Difference Between Prison and Slavery
While there are indeed very striking similarities in the concepts and perhaps even the ideas behind prisons and slavery, these two are actually very different. This topic also yields different responses from people due to its subjective nature. Some may consider the former to be a lot worse than the latter not just because of the boredom and loneliness inmates tend to face but constant threat and feeling of impending violence that they have to deal with. On the other hand, some people may find the latter worse because unlike the former the individuals involved may not have done something that would warrant being put in that kind of position.
The biggest difference between both slavery and prison can be defined in one word: choice. Individuals end up being prisoners for the crimes they may have committed and thus end up in an establishment to work as punishment for their misdeeds with their respective sentences dictating and determining the amount of time they spend within the walls of the prison. When it comes to slavery however, there is normally no choice involved. While they may not be in the same kind of environment as inmates – normally undesirable – they aren’t exactly in an ideal state either.
Another difference is that inmates and prisoners alike are removed from the people that they are close to – if any – such as spouses, family and/or friends and the surroundings which they may have been used to prior to their incarcerations. With slavery, the individuals were typically sold to those who may have needed services that required slaves. Both situations aren’t exactly what one would consider as ideal, but there are actually times when it does become a great aid to the people involved. One advantage prisons yield would be for the inmate to learn from his or her mistakes.