Prison: First Do No Harm

The heading, of course, is almost the official motto of the medical profession.  I think it comes from the Hippocratic oath, but I could be wrong.  In any event, it is recognized to be the first principle of a medical professional--if one that the medical profesion has violated rather regularly throughout most of history. 

I have noted before that Gitmo (detainee center at Guantanamo Bay) is a better environment, for the most part, than MANY American jails and prisons, and better than ALL Mexican jails and prisons. 

That is why I have never understood the argument that an innocent person MAY be killed if executions are carried out for murderers.  People are routinely KILLED in prison in the U.S., and violence is rather routine.  Gangs are prevalent.

I bring this up because prison viiolence is back in the news again (as it periodically is).  I also bring it up because of my recent discussion of the "mental health" model of the prison system as a TREATMENT set of facilities--stupid as that view of the criminal justice system is.

I have nothing against TRYING to prepare people to get out of prison once they have served their PUNISHMENT.  However, what should be the FIRST rule of prisons? 

That is obvious.  "First, do no harm."  Prisons should FIRST try to make sure that prisoners are SAFE, and that prison is not a death sentence for prisoners who did not even receive the death penalty.  THEN worry about "rehabilitation".