Alternatives to Prison

Prison can both punish and reform

 As prison places become more difficult to find for an increasing number of criminals, it seems a good idea to consider alternatives to imprisonment, but perhaps a better place to start is to think about the entire subject of criminals and how society contains and/or punishes them.

There are reasons why the ‘socially straight’ might want protection from people who steal from them or attack them or deceive them to gain material benefits for themselves. There is less agreement on how to deal with, i.e. how to punish, offenders, but there are four possible reasons for sanction: retribution; deterrence; rehabilitation; incapacitation.

Society generally considers prison to be the most appropriate punishment for a range of crimes, and this solution both incapacitates the offender, removed as he is from society and opportunities for further criminal activity while giving the perpetrator the opportunity and seclusion for serious reflection. Loss of liberty is, in itself, a punishment which may bring resentment and resistance. Meanwhile, the victim has the satisfaction of seeing appropriate punishment for offenders and the relief of the offender being removed from the scene, albeit temporarily. It is also hoped that the possibility of prison will deter the criminal from future offending behaviour, but in the British system, the additional idea of targeted rehabilitation for the offender seems relatively remote. Rehabilitation is shown to help ease the offender’s re-entry into society and yet is less widely used with adults than other sanctions, although popular when treating juvenile offenders where it is effective.

In spite of societal approval for imprisonment, decades of research show that while prison removes the offender from his normal life and with it, opportunities for committing further crimes, while also carrying an unwelcome societal stigma for the perpetrator, research also shows that it is the least effective place in which to rehabilitate offenders. In fact, some studies show that a stint in prison
increases the likelihood that inmates will reoffend   

One widespread attempt at an alternative solution to the problem of punishment is Probation. This allows low-risk or first-time offenders to remain in their community under close court-imposed conditions while receiving therapy such as counselling or treatment programmes (therapy) promoting behavioural reform. The emphasis of these counselling and behavioural reform programmes must be on promoting hope and motivation. Probation  is less expensive than imprisonment and can help maintain family ties while enabling offenders to continue working, earning and paying taxes thus contributing positively to the community. Probation also has the added benefits for the offender, of reducing social stigma and aiding social reintegration.

The chief risk to success in using Probation, is recidivism. Despite close supervision by Probation Officers, a significant proportion of probationers, up to half of all offenders, reoffend. There is also a degree of inconsistency between Probation Services, region by region, with strong leadership in some and less effective management in others and this may both compromise public safety in some districts while producing results of variable quality for those involved.

Reports highlight that probation systems often suffer from underfunding and fragmented services leading to a varying quality of effectiveness, all of which limit their ability to achieve the long-term goal of the rehabilitation of offenders. However, probation is nonetheless a valuable tool for balancing rehabilitation, cost savings and community safety. Its strengths lie in promoting reform, reducing prison overcrowding and maintaining social ties while its weaknesses stem chiefly from recidivism.

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Empress Matilda: Queen of the Romans, Ruler of the English

Matilda, Holy Roman Empress 
and claimant to the English throne 1127.
Daughter of Henry 1.
Image from the Golden Book of St Albans

 

King Henry 1

A  newly-published book by Elisabeth van Houts, described as a thoroughly researched, scholarly biography of a remarkable woman, tells a wonderfully interesting narrative of Henry 1’s only legitimate child, his daughter, Matilda, who was officially recognised as his heir at a ceremony in Normandy, when the entire Anglo-Norman nobility swore to support her claim to the English throne as England’s first queen regnant. This was a surprisingly open-minded decision given the fact that she was a woman, and that there were also at least 20 other illegitimate offspring of the notoriously sexually incontinent Henry, with perhaps equal claims to the throne.

Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor

However, once the decision had been made regarding Matilda’s future role, not of course by her but by Henry and his counsellors, she was betrothed to Henry V, the Holy Roman Emperor, in 1109 at the age of seven and sent to Triers to learn the language and customs of his people. Henry was two decades older than Matilda and as she matured, he educated her in the art of government clearly trusting her judgement when leaving her to rule in his absence as Regent; an extraordinary responsibility for one so young and a tribute to her strength of character and political acumen. He died early and unexpectedly in 1125, leaving Matilda a widow at 23. 

Geoffrey, Count of Anjou

But the royal hand of a princess could not be left long alone and her father quickly found her a suitor, Geoffrey, Count of Anjou, ten years her junior and a pessimist whose motto, “Bad today; worse tomorrow” was carved above the gate to one of his castles.  The political aim of the union was to cement peace between Normandy, Anjou and England but it was a politically unequal decision despite which, the couple managed to form the necessary effective working relationship. This clever precaution proved to be resilient when, within one month of the death of Henry 1, Stephen, one of Matilda’s cousins and a favourite of King Henry, had himself crowned King of England with the blessing of the Pope, and retaliatory action was required.                                                 

Matilda began a vigorous campaign in Normandy to secure her inheritance and demonstrated a fearless energy in achieving her goal. Two months after giving birth to her third son, she led an army to rescue her wounded husband, Geoffrey, who was described by a contemporary as "his wife's stipendiary commander," an indication of where the power in the relationship lay! True to form, it was Matilda who invaded England in 1139, supported by another half-brother, Robert, the first Earl of Gloucester. Within two years, she had captured Stephen and grown closer to her ambition of ruling as Female Lord of the English. For several months in 1141, she enjoyed all the powers of a monarch, issuing coinage, consulting her advisers and appointing loyal men to earldoms and bishoprics. But what had seemed a

Stephen, King of England 1141

fairytale ending to Matilda's story was abruptly reversed as she was preparing for her coronation when a serious  rebellion in London forced her abrupt retreat and capitulation. By the end of that year, 1141, Stephen was back on the throne. Matilda had returned to England, remaining for several more years, controlling a significant swathe of the south west but never regaining her earlier eminence and power. She consequently lived chiefly at her base in Devizes Castle, while vigorously supporting her son's claim to regal power.                                                 

King Henry 11 in 1154
formerly Henry FitzEmpress.
son of Matilda.

 Hopes  were now indeed, increasingly pinned on the next generation although the heir, her half-brother and next in line, was allegedly "more devoted to the bedchamber than to war."  Happily for the family fortunes, and probably for the stable political future of England, Matilda's son, Henry FitzEmpress, was altogether a more impressive character and when he turned 15 and announced his ambitions for the English throne, she decided to renounce her claim and return to Rouen from where she energetically supported his regal claim.  She also acted as his enforcer in Normandy, a significant region of power for the English throne and a possible base for a rival regal claim. Here, the powerful local gentry were frequently reminded that if they did not follow orders, "my mother , the Empress and Lord, will make them happen."  

 After FitzEmpress became Henry 11 of England in 1154, he implicitly acknowledged his mother's extensive political experience by consulting her on an array of problems and possible solutions. He certainly followed her advice to treat his nobles harshly so that, like hawks deprived of food, they would become more obedient. She also warned against frequent public appearances as this kept to a minimum the opportunities for subjects to present those irritating petitions with difficult problems for him to solve.  Hostile contemporary chroniclers accused Matilda of "intolerable indignation" and "insufferable arrogance"; even her friend and confidant, Nicholas of Mont-aux-Malades, described her as "a  tyrant of Norman stock" in the mould of her grandfather, William the Conqueror. At times she was called upon to display the "humble and gentle behaviour proper to a woman." a somewhat over-optimistic entreaty considering her forthright character. Perhaps her tomb epitaph best conveys the twelfth century summary of its opinion of her position: "Great by birth; greater by marriage; greatest in her offspring," though this seems to me to undersell her character and achievements.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

The Bezalel Academy of Art and Design

 The Bezalel Academy was founded as an art movement in 1906 in Jerusalem and is now recognised as Israel's oldest institution of higher education in the field of art and design. Boris Schatz, the 'father of Israeli art', left his position as Head of the Royal Academy of Arts in Sofia, Bulgaria to found the Academy and establish an institution that combined education and craftsmanship, merging Eastern and Western cultures by providing places for artists to work and study. Although Jewish art in Mandatory Palestine had a history that reached back to at least the mid-19th century, the commonly-held opinion by 1906 was to dismiss the earlier works as of little value and to laud the importance of Boris Schatz as a pioneer who attempted "to create a Jewish art, indeed, a Palestinian art" in part by the establishment of the Bezalel School. Yona Fischer suggests that Bezalel is, within the historical context of Zionism, a movement that "divides past and future"of an emerging Israel "searching its own definition." 

Bezalel Academy buildings 1913

The Bezalel artists blended varied strands of tradition with innovations in producing paintings and craft objects that invoked Biblical themes, Islamic design and European art traditions such as Art Nouveau, Symbolism and included tradtional Persian and Syrian art. Their efforts were a noble attempt to carve out a distinctive style of Jewish art for the new nation planned to be established in the ancient Jewish homeland. In fact, ultimately, their group's works of art contributed significantly to the creation of a distinctive Israeli national culture. The artists were Zionist immigrants from Europe and the Middle East who had survived  all the psychological and social upheavals inherent in European Jewish lives and, inevitably, their personal experiences became 
interwoven with their art. The artists and designers were European-trained but the craftsmen who actually executed the works, were often members of the Yemenite Jewish community which had a long tradition of craftsmanship in precious metals. Filigree jewellery-making, primarily in silver, was a respected profession among the Yemenite Jewish community with both cultural and religious applications and these craftsmen-silversmiths created pieces by hand using traditional methods.

Bezalel woollen carpet depicting Rachel's tomb

The Bezalel story is inspiring, still after over 120 years. I only recently chanced upon a mention of this hugely important movement about which I knew nothing, and so have looked online for a little more contemporary information. Below are details taken from current publicity and convey an uplifting and joyful message announcing as it does, the Bezalel prime purposes nationally and culturally.

Boris Schatz, founder of Bezalel 1906

"For more than a century,  Bezalel has served as a magnet for people who dare to dream, dare to do. Filled with principles and passions, talent and vision, at the Academy students embark on a demanding quest to acquire the tools and training to hone their talents and perfect their craft. During the course of their  education, they are taught to meet the challenges of today's global society and blaze their own unique trail in tomorrow's world. Bezalel epitomises the essence of Israeli art and design and has been a crucial catalyst in the country's cultural development. Its unique status in Israeli history and society is the foundation for its conviction that educating and training aspiring artists requires endowing them with values and the seeds of responsible citizenship as well as skills.

Jozef Israel self-portrait, given to Schatz

Bezalel is known for its excellence in educating and enriching generations of aspiring artists, designers and architects; and for inspiring original thought, furthering tolerance and for promoting freedom of expression and creative libery that expand cultural horizons and impact conventional beliefs. The Academy encourages its students and faculty to use their distinctive skills and viewpoints to embrace humanistic and human-centred approaches to art and design. Undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered in a myriad of disciplines: architecture and urban design; fashion and jewellery; fine arts;glass and ceramics; industrial design; photography and  visual communication. Degree programmes are also offered in theory and policy of the arts and visual culture."

Boris Schatz was a  Lithuanian Jewish artist and sculptor who temporarily lived in Palestine. Schatz was the founder of the Bezalel School and would later be known as the father of the Bezalel School movement in Israeli art. His children, Zahara Schatz and Bezalel Schatz were also artists and Zahara gained recognition internationally.The 1955 Israel Prize for Art was awarded to her in recognition of the important national contributions of the whole Schatz family. After Schatz died, part of his art collection, including a famous self-portrait by Dutch Master, Jozef Israels, given to Schatz by the artist, eventually formed the nucleus of the Israel Museum.

1929 Exhibition poster

Old Bezalel silver filigree pendant with blue stone

 

  

Mid-20th century Bezalel silver pendant