--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: How come we never use prison, the failure…" description: "\"How come we never use prison, the failure of prison, as a reason not to give more prison? There's never a moment where we say, 'OK, well, prison hasn't..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e12/james-forman-jr-20846_failure_how-come-we-never-use-prison-the-failure_988913.jpg" --- # How come we never use prison, the failure of prison, as a… ![“How come we never use prison, the failure of prison, as a reason not to give more prison? There's never a moment where we say, 'OK, well, prison hasn't worked, so we're not going to try that again.'” quote by James Forman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e12/james-forman-jr-20846_failure_how-come-we-never-use-prison-the-failure_988913.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e12/james-forman-jr-20846_failure_how-come-we-never-use-prison-the-failure_988913.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e12/james-forman-jr-20846_failure_how-come-we-never-use-prison-the-failure_988913.jpg) > “How come we never use prison, the failure of prison, as a reason not to give more prison? There's never a moment where we say, 'OK, well, prison hasn't worked, so we're not going to try that again.'” [James Forman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critiques the paradox of using prison failures as justification for expanding incarceration, highlighting inconsistency in policy reasoning. **In simple terms:** People argue against prison while still supporting more of it. Key Takeaway Question policies, not just outcomes. Themes justice policy paradox inconsistency Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical political When to use this quote - criminal justice reform - legislative debates - public opinion - advocacy campaigns Key Concepts systemic critique policy analysis Questions to Reflect On - How can we reconcile criticism of prison with calls for more? - What alternatives address the root issues? A Different Perspective Ignoring systemic causes of failure may perpetuate harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Failure Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure-prison-2011225/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Prison Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison-failure-2011224/) [Prison Hasn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison-hasn-2011228/) [Prison Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison-reason-2011226/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try/) [Use Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use-prison-2011227/) ## Related quotes > [Our system never treated the failure of prison as a reason not to try more prison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr/our-system-never-treated-the-failure-of-prison-as-a-reason-not-to-try/) [James Forman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr/) > [“Adrian. He was the reason I was able to survive in this prison. And he was also the reason I was here in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/adrian-he-was-the-reason-i-was-able-to-survive-in-this-prison-and-he/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [Negative thoughts are the nails that build a prison of failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/negative-thoughts-are-the-nails-that-build-a-prison-of-failure/) [Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/) > [Attica. The name itself has long signified resistance to prison abuse and state violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr/attica-the-name-itself-has-long-signified-resistance-to-prison-abuse/) [James Forman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr/) > [Identity is not negotiable. An identity you have achieved by agreement is always a prison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-john-harrison/identity-is-not-negotiable-an-identity-you-have-achieved-by-agreement/) [M. John Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-john-harrison/) > [We are all potentially such sick men. The sanest and best of us are of one clay with lunatics and prison-inmates. And whenever we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/we-are-all-potentially-such-sick-men-the-sanest-and-best-of-us-are-of/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [“...you are strong only as long as you don't deprive people of everything . For a person you've taken everything from is no longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/you-are-strong-only-as-long-as-you-don-t-deprive-people-of-everything/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [The dark ages still reign over all humanity, and the depth and persistence of this domination are only now becoming clear. This Dark Ages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/the-dark-ages-still-reign-over-all-humanity-and-the-depth-and/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [The federal prison population increased by almost 800 percent between 1980 and 2013, often at a far faster rate than the Bureau of Prisons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-yates/the-federal-prison-population-increased-by-almost-800-percent-between/) [Sally Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-yates/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [This mind is a prison. It cannot find any freedom anywhere. It must die before freedom comes to you. But we have taken the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/this-mind-is-a-prison-it-cannot-find-any-freedom-anywhere-it-must-die/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Prison experience puts distance between me and any person who hasn't been there, done that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mcconnell/prison-experience-puts-distance-between-me-and-any-person-who-hasn-t/) [Patricia McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mcconnell/) > [I hadn't worked for a year when I had my Prison Break audition and it was the easiest audition I've ever had. I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-hadn-t-worked-for-a-year-when-i-had-my-prison-break-audition-and-it/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Humanitarian goods and people must flow in both directions. Gaza cannot and must not be allowed to remain a prison camp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cameron/humanitarian-goods-and-people-must-flow-in-both-directions-gaza/) [David Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cameron/) ## More by James Forman, Jr > [Attica. The name itself has long signified resistance to prison abuse and state violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr/attica-the-name-itself-has-long-signified-resistance-to-prison-abuse/) [James Forman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr/) > [At the end of the day, I think my story is, we need black officers because African-Americans need a fair shot at good jobs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr/at-the-end-of-the-day-i-think-my-story-is-we-need-black-officers/) [James Forman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr/) > [One consequence of racism and segregation is that many American whites know little or nothing about the daily lives of African Americans. Black America's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr/one-consequence-of-racism-and-segregation-is-that-many-american/) [James Forman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr/) > [Most people that take jobs as police officers are taking them because they're good jobs. Many who go into these jobs are doing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr/most-people-that-take-jobs-as-police-officers-are-taking-them-because/) [James Forman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr/) > [Actually creating a positive school climate, particularly in schools that are in communities that are themselves not calm and orderly, is hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr/actually-creating-a-positive-school-climate-particularly-in-schools/) [James Forman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr/) > [A black man of my generation born in the late 1960s is more than twice as likely to go to prison in his lifetime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr/a-black-man-of-my-generation-born-in-the-late-1960s-is-more-than/) [James Forman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr/) > [I clerked for a judge, William Norris, on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals right after law school and then for Justice O'Connor the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr/i-clerked-for-a-judge-william-norris-on-the-9th-circuit-court-of/) [James Forman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr/) > [I find it very frustrating how much passing the buck there is in the criminal justice system when it comes to taking responsibility for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr/i-find-it-very-frustrating-how-much-passing-the-buck-there-is-in-the/) [James Forman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr/) > [You can get rid of the teacher certification requirements, and you're still not going to have a rush of incredibly high-quality people going into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr/you-can-get-rid-of-the-teacher-certification-requirements-and-you-re/) [James Forman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr/) > [We rarely have good alternatives to offer to prison - that's our default.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr/we-rarely-have-good-alternatives-to-offer-to-prison-that-s-our-default/) [James Forman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr/) > [“Mass incarceration is the result of small, distinct steps, each of whose significance becomes more apparent over time, and only when considered in light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr/mass-incarceration-is-the-result-of-small-distinct-steps-each-of/) [James Forman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr/) > [The fundamental problem for the teaching profession is how undervalued it is and how underpaid teachers are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr/the-fundamental-problem-for-the-teaching-profession-is-how/) [James Forman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr/) > [What if we strove for compassion, for mercy, for forgiveness? And what if we did this for everybody, including people who have harmed others?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr/what-if-we-strove-for-compassion-for-mercy-for-forgiveness-and-what/) [James Forman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr/) > [In terms of addressing crime issues in the black community, the dominant political class has historically refused to endorse the full slate of reforms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr/in-terms-of-addressing-crime-issues-in-the-black-community-the/) [James Forman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr/) > [I had gone to law school thinking that I would do something in the service of black people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr/i-had-gone-to-law-school-thinking-that-i-would-do-something-in-the/) [James Forman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr/) [Explore all 30 James Forman, Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "How come we never use prison, the failure of prison, as a reason not to give more prison? 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