation training, physical exercise, prayer and meditation, counseling, inmate self-governance and extensive writing assignments for those derelict in confronting the issues that landed them in custody. Classes begin at 8:30 a.m., with beds made military style.

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Amid this national epidemic of opiate addiction, rethinking jail, as Kentucky has, as a place of sanctuary and recovery for a population that has lost hope, might not just be advisable; it may be indispensable.