--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I know what it's like to be ignored, and…" description: "\"I know what it's like to be ignored, and I think that is the big problem about the prison system: These people are being thrown away. There is no sense..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/lee-tergesen-38532_big-problem_i-know-what-it-s-like-to-be-ignored-and_3165986.jpg" --- # I know what it's like to be ignored, and I think that is… ![“I know what it's like to be ignored, and I think that is the big problem about the prison system: These people are being thrown away. There is no sense of rehabilitation. In some places, they are trying to do things. But, in most cases, it's a holding cell.” quote by Lee Tergesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/lee-tergesen-38532_big-problem_i-know-what-it-s-like-to-be-ignored-and_3165986.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/lee-tergesen-38532_big-problem_i-know-what-it-s-like-to-be-ignored-and_3165986.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/lee-tergesen-38532_big-problem_i-know-what-it-s-like-to-be-ignored-and_3165986.jpg) > “I know what it's like to be ignored, and I think that is the big problem about the prison system: These people are being thrown away. There is no sense of rehabilitation. In some places, they are trying to do things. But, in most cases, it's a holding cell.” [Lee Tergesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-tergesen/) ## 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 highlights the lack of rehabilitation in prisons, treating inmates as disposable rather than offering opportunities for growth. **In simple terms:** Prisons often ignore rehabilitation, treating inmates as waste. Key Takeaway Advocate for rehabilitative programs. Themes justice rehabilitation human rights systemic failure Mood frustrated hopeful Type critical advocacy When to use this quote - policy reform - community support - educational programs - mental health services Key Concepts restorative justice recidivism reduction social reintegration Questions to Reflect On - How can society shift from punishment to rehabilitation? - What incentives encourage policymakers to fund reform? A Different Perspective Rehabilitation requires resources and societal willingness to change entrenched punitive mindsets. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Prison system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison-system/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Rehabilitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rehabilitation/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“The second ward was declared a temporary holding cell for their prisoner, the ba, who followed in the procession, bound to a float pallet.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/the-second-ward-was-declared-a-temporary-holding-cell-for-their/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [They put me in a holding cell with a black kid and a white kid and a Chinese kid. We're the United Nations of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/they-put-me-in-a-holding-cell-with-a-black-kid-and-a-white-kid-and-a/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [It's not a loup cage, you know,' I told her. 'It's a holding cell. Or safe room. or secure room. I don't think Jim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/it-s-not-a-loup-cage-you-know-i-told-her-it-s-a-holding-cell-or-safe/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [When You See Your Dad Holding your Cell Phone!!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hottiedevil/when-you-see-your-dad-holding-your-cell-phone/) HOttieDeviL > [“Writing: such has been my crime ever since I was a small child. To this day writing remains my crime. Now, although I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/writing-such-has-been-my-crime-ever-since-i-was-a-small-child-to-this/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [“Poverty and a lack of education are the tools used to manipulate their minds. They are in prison just like us, only their prison…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-brennan/poverty-and-a-lack-of-education-are-the-tools-used-to-manipulate/) Nigel Brennan > ['The greatest prison that people live in is the FEAR of what other people think of THEM!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-guzaldo/the-greatest-prison-that-people-live-in-is-the-fear-of-what-other/) [Andrew Guzaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-guzaldo/) > [Marriage can either be a classroom where people become wiser and better, or a prison where people become resentful; and bitter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/marriage-can-either-be-a-classroom-where-people-become-wiser-and/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [People behave badly and people are in prison and people are on death row, and there are no excuses for everybody's behavior, but most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-mcdermott/people-behave-badly-and-people-are-in-prison-and-people-are-on-death/) [Dylan McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-mcdermott/) > [Anyone who has been to an English public school will always feel comparatively at home in prison. It is the people brought up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/anyone-who-has-been-to-an-english-public-school-will-always-feel-2/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [“...any one who has been to an English public school will always feel comparatively at home in prison. It is the people brought up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/any-one-who-has-been-to-an-english-public-school-will-always-feel/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [“Fear. “The greatest prison people live in is the fear of what other people think.” —David Icke”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-myers/fear-the-greatest-prison-people-live-in-is-the-fear-of-what-other/) Erik Myers > [The greatest prison people live in is the fear of what other people think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-greatest-prison-people-live-in-is-the-fear-of-what-other-people/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The greatest prison people live in,is the fear of what people think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stankyrich/the-greatest-prison-people-live-in-is-the-fear-of-what-people-think/) Stankyrich > [Our prisons are very bad. When I was in Ikoyi prison, people were dying every day. They were carrying bodies out of the prison…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fela-kuti/our-prisons-are-very-bad-when-i-was-in-ikoyi-prison-people-were-dying/) [Fela Kuti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fela-kuti/) ## More by Lee Tergesen > [I think for Beecher specifically, Keller was with him when his wife died. Beecher had decided after he first got into prison that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-tergesen/i-think-for-beecher-specifically-keller-was-with-him-when-his-wife/) [Lee Tergesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-tergesen/) > [But we both came to the decision that the powerful thing is to go into your fear, walk in there with it, don't walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-tergesen/but-we-both-came-to-the-decision-that-the-powerful-thing-is-to-go/) [Lee Tergesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-tergesen/) > [Eddie Drake is sort of this loose cannon, funny, edgy guy, who has this really foolish, foolish mustache.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-tergesen/eddie-drake-is-sort-of-this-loose-cannon-funny-edgy-guy-who-has-this/) [Lee Tergesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-tergesen/) > [As I walk around, I have met 70-year-old women who live on the Upper West Side who love the show. And I met a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-tergesen/as-i-walk-around-i-have-met-70-year-old-women-who-live-on-the-upper/) [Lee Tergesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-tergesen/) > [I would say that playing this character has caused me to think about a lot of things. He's always questioning himself and trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-tergesen/i-would-say-that-playing-this-character-has-caused-me-to-think-about/) [Lee Tergesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-tergesen/) > [It's definitely intense to walk away from at the end of each season.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-tergesen/it-s-definitely-intense-to-walk-away-from-at-the-end-of-each-season/) [Lee Tergesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-tergesen/) > [If God's in me, he's a tumor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-tergesen/if-god-s-in-me-he-s-a-tumor/) [Lee Tergesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-tergesen/) > [I have always said about myself I am a survivor because I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-tergesen/i-have-always-said-about-myself-i-am-a-survivor-because-i-am/) [Lee Tergesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-tergesen/) > [What it made me realize was that a show like this makes people look inside themselves. Because this crew guy isn't sitting there wishing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-tergesen/what-it-made-me-realize-was-that-a-show-like-this-makes-people-look/) [Lee Tergesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-tergesen/) > [I went through a divorce right as we were starting the show. My divorce became final right after we started shooting the first year,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-tergesen/i-went-through-a-divorce-right-as-we-were-starting-the-show-my/) [Lee Tergesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-tergesen/) [Explore all 11 Lee Tergesen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-tergesen/) ## More Big problem quotes > [My mom had very low expectations for me, and she really had a point. I was a big problem at seventeen. If I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/my-mom-had-very-low-expectations-for-me-and-she-really-had-a-point-i/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [The big problem for comic art is you don't want to overwork it. If a drawing is overworked it isn't funny. It's the spontaneity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-sorel/the-big-problem-for-comic-art-is-you-don-t-want-to-overwork-it-if-a/) [Edward Sorel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-sorel/) > [“For me -- for pretty much every writer -- the big problem isn't piracy, it's obscurity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/for-me-for-pretty-much-every-writer-the-big-problem-isn-t-piracy-it-s/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [Nerves are always a big problem for me, which is why I loved doing American sitcoms. Because you know when you do the take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/nerves-are-always-a-big-problem-for-me-which-is-why-i-loved-doing/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [Don't be pretentious is my first advice to young writers. This is the big problem - just because you're getting an MFA doesn't mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/don-t-be-pretentious-is-my-first-advice-to-young-writers-this-is-the/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [The big problem retailers are facing is the world is moving to mobile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-schulman/the-big-problem-retailers-are-facing-is-the-world-is-moving-to-mobile/) [Dan Schulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-schulman/) > [It was lonely on the hill, and cold. And all you could do was keep going. You could scream, cry, and stamp your feet,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-was-lonely-on-the-hill-and-cold-and-all-you-could-do-was-keep/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Its a big problem for American movies that all their movies are produced to be global.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-a-big-problem-for-american-movies-that-all-their-movies-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“answer. Donald’s dysfunctional belief was related to Janine’s, but he’d held on to it for much longer—a life of responsible and successful work should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/answer-donald-s-dysfunctional-belief-was-related-to-janine-s-but-he-d/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [The big problem is just this kind of gigantic piece, of kids reading less and liking it less and so getting worse at it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-scieszka/the-big-problem-is-just-this-kind-of-gigantic-piece-of-kids-reading/) [Jon Scieszka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-scieszka/) > [I do have a very, very big problem with someone who saw me coming and exploited me as a mascot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-vine/i-do-have-a-very-very-big-problem-with-someone-who-saw-me-coming-and/) [Stella Vine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-vine/) > [Don't tell GOD that u have a Big Problem,Tell your Problem that u have a Big GOD.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/don-t-tell-god-that-u-have-a-big-problem-tell-your-problem-that-u/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [We're facing growing climate change, more floods, more droughts, more crisis on a planetary level, and the systems we put in place in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/we-re-facing-growing-climate-change-more-floods-more-droughts-more/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [“That's my big problem. That's it! Before the Arrival,guys like Evan Walker never looked twice at me, much less shot wild game for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-yancey/that-s-my-big-problem-that-s-it-before-the-arrival-guys-like-evan/) [Rick Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-yancey/) > [Well, capitalism is a big problem, because with capitalism you're just going to keep buying and selling things until there's nothing else to buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/well-capitalism-is-a-big-problem-because-with-capitalism-you-re-just/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) Browse all 430 Big problem quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I know what it's like to be ignored, and I think that is the big problem about the prison system: These people are being thrown away. There is no sense of rehabilitation. In some places, they are trying to do things. 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