Nearly 2 million people are locked up in the United States within a system primarily designed around punishment. In this episode of “Inside Story,” host Lawrence Bartley — who spent 27 years incarcerated in the U.S. system — travels to Hamelin, Germany, to witness a radically different approach to justice.
Bartley explores the stark contrast between his own lived experience in American prisons — marked by high recidivism, isolation and control — and a German model focused entirely on rehabilitation and extensive training in psychology for its corrections officers.
Elements of this humane approach are already crossing the Atlantic. States like North Dakota and Connecticut (through its T.R.U.E. unit) are adopting some of these practices to reduce violence behind bars. By shifting away from punitive measures toward positive behavior reporting and building self-sustaining internal economies, these programs are attempting to fundamentally change the culture of incarceration — focusing on preparing people to eventually return to their communities.
“Inside Story” is a video series designed to reach audiences both inside and outside of prison walls, establishing facts, exposing failures and examining solutions for a criminal justice system in crisis.