Jail in Downtown!

I just came back from Houston, I was there for a conference; thanks for asking My talk went well and I got good feed back. Of all things Houston could amaze me, the Jail building in Downtown Houston captivated me, whenever I would pass by it, I couldn't stop looking at it awestruck. It had these tiny slits for windows, probably reinforced. I could imagine the inmates peering through those tiny slits, longing to be on the road waiting for the light to turn green on the cross walk. To be fair, it's not a jail but a federal detention center, that is a transition facility where the felons wait to get sentenced and sent to a Federal prison.



The federal detention center in Downtown Houston
Being from India, I have never seen a jail as a big building in the center of the city. It's always a big compound in some corner of the city. I never been to a jail and I don't want to be but I was always intrigued by them, whats the sociological significance of locking these people up?

• To keep others safe?
  
• To punish them by taking away their freedom?
  
• To teach them to respect laws?
  

May be it's a combination of all these factors? Wouldn't it be dangerous to put all the "bad" guys together and make it easy for them know each other and increase their knowledge base. There must tons of research on pros and cons of jail system.

The closest I got to be in a jail is while was doing my undergrad in India. It was catholic college and the Jesuits priests believed in strict discipline and they would inculcate that by taking away our freedom for few hours daily. We had to be in our "rooms/pens" by 6 pm and should remain there in those holding pens till next 8 am next day. There were periodic checks and the absentees were punished severely.

My hostel In Vijayawada

I used longingly look out of the window at the cricket ground, waiting to play cricket or just stand on the road and eat sweetmeats as my 'free' friends. I believe that freedom is a fundamental right of every living thing and taking that away is a very big mistake. There are always exceptions like serial killers and child rapists, but where should draw the line? Would you put a sixteen year old bikejacker with a convicted serial killer? As usuall I dont know the answer and would apprciate your thoughts...