--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Prisoners resent being questioned about…" description: "\"“Prisoners resent being questioned about crime motives. That is why psychiatry and psychological treatment in prisons have accomplished little with pri..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/lewis-e-lawes-27646_crime_prisoners-resent-being-questioned-about_2602307.jpg" --- # Prisoners resent being questioned about crime motives… ![“Prisoners resent being questioned about crime motives. That is why psychiatry and psychological treatment in prisons have accomplished little with prisoners. The trouble is that we expect too much of the man in prison. We want him to be better than we are, or hope to be. On a par with Caesar's…” quote by Lewis E. Lawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/lewis-e-lawes-27646_crime_prisoners-resent-being-questioned-about_2602307.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/lewis-e-lawes-27646_crime_prisoners-resent-being-questioned-about_2602307.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/lewis-e-lawes-27646_crime_prisoners-resent-being-questioned-about_2602307.jpg) > ““Prisoners resent being questioned about crime motives. That is why psychiatry and psychological treatment in prisons have accomplished little with prisoners. The trouble is that we expect too much of the man in prison. We want him to be better than we are, or hope to be. On a par with Caesar's wife--beyond suspicion. Let us be frank about it. We are mortally afraid of him.”” [Lewis E. Lawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-e-lawes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society expects prisoners to reform beyond realistic limits, leading to disappointment and fear of their potential. **In simple terms:** We demand too much from inmates, causing failure and fear. Key Takeaway Adjust expectations and focus on humane treatment. Themes justice rehabilitation expectations fear Mood cautious reflective Type critical analytical When to use this quote - prison reform - policy making - mental health services - public perception Key Concepts psychology institutional power human rights Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance safety with humane treatment? - What realistic goals should prisons set? A Different Perspective Overly idealistic expectations ignore systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) ## Related quotes > [When you're in prison, you want to know that you were thought about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-gates/when-you-re-in-prison-you-want-to-know-that-you-were-thought-about/) [Kevin Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-gates/) > [If your heart is a prison I want to be sentenced for life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-your-heart-is-a-prison-i-want-to-be-sentenced-for-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There is nothing exceptional about today, except that today can be a day of new beginnings, of crossing lines in the sand, of deciding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-erre/there-is-nothing-exceptional-about-today-except-that-today-can-be-a/) [Mike Erre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-erre/) > [If your heart was a prison I would want to be sentenced for life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-your-heart-was-a-prison-i-would-want-to-be-sentenced-for-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [But then you say, Well, who makes the decision? Does the government make the decision? The reason this is such a national dispute and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-richardson/but-then-you-say-well-who-makes-the-decision-does-the-government-make/) [John H Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-richardson/) > [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. But like all important works of nonfiction, it goes further… This book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/le-ly-hayslip/a-great-read-an-exciting-frightening-account-of-organized-crime-today/) [Le Ly Hayslip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/le-ly-hayslip/) > [“a crime to fell a tree and light it on fire, where coals of hardened shit warmed and stunk up homes,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/a-crime-to-fell-a-tree-and-light-it-on-fire-where-coals-of-hardened/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [The danger that may really threaten (crime fiction) is that soon there will be more writers than readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-danger-that-may-really-threaten-crime-fiction-is-that-soon-there/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [Nations sometimes flourish by denying the crimes that brought them into being. Only when the original invasion, occupation, extermination or usurpation has been safely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/nations-sometimes-flourish-by-denying-the-crimes-that-brought-them/) [Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/) > [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Taking notes while watching Forensic Files and Snapped. I don't want to make the same mistakes the criminals do! ;)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/taking-notes-while-watching-forensic-files-and-snapped-i-don-t-want/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [“The jailers, the Court, everyone in that building – it wasn’t about justice; it was about obedience and intimidation…about maintaining order. Fear accomplished that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-allan/the-jailers-the-court-everyone-in-that-building-it-wasn-t-about/) [Jay Allan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-allan/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [“Crime and punishment can be summed up in two classifications: there are bad people and there are people who get into bad situations. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-dent-jr/crime-and-punishment-can-be-summed-up-in-two-classifications-there/) [Johnnie Dent Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-dent-jr/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) ## More by Lewis E. Lawes > [“I accompanied him to the first aid clinic to look at the would-be suicide. He was unconscious. Nurses were already on the spot with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-e-lawes/i-accompanied-him-to-the-first-aid-clinic-to-look-at-the-would-be/) [Lewis E. Lawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-e-lawes/) > [“What Mr. Osborne did not see clearly was that prisoners are, actually, people who have quarreled with the law. That regardless of motivating forces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-e-lawes/what-mr-osborne-did-not-see-clearly-was-that-prisoners-are-actually/) [Lewis E. Lawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-e-lawes/) > [“What is this thing Law that brands man with the indelible insignia of shame from which he can never escape? Law is the process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-e-lawes/what-is-this-thing-law-that-brands-man-with-the-indelible-insignia-of/) [Lewis E. Lawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-e-lawes/) > [“Since time began man has been struggling with the problem of behavior. In early days, when almost every human attribute had its counterpart in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-e-lawes/since-time-began-man-has-been-struggling-with-the-problem-of-behavior/) [Lewis E. Lawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-e-lawes/) > [Never give a man up until he has failed at something he likes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-e-lawes/never-give-a-man-up-until-he-has-failed-at-something-he-likes/) [Lewis E. Lawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-e-lawes/) > [“He proceeded on the theory that confinement within the walls of the prison was punishment. That the law never intended to confine prisoners within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-e-lawes/he-proceeded-on-the-theory-that-confinement-within-the-walls-of-the/) [Lewis E. Lawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-e-lawes/) > [“Prison is the easiest way out for authority, as locks and keys are the warden's simplest tools. It does not require strong imagination or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-e-lawes/prison-is-the-easiest-way-out-for-authority-as-locks-and-keys-are-the/) [Lewis E. Lawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-e-lawes/) > [“You've been with us a long time, Warden," he continued. "Have you ever found a man who really wants to be bad? Unconventional, yes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-e-lawes/you-ve-been-with-us-a-long-time-warden-he-continued-have-you-ever/) [Lewis E. Lawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-e-lawes/) > [“Guidance rather than deterrence is the answer to crime. It is the only course that promises permanence. Prison walls must not be permitted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-e-lawes/guidance-rather-than-deterrence-is-the-answer-to-crime-it-is-the-only/) [Lewis E. Lawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-e-lawes/) > [As if one crime of such nature, done by a single man, acting individually, can be expiated by a similar crime done by all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-e-lawes/as-if-one-crime-of-such-nature-done-by-a-single-man-acting/) [Lewis E. Lawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-e-lawes/) > [“To Max the law did not inspire respect but fear. Whom men fear, they do not respect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-e-lawes/to-max-the-law-did-not-inspire-respect-but-fear-whom-men-fear-they-do/) [Lewis E. Lawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-e-lawes/) > [“I am not afraid to die," he said. "We've all got to die. I've never had a headache, never had tuberculosis, or rheumatism, never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-e-lawes/i-am-not-afraid-to-die-he-said-we-ve-all-got-to-die-i-ve-never-had-a/) [Lewis E. Lawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-e-lawes/) > [“Yet it was Emerson who said that "I have never heard of a crime which I might not have committed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-e-lawes/yet-it-was-emerson-who-said-that-i-have-never-heard-of-a-crime-which/) [Lewis E. Lawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-e-lawes/) > [“The idea of having baseball games at Sing Sing and bringing in a high school team to play with the crooks at Sing Sing!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-e-lawes/the-idea-of-having-baseball-games-at-sing-sing-and-bringing-in-a-high/) [Lewis E. Lawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-e-lawes/) > [“The gentleman in charge of the Correspondence Courses was plainly doubtful about the prisoner of middle age who was anxious to enroll in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-e-lawes/the-gentleman-in-charge-of-the-correspondence-courses-was-plainly/) [Lewis E. Lawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-e-lawes/) [Explore all 20 Lewis E. Lawes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-e-lawes/) ## More Crime quotes > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [“Crime and punishment can be summed up in two classifications: there are bad people and there are people who get into bad situations. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-dent-jr/crime-and-punishment-can-be-summed-up-in-two-classifications-there/) [Johnnie Dent Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-dent-jr/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [“The jailers, the Court, everyone in that building – it wasn’t about justice; it was about obedience and intimidation…about maintaining order. Fear accomplished that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-allan/the-jailers-the-court-everyone-in-that-building-it-wasn-t-about/) [Jay Allan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-allan/) > [Taking notes while watching Forensic Files and Snapped. I don't want to make the same mistakes the criminals do! ;)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/taking-notes-while-watching-forensic-files-and-snapped-i-don-t-want/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [Nations sometimes flourish by denying the crimes that brought them into being. Only when the original invasion, occupation, extermination or usurpation has been safely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/nations-sometimes-flourish-by-denying-the-crimes-that-brought-them/) [Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/) > [The danger that may really threaten (crime fiction) is that soon there will be more writers than readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-danger-that-may-really-threaten-crime-fiction-is-that-soon-there/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [“a crime to fell a tree and light it on fire, where coals of hardened shit warmed and stunk up homes,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/a-crime-to-fell-a-tree-and-light-it-on-fire-where-coals-of-hardened/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. But like all important works of nonfiction, it goes further… This book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/le-ly-hayslip/a-great-read-an-exciting-frightening-account-of-organized-crime-today/) [Le Ly Hayslip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/le-ly-hayslip/) > [History is the study of the world's crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/history-is-the-study-of-the-world-s-crime/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [If it comes to a question of law, the charges they brought against me - the Espionage Act - is called the quintessential political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-it-comes-to-a-question-of-law-the-charges-they-brought-against-me/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Too much virtue can be criminal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-racine/too-much-virtue-can-be-criminal/) [Jean Racine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-racine/) > [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/) > [ \[P\]rogress, however, has not sufficiently infiltrated the Interior Ministry, affording protection to those who participated in the Bytyqi murders and other egregious Milosevic-era crimes. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avis-bohlen/p-rogress-however-has-not-sufficiently-infiltrated-the-interior/) Avis Bohlen [Browse all 8,359 Crime quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Prisoners resent being questioned about crime motives. That is why psychiatry and psychological treatment in prisons have accomplished little with prisoners. The trouble is that we expect too much of the man in prison. We want him to be better than we are, or hope to be. On a par with Caesar's wife--beyond suspicion. Let us be frank about it. We are mortally afraid of him.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lewis E. Lawes" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-e-lawes/prisoners-resent-being-questioned-about-crime-motives-that-is-why/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Crime" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-e-lawes/prisoners-resent-being-questioned-about-crime-motives-that-is-why/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/lewis-e-lawes-27646_crime_prisoners-resent-being-questioned-about_2602307.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/lewis-e-lawes-27646_crime_prisoners-resent-being-questioned-about_2602307.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/lewis-e-lawes-27646_crime_prisoners-resent-being-questioned-about_2602307.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Prisoners resent being questioned about crime motives. That is why psychiatry and psychological treatment in…” — Lewis E. Lawes", "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": "Lewis E. Lawes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-e-lawes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Prisoners resent being questioned about crime...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-e-lawes/prisoners-resent-being-questioned-about-crime-motives-that-is-why/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-e-lawes/prisoners-resent-being-questioned-about-crime-motives-that-is-why/#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 } } ] } ```