shawshank redemption
...es, each man is faced with a choice to either get busy living or get busy dying. Their decisions result in the movie’s climax and make them legends of Shawshank Prison. The Shawshank Redemption offers a glimpse into many aspects of prison life. Inmate subculture and apathy, in addition to prison routine is themes explored throughout the film. In spite of numerous instances of man’s inhumanity to man, the film manages to provide an inspiring message that hope should never be lost within the human spirit. This is no more evident than in Andy’s quote, “Fear can hold you prisoner, hope can set you free.” One who is seeking a humanizing depiction of the trials and tribulations experienced by prisoners should seek to view this film. Doing Hard Time 1 Running head: Doing Hard Time At Shawshank Prison Doing Hard Time At Shawshank Prison: A Comparison Between The Movie And The Text Kathie Walker Kaplan University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for CJ101-14 Professor Cindy Johnson February 8, 2005 Doing Hard Time 2 Throughout the history of the correctional system, there have been those who have sought to reform the system. Many have advocated for better treatment of inmates, the formation of substantive educational and therapeutic programs, and programs to assist inmates with sustaining connections with the outside society. Strict discipline has been a long standing practice within the system in an effort to maintain order. Solitary confinement is a mainstay punishment for disobedient prisoners. Often recreational activities, such as exercising, are the only means by which prisoners can mingle amongst themselves for social interaction. Prison life consists of routine. There are a multitude of hardships one encounters while incarcerated. Though set in the 1940s, The Shawshank Redemption offers a poignant overview of the criminal justice system and its impact upon lives of prisoners. The onset of the movie is the criminal trial proceedings of a main character, Andy Dufresne. The prosecutor is arguing that Andy committed a crime of passion by murdering his wife and her lover. In the absence of eyewitness testimony, the state used Andy’s testimony against him, as by his own admission he had driven to her lover’s home, in an inebriated state, with a loaded handgun. He went on to say that he’d not fired the weapon and disposed of it in a local body of water. The jury listened intently and though he’d exhibited no previous criminal behavior, the former vice president of a local bank in Maine, was convicted of 2 counts of first degree murder. Though his case was predominantly circumstantial, his attorneys could not dispute that he was present at the crime scene. As a result, he was not vigorously defended. During the trial, Andy proclaimed his innocence, which was interpreted by the judge as showing a lack of remorse. Due to this fact, he was received a sentence of 2 consecutive life terms. The movie did not depict an adversarial relationship between the defense and prosecutor(s), as the text has suggested exists. Rather, it appeared that the defendant was defenseless. Moreover, it appeared the judge in the case used judicial discretion to imposed the harshest sentence available without consideration of Andy’s exemplary past. The movie makes no mention of a presentence investigation report, nor does it mention the sentencing structure. In accordance with the text, he was sentenced for each charge and ordered to serve them concurrently. Many of the prisoners at Shawshank were serving life sentences. The parole process within the prison left many disheartened. It was routine for a prisoner to suggest to the parole board that he was a reformed criminal and no longer a threat to society. Repeated failures to gain release made the majority of the inmates express indifference. Fear of the outside world led many to dread the thought of returning to a society in which they’d forever be known as criminals. In Chapter 9,the goals of modern day sentencing are to rehabilitate, incapacitate, deter, restorative justice, and offer retribution. At Shawshank prison, there was little effort to rehabilitate. Therefore, parole was usually granted to individuals who due to their age were no longer considered a threat to society. There were no programs for reconciliation between offenders and victims. Nor was there a deterrence factor. Rather, the prison served to incapacitate the hardened criminal and disconnect him from society. Constructive programs, such as libraries and education were not funded, which left potential parolees without the necessary skills to cope upon return to society.In one scene, an inmate is paroled after serving 50 years in Shawshank. His fear of life on the outside prompts him to attempt to commit an offense that would permit him to remain incarcerated. Upon his release, he is so disillusioned by...