I really enjoyed learning about the Stanford Prison Experiment. I had heard the title of the experiment thrown around in various classes or in speaker events but had never read much into it until now. I think this simulation is fascinating because the different scenarios provided a lot of insight as to how humans react to authority and participate in ‘groupthink’ decision making. One example of this I found to be very interesting was in the parents and friends visiting day. On the website, it described how one parent complained to the Superintendent how she had never seen her son so distraught. The Superintendent responded, “What’s the matter with your boy? Doesn’t he sleep well?” The mother responded saying that her son was a leader and tough, and of course, he could handle these conditions. I think the combination of the roles of pride and subjection to authority is fascinating here, as this mother would rather see her son continually struggle mentally and physically than stand up to the Superintendant and admit that these conditions were having a negative effect on her son.

I think this study asks society some really interesting questions about our perceptions of prison life and if we believe they are just. I think people get frustrated with the morality of this study since the inmates had not committed a crime. I think a question we have to ask ourselves is where do we draw the line? From my past experiences and research, I have seen that prison life can have two drastically different experiences on people. I worked with ex-convicts in a halfway house in Puerto Rico who had been released early for good behavior, and when I talked with them, they seemed genuinely motivated to create a better life outside of crime and wanted to move into the United States to support their families. However, I have also seen the latter. In my AP Language and Composition class in high school, we did a unit on the mass incarceration within the U.S. and time and time again, I saw how regardless of how motivated people are in their time in prison, once they get out, our society barricades them from so many opportunities that these felons revert back to their old ways so they can financially support themselves. I think reading about studies such as these start a conversation as to how we should crime and punishment.