If inmates are merely the decadent species of our well-rounded society, why should we care? If these individuals were responsible for crimes ranging from drug dealing to acts of terrorism in Lebanon, why should we feel responsible for their well-being?
Controversies that have characterized Lebanese prisons in the past have continued unabated, with overcrowding, corruption and violence perennial aspects of the prison environment. Prisons in Lebanon are described by local and international media, as “schools for merchants (dealers) and drugs ”[1] rather than the rehabilitation and educative facilities they should be. If Lebanese prisons are responsible for turning thieves into murderers, or drug addicts into militant extremists, is it not a good enough reason to care?
The negative image of inmates in Lebanese public opinion is one of the major inhibiting factors to improving prison living conditions, reducing overly punitive penalties and promoting effective rehabilitation. An effective reform is being restrained by many factors not only related to governance but societies understanding or lack thereof of the importance of rehabilitation in particular. It is not considered as a “priority” for the government, and not “necessary” in the public opinion. Some argue hence that the most effective way to prevent crime is to make offenders endure cruel and ill-treatments that will promote fear of further incarceration, and as a deterrent for other potential criminals. The importance of rehabilitation being a crucial aspect of incarceration is not just an ideal, with the positive benefits to society clearly supported by many prison studies and academic works. According to the Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice Rehabilitation has an utilitarian goal which is “to benefit to society by reducing crime”.
The humanitarian crisis in Lebanese prisons can be characterized by one word: isolation . It is mainly due to the wrongful vision of prisons as institutions prioritizing repression over prevention, the latter of which should be the goal of any prison. Such prevention does not imply deterring former prisoners to repeat their crime through only punishment, but also through “rehabilitation”. It implies an active intervention of civil society and state agents to facilitate the transition from prison to society. This is the reason why the few NGOS on the ground trying to promote rehabilitation activities have had such little support and are forced to work in difficult conditions. It is also why prisoners operate with complete autonomy within most Lebanese carceral facilities,[2] creating their own authority structures which not only place many inmates in vulnerable and abusive positions, but inhibits their ability to prepare themselves for a successful reintegration into society.
According to the study by Francesco Drago about the impact of prisons conditions on recidivism, “higher isolation and a lower degree of osmosis between prison and the rest society may negatively affect the post release legal opportunities of inmates, thus increasing their propensity to commit another crime.” A culture of stigmatization and indifference does not encourage former inmates to have a positive impact on society upon reintegration. This exclusion is having tremendously negative effect on Lebanese society, leading to numerous cases of recidivism and even an increase of crimes among detainee’s families
The most striking impact of the detainees’ institutional isolation within Lebanese prisons is their almost complete ignorance about what is happening to them and how the judiciary system works. Despite the efforts of a few NGOs on the ground, this isolation results not only in a lack of medical, psychological support but in a lack of knowledge about their rights, and the different kind of supports available for them as detainees. Detainees often tolerate the most flagrant human rights violations, such as torture, physical abuses and ill-treatment. Violence has been completely normalized between the police and detainees, to the extent that most detainees would not even mention “slaps” when questioned on the topic, as they are considered trivial and insignificant. Their lack of knowledge about Lebanese law and judicial procedures pushes them to rely on co-detainees, who tend to share incorrect information. They are overwhelmed by administrative procedures, especially foreign prisoners who do not know how to regularize their situation or renew their residency. Many remain in prison for years without trial and have no idea when they will be free. According to the Internal Security Forces, “around 13 percent of detainees in Lebanese prisons were foreigners who had finished serving their sentences, with this group including asylum seekers and refugees who cannot safely return to their countries.”[3] Of course, such a situation has a very negative impact on non-national prisoners during their detention and once they get out, inmates often have become illegal residents during their detention and have no hope of finding work thereafter. In general though, the trauma of being neglected and forgotten by the system prevents all prisoners from rebuilding their lives, maintaining strong ties with their families outside, and from preparing their return to society .
Considering the limited support structures available in prison, inmates are forced to rely on other detainees. This isolation triggers the build-up of gangs and networks, guided by “shawishs”, which encourage inmates to repeat crime often on a larger scale. This system is made worse by the fact that there is no clear separation between inmates sentenced for very different types of crime . In Roumieh, for instance, murderers share their cells with drug addicts and thieves. This environment affects all inmates who, instead of using their time in prison to prepare a “new life” outside, rely on these new networks to secure their future illegal activities once they get out. A drug addict for instance will find a huge community inside prison with the same addiction and will broaden his connections outside thanks to the different networking providing drugs to other prisoners. Last year, twenty-six inmates, twelve guards and a doctor were charged, as stated in the Daily Star, for operating “drug trafficking ring” at Roumieh.[4] The guards obtained the drugs from outside the prison and “promoted them at the jail with the help of the charged inmates”.[5]
This example in particular reveals how the entire system currently serves to encourage criminality, rather than combat it. Left alone in a systematic world controlled by other criminals, prisoners in Lebanon do not have a chance to reflect on their crime, or change their paths. On the contrary, this is the perfect context for the proliferation of criminal behaviour.
Not only are inmates suffering from a tragic isolation during their detention, they also have to face fierce exclusion once they get out. Being a former prisoner, joining the work force once they get out is always very challenging. The biggest problem faced by former prisoners (around the world, but particularly in Lebanon), is the cultural stigmatization attached to their incarceration. It makes it very difficult for former prisoners to find work and reintegrate into society. It is why prisons usually attempt to provide educational facilities, giving the prisoners a chance to becoming useful and productive citizens, less likely to re-offend once they have served their time.
Lebanese prisons are not providing such facilities. This is despite the fact that it is absolutely needed by detainees who are predominantly craftsman, and who do not have the education and skills to be competitive on the working market. Statistically, 52% of Lebanese prisoners have not studied beyond the primary level. Most prisoners are not able to continue their higher education while their detention, and government plans to allow public system teacher access to the prisons have not come into fruition. Only a few NGOs such as the Association for Justice and Mercy offer Arabic and English classes in Roumieh. As a result, once Lebanese inmates get out of prison, not only have they forgotten their skills, but are forced to face a global social stigma that further prevents them from finding work and establishing themselves. Such a situation encourages them to work illegally, and forces them back into the spiral of crime.
In addition, prison education could also improve the relationship between Internal Security Forces and inmates. The lack of training and support of the Internal Security Forces does not effectively enable them to handle the various profiles that prisons contain. This situation leads to violent altercations between IFS and inmates. Education would provide prisoners opportunities to spend their time productively [6]and ISF a chance to reduce the use of violence in prisons. It could lay the ground for a safer environment for all prison actors.
“Exclusion” also applies to the detainee’s families. Imprisonment induces a set of burdens on the family members, such as financial strains, psychological challenges and social stigmatization. Detainees could have been the major source of income for the family, and their incarceration could leave them in financial distress . Isolation from their family member, but also from society through exclusion will reinforce the exposure of the family members to risk factors, such as poverty, mental illnesses and in some extreme cases, even criminal activity.
It is difficult for any member of the family to visit Roumieh today because it has become a “high risk” prison, which involves a very strict security system and difficult access. This has a very negative impact on the prisoners who depend highly on their families to balance the fact that there is no proper food, no water and no blankets during winter. It also imposes great stress on the family who is aware of the inhuman conditions in Lebanese prisons.
The isolation of Lebanese detainees symbolized by the lack of authority, rehabilitation structures and civilian interventions reflect a similar exclusion outside of prison with a violent stigma attached to former prisoners and their family. Yet, our examples demonstrated that such isolation inside and outside prison creates a vicious circle from which neither the criminal his/her family can escape. It is the perfect combination to promote recidivism and the increase of the crime rate among poor and marginalized population.
This should be a good reason to care. There is an urgent need for a civilian awakening and activism to promote a basic rehabilitation system in Lebanese prisons and support for the civilians already involved on the ground. There is an urgent need for the government to start paying attention to the collateral impact Lebanese prisons have on Lebanese society. It has become undeniable that Lebanese mentalities should, if not change completely, start reflecting about how they own personal views are contributing to the crime spiral in Lebanon.
CULLEN, FRANCIS T.; SANTANA, SHANNON, An Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice (2002
WALTER C. RECKLESS MEMORIAL LECTURE Thinking about prison and its impact on the 21rst century p611-61
HUMAN RIGHT WATCH, World Report, 2011
FRANCESCO DRAGO- ROBERTO GALBIATI- PIETRO VERTOVAF, Prison conditions and recidivism, March 2008
DAILY STAR, Prisons engendering worse offenders, 4th of july 201
FORBES, College behind bars – how educated prisoners pays off. 3/25/2013
AL AKHBAR, FATEN ELHAJJ, A “Handcuffed” Education behind the Bars, 2nd of January 2013
[1] Daily star Prisons engendering worse offenders, 4th of july 2014
[2] Except Roumieh which became recently a high security prison controlled by the police, increasing violence etcx
[3] HUMAN RIGHT WATCH, World report, 2011
[4] DAILY STAR, Lebanese prison guards charged for trafficking, 10 / 12 / 2013
[5] DAILY STAR, Lebanese prison guards charged for trafficking, 10 / 12 / 2013=
[6] FORBES, College behind bars – how educated prisoners pays off. 3/25/2013
CLOSER WALLS 
