--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every prisoner knows perfectly that he is…" description: "\"“Every prisoner knows perfectly that he is a convict and a reprobate, and knows the distance which separates him from his superiors; but neither the br..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/980/dostoieffsky-233604_convict_every-prisoner-knows-perfectly-that-he-i_690997.jpg" --- # Every prisoner knows perfectly that he is a convict and a… ![“Every prisoner knows perfectly that he is a convict and a reprobate, and knows the distance which separates him from his superiors; but neither the branding irons nor chains will make him forget that he is a man.” quote by Dostoieffsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/980/dostoieffsky-233604_convict_every-prisoner-knows-perfectly-that-he-i_690997.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/980/dostoieffsky-233604_convict_every-prisoner-knows-perfectly-that-he-i_690997.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/980/dostoieffsky-233604_convict_every-prisoner-knows-perfectly-that-he-i_690997.jpg) > ““Every prisoner knows perfectly that he is a convict and a reprobate, and knows the distance which separates him from his superiors; but neither the branding irons nor chains will make him forget that he is a man.”” Dostoieffsky ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote asserts that a prisoner remains human despite branding or chains, emphasizing inherent dignity. **In simple terms:** Even prisoners retain humanity. Key Takeaway Remember inherent human dignity. Themes human rights dignity justice identity freedom Mood serious hopeful empathetic Type Convict:1 Prisoner:1 Perfectly Convict:0 Prisoner Knows:0 Convict Reprobate:0 When to use this quote - advocacy - rehabilitation programs - personal reflection Key Concepts philosophy social critique psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does recognizing humanity affect treatment of prisoners? - What reforms arise from this view? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Convict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convict/) [Prisoner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prisoner/) ## Related quotes > [No matter how corrupt and unjust a convict may be, he loves fairness more than anything else. If the people placed over him are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/no-matter-how-corrupt-and-unjust-a-convict-may-be-he-loves-fairness/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“You can almost define a convict as one who lacks precisely the kind of wisdom and self-control necessary to derive long-term advantage from short-term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/you-can-almost-define-a-convict-as-one-who-lacks-precisely-the-kind/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [What can I do if everyone from the president to a junior bureaucrat is dying to convict me. If I am such a criminal,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asif-ali-zardari/what-can-i-do-if-everyone-from-the-president-to-a-junior-bureaucrat/) [Asif Ali Zardari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asif-ali-zardari/) > [“They even convict and execute the dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-berry/they-even-convict-and-execute-the-dead/) [Julie Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-berry/) > [Our constitutionally-based criminal justice system places a high value on protecting the innocent. Among its central tenets is the idea that it is better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-shapiro/our-constitutionally-based-criminal-justice-system-places-a-high/) [Robert Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-shapiro/) > [“Of course, 85 per cent won’t be enough by itself to convict him, but it makes him someone you want to take seriously.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-bolton/of-course-85-per-cent-won-t-be-enough-by-itself-to-convict-him-but-it/) [S.J. Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-bolton/) > [I'm the only convict who couldn't get into Australia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goad/i-m-the-only-convict-who-couldn-t-get-into-australia/) [Jim Goad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goad/) > [“The most honest man I bet I’ve ever known, I and met him in prison.” “The nicest woman I ever knew, and she took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cara-mckenna/the-most-honest-man-i-bet-i-ve-ever-known-i-and-met-him-in-prison-the/) [Cara McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cara-mckenna/) > [You could accuse Republicans of a lot of things, but you could never convict us of being too conservative!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-demint/you-could-accuse-republicans-of-a-lot-of-things-but-you-could-never/) [Jim DeMint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-demint/) > [I'm enormously proud of being the ancestor of a convict. That's mad, isn't it, but I really am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-reid/i-m-enormously-proud-of-being-the-ancestor-of-a-convict-that-s-mad/) [Anne Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-reid/) > [“The witch-hunt narrative is a really popular story that goes like this: Lots of people were falsely convicted of child sexual abuse in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-cheit/the-witch-hunt-narrative-is-a-really-popular-story-that-goes-like/) [Ross Cheit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-cheit/) > [“Brother, these last two months I've found in myself a new man. A new man has risen up in me. He was hidden in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/brother-these-last-two-months-i-ve-found-in-myself-a-new-man-a-new/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [I've been a biker, I've been a convict, I've been a husband, father, and son.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-chapman/i-ve-been-a-biker-i-ve-been-a-convict-i-ve-been-a-husband-father-and/) [Duane Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-chapman/) > [“Farragut's first visitor was his wife. He was raking leaves in yard Y when the PA said that 734-508-32 had a visitor. He jogged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/farragut-s-first-visitor-was-his-wife-he-was-raking-leaves-in-yard-y/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [“Imagine the martyrdom of a pun which has become an integral portion of one's organism to be lugged through life like the convict's ball…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-james/imagine-the-martyrdom-of-a-pun-which-has-become-an-integral-portion/) [Alice James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-james/) ## More Convict quotes > [No matter how corrupt and unjust a convict may be, he loves fairness more than anything else. If the people placed over him are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/no-matter-how-corrupt-and-unjust-a-convict-may-be-he-loves-fairness/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“Farragut's first visitor was his wife. He was raking leaves in yard Y when the PA said that 734-508-32 had a visitor. He jogged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/farragut-s-first-visitor-was-his-wife-he-was-raking-leaves-in-yard-y/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [I've been a biker, I've been a convict, I've been a husband, father, and son.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duane-chapman/i-ve-been-a-biker-i-ve-been-a-convict-i-ve-been-a-husband-father-and/) [Duane Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duane-chapman/) > [“Brother, these last two months I've found in myself a new man. A new man has risen up in me. He was hidden in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/brother-these-last-two-months-i-ve-found-in-myself-a-new-man-a-new/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“The witch-hunt narrative is a really popular story that goes like this: Lots of people were falsely convicted of child sexual abuse in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-cheit/the-witch-hunt-narrative-is-a-really-popular-story-that-goes-like/) [Ross Cheit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-cheit/) > [I'm enormously proud of being the ancestor of a convict. That's mad, isn't it, but I really am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-reid/i-m-enormously-proud-of-being-the-ancestor-of-a-convict-that-s-mad/) [Anne Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-reid/) > [You could accuse Republicans of a lot of things, but you could never convict us of being too conservative!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-demint/you-could-accuse-republicans-of-a-lot-of-things-but-you-could-never/) [Jim DeMint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-demint/) > [“The most honest man I bet I’ve ever known, I and met him in prison.” “The nicest woman I ever knew, and she took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cara-mckenna/the-most-honest-man-i-bet-i-ve-ever-known-i-and-met-him-in-prison-the/) [Cara McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cara-mckenna/) > [I'm the only convict who couldn't get into Australia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goad/i-m-the-only-convict-who-couldn-t-get-into-australia/) [Jim Goad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goad/) > [“Of course, 85 per cent won’t be enough by itself to convict him, but it makes him someone you want to take seriously.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-bolton/of-course-85-per-cent-won-t-be-enough-by-itself-to-convict-him-but-it/) [S.J. Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-bolton/) > [Our constitutionally-based criminal justice system places a high value on protecting the innocent. Among its central tenets is the idea that it is better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-shapiro/our-constitutionally-based-criminal-justice-system-places-a-high/) [Robert Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-shapiro/) > [“They even convict and execute the dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-berry/they-even-convict-and-execute-the-dead/) [Julie Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-berry/) > [What can I do if everyone from the president to a junior bureaucrat is dying to convict me. If I am such a criminal,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asif-ali-zardari/what-can-i-do-if-everyone-from-the-president-to-a-junior-bureaucrat/) [Asif Ali Zardari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asif-ali-zardari/) > [“You can almost define a convict as one who lacks precisely the kind of wisdom and self-control necessary to derive long-term advantage from short-term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/you-can-almost-define-a-convict-as-one-who-lacks-precisely-the-kind/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“Imagine the martyrdom of a pun which has become an integral portion of one's organism to be lugged through life like the convict's ball…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-james/imagine-the-martyrdom-of-a-pun-which-has-become-an-integral-portion/) [Alice James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-james/) [Browse all 28 Convict quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convict/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Every prisoner knows perfectly that he is a convict and a reprobate, and knows the distance which separates him from his superiors; but neither the branding irons nor chains will make him forget that he is a man.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dostoieffsky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoieffsky/every-prisoner-knows-perfectly-that-he-is-a-convict-and-a-reprobate/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Convict" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoieffsky/every-prisoner-knows-perfectly-that-he-is-a-convict-and-a-reprobate/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/980/dostoieffsky-233604_convict_every-prisoner-knows-perfectly-that-he-i_690997.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/980/dostoieffsky-233604_convict_every-prisoner-knows-perfectly-that-he-i_690997.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/980/dostoieffsky-233604_convict_every-prisoner-knows-perfectly-that-he-i_690997.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Every prisoner knows perfectly that he is a convict and a reprobate, and knows the distance which separates…” — Dostoieffsky", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dostoieffsky", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dostoieffsky/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Every prisoner knows perfectly that he...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoieffsky/every-prisoner-knows-perfectly-that-he-is-a-convict-and-a-reprobate/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dostoieffsky/every-prisoner-knows-perfectly-that-he-is-a-convict-and-a-reprobate/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```