Punishment serving as entertainment for the masses. There is little inherently different from past Roman gladitorial combat and the modern day prison rodeo. I just found out yesterday that the state of Oklahoma has been allowing women to participate in prison rodeos since 2006. Time standing tradition for men but new for women.
Jails are important to one of the three components of the Criminal Justice system. The three components are the police, the courts, and the corrections systems. Prisons are mainly important to the corrections system. The inmates mentioned in the post are from the Oklahoma state jail probably for committing some malicious crime, but mainly there for correction. After reading this post and seeing the video from the link, it's interesting to see this 'rodeo' for inmates, both men and women. At first, I thought that it's a bit pointless to have a rodeo for inmates and that its a bit crude to have people entertained by watching convicts, especially women, getting beat around by a bull. However, after I watched the trailer of the documentary about it, the inmates seem to become excited and even joyful about it. They seem to express emotions and actually have a feeling of 'freedom'. I'm still left to question whether it's necessary or not, but according to the website and video, the inmates participation in the rodeo “offers a brief respite from prison life.”.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video of the Rodeo Sweethearts, I am surprised that it is of an ethical manner to treat humans in this inhumane manner. I am aware that this women sign up for this entertainment which allows them a brief sense of freedom. I also know that they obviously committed a crime that has led them to prison. Have we not moved from public humiliation also known as Trail by Order that was practiced hundreds of years ago? How can we as humans find it entertaining that these people are willing to die for ones enjoyment? I my self do not think I would go to see this. I wonder is the people who put this program together or event those who find it necessary to attend, does this mean that they see this as a payment for the crime that the person committed? Maybe I am being one sided, but that is my view at this moment.
ReplyDeleteBeing a victim of personal identity theft myself. It is a very humbling experience. It is easy to sit there and say it want happen to you. But I say to you, wake up and spell the coffee. Be observant of your surrounding, take the time to cover your entry of your codes with one hand as a blinder. Check your banks/credit cards account weekly and report any usually activities immediately. Do not get in the habit of checking your account on other computers especially those on campuses or your job...others are viewing your activities and in some cases intercepted your information. It is a long drawn out process and can effect your in a number of ways.
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WOW!!! I can’t believe these women are actually doing this just to get out of their cell. I guess they see things much different than any other women would that is not in prison. For these people to go to the extreme of actually doing something so unethical and inhumane is actually ethical to them, and they find it entertaining. I personally do not find this entertaining, I feel sorry for these men and women that do this just to have some sense of freedom, of course they committed a crime and they probably deserve to be in prison, but I think that, that is why they are in prison to pay for the consequences of what they have done. I was surprised to see children there watching all this, I personally believe children should not be exposed to these horrible things that happen in the rodeo. I don’t see what they people of the prison rodeo get out of all this, I just don’t understand. This is similar to the theory of labeling, this might not be a gang of a cartel but it is called the “prison rodeo” how much more clear can the name be. I do not understand how people can go see this, because I know I would probably run out crying.
ReplyDeleteHere another one of these situation that bring about an important issue to the forefront...What is the purpose of our correctional facilities? Entertain or a new world order to bring about new venures of criminals. They are there to pay the consequences and fulfill there committment of time without the priviledges of entertain and form of glory. They need to stop hiding behind the scene using these type of Proganda Events of the gaining profit for the facilities, programs, and correctional institutions.
ReplyDeleteThis video was profoundly disturbing. I didn't fully understand what Greg was saying in class until I watched it. I thought prisoners were being forced to go out and participate in these horrid events. I didn't know they were volunteering to do so. It's disgraceful that this kind of public entertainment is allowed in the United States of America. It's inhumane and should be against international law. I didn't know that Oklahoma was the number 1 state to lock up women. If they are willing to do all this just get out of their cells, that heavily implies that the correctional system itself is unjust and having an ill effect. People value punishment, not rehabilitation. Our system is a joke. But this so-called entertainment is worse. I concur with Greg's analogy to the Roman Coliseum. I was just watching "Gladiator" the other day, and on the special features one historian was asking, "Were the Romans really different? Were they monsters? Or are we like them? And I think the answer is yes. We could be entertained by blood and violence as much as they were." This shows that he is correct. It's rather shocking to watch that because I personally am a gentle person who doesn't like to see stuff like that. I hope I don't have nightmares.
ReplyDeleteSome people see the prison rodeo as a way of breaking down the inmates. Almost as a way of hurting and getting back at the inmates. The video lets us see how the actual inmates feel about prison rodeo. After watching the video i got the feeling that the inmates enjoy riding the bull and taking the chance of getting hurt. From the looks of it the inmates see it as a way of getting out of the prison. The rodeo might be harmful to the prisoners but if you were locked up for the rest of your life wouldn't you want the feeling of freedom. For some of the Prisoners this might be the only feeling of freedom there going to get until they die. the events the inmates are doing in the rodeo are the most dangerous. i dont know how many events they allow the inmates to participate in but there are other events in a rodeo that they could do. Americans have always loved rodeos but they enjoy watching people get hurt too. who am i to say if the prison rodeo is wrong or right? if states are going to allow it then i dont see the wrong in letting the inmates participate.
ReplyDeleteMy heart just aches for these people, esp. the women. I understand the participants are criminals and they volunteer for this, but think about it, if you were in prison would you not give anything to get out even if it was just for a few hours? My main concern is if this is even legal. As Americans isn’t it illegal to participate in cruel and unusual punishment? I watched the trailer on the website and just felt my heart break watching the women talk about their families and hearing the one woman in particular talking about feeling free. This is their freedom. Some have been in prison so long they would risk death or near death to “feel free”. It just baffles me. I don’t know if I could sit in the crowd and watch this happen to these people. Even though they volunteer it is almost as if they have no choice. My favorite part of the entire trailer is towards the end when they are talking about injuries of the prisoners and one man says, “You don’t want to see a person get hurt or get killed but if it does happen you darn sure don’t want to miss it!” It is amazing to me what America sees as entertainment today. Blood, violence, punishment- this is what keeps us entertained? It is so sad.
ReplyDeleteThese women are so desperate to get outside of the prison walls and this rodeo is something they look forward to. To me The Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo is definitely a step back to the Gladiator days when human suffering was used as a form of entertainment (Trial by Ordeal). It is barbaric and demoralizing to women. Any furthermore, the fact that some are bringing their children to watch this event is even more troubling. What are we teaching our children? What is happening to our society? This, in my opinion, is horrible. I understand that these inmates look forward to this event, but it seems to me that there should be some other way to allow them some type of freedom other than this rodeo. I for one do not wish to see something like this in person.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing that stands out in my mind when watching this was the male that stated he didn’t want to see anyone get hurt or killed but if it happens he sure don’t want to miss it. That just blew me away. First off I cannot see how someone getting charged by a bull is entertainment even if they are a criminal. I can understand the inmates wanting to get out from behind the prison walls for sometime, but are the really made aware of the true dangers in participating in these rodeos. My take on this is if someone has been training for years and this is what they enjoy, so be it; however, I do not feel that inmates should be utilized in these rodeos because someone may feel that they are expendable.
ReplyDeleteHow shocking.!..!. I'm not going to lie, when Greg told us about how criminals are thrown in rodeos as a way of entertaining the masses, I would picture it so cartoony. Like really, a prison rodeo, I just didn't think it was so real until I watched this video. It is quite disturbing though.
ReplyDeletePeople, what the crap are y'all thinking.?..?. I know these criminals are tires of being in their cell for so long, paying there duties to whatever crime they commited. But gosh, dying is not always the answer to freedom. These inmates think that by going out as entertainment to the masses will be their escape towards "freedom"; when in fact it's their path to death.!..!. See sometimes inmates can go crazy by being in their cells for so long and they might think that prison rodeo is like "Trial by Ordeal", where the dead are said to be the innocents saved by God... Now ladies, women, seriously, as of 2006, they are able to volunteer to be put out in front of bulls to entertain the masses, it's just sick. I would have thought this was only meant for men to do.
Kids, what are y'all watching.?..?. This video shows kids and shows how packed rodeos can get by audiences who seem to love this kind of inhumanitism. It's pretty sad to see how Americans love bloodiness and violence.
This is really controversial way of giving the inmates freedom. Yes they choose to participate in this kind of activity , btu should we give them the option to even be able to do such things, that will put their life in danger? I mean there are other ways to give an inmate a sense of freedom such as sports of any kind. This would safer than to send them to a rodeo! However, now it's fame has grown to a National level and to just end it now isn't very likely. This event probably brings the prison lots of money and a certain way of fame. The rodeo isn't such a bad things as I"m sure there are other rodeas that do the same thing, but are not noted as much because its just regular people who actually do it for a living instead of inmates in a acorrections facility.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was awesome. The prisoners get to have a since of belonging. They can have a since of pride in doing something. They get to get out of their cells and be around people. The rodeo no doubt brings in money for the prison that I would hope would go to funding, which means less tax dollars. They all have done something that has taken from society and now besides just giving time in a cell they can give something back in a form of entertainment and even a little pain. They might have caused their victim pain so why can’t they give some back. Besides some of there crimes came with a risk that could have caused them to get hurt even if they did not know it. I am all for it from what I know.
ReplyDeleteThis was disturbing to watch such barbaric behavior. It saddens me to see that at what price freedom comes for these women such as injury, humiliation, self worth, desperation to be out of prison life for just a while out of their cell. In my opinion, this is truly an example of “trial by ordeal” dating back centuries when public torture was used to teach people a lesson that chose to break the law. Punishment was used as deterrent. I was appalled that children were taken to these events as if this was “family outing”. Are these rodeos not defined as “status-degradation in which secondary deviation sets in?
ReplyDelete“Sweethearts of the prison rodeo” is just another amazing thing I’ve learned since pursuing Criminal Justice. I see how others can call this barbaric, but believe it’s a privilege for the women. Again when it comes to women and men being treated equally then why not? Men inmates have been able to do this since 1940 and finally 2006, 66 years later; women inmates have the chance as well. Yes you could die or be permanently injured the rest of your life, but it’s not like the inmates are being forced to do it. Some of these women inmates may be locked up for the rest of their life and have no chance of being outside of the prison walls. I’ve learned there aren’t enough rehabs for both men and women, but this serves for such in a way. This entertainment makes money, entertains the masses whom pay a lot of money which hopefully funds towards the prison system, and most of all gives inmates an opportunity (if they want), to go and do something to get an adrenalin rush, which is what most of them experience for their crimes that they are paying for. Just that this rush is legal. It even says they are staring scholarships for those studying for school while in prison. The only thing that bothers me is when one of the audience members in the trailer says how they (the bull riders/inmates) could get hurt and possibly die, and if that happens you want to see it and not miss it. Disturbing, but I guess is the truth. If you were an inmate locked up 24/7 for years and had this chance of living free for a day with the chance of dying from the trample of a bull or sitting in a cell with a chance of dying in the hands of an inmate wouldn’t you take that chance?
ReplyDeleteIt is really sad to know that these prisoners, both women and men, are actually happy to and willing to participate in these kinds of entertainment for the masses. They say they feel “free.” I realize that confinement is a type of punishment and deterrence but there has to be something better and more humane than the Prison Rodeo. This act is not a process for rehabilitation if that is what this prison is hoping to achieve. Especially with the woman, maybe some sort of volunteer work can actually help them with the rehabilitation process.
ReplyDeleteThis is very inhumane for the simple fact that prisoners have actually died because of this! I realize that the prisoners volunteer to be in such rodeo but they only do it for the fact that it is the only way to get out in the world and “feel free.” If a person is does that for that reason, they have to be really crazy. But what other option do they have? Do they even have another option? That is why I believe there has to be a better way to do the rehabilitation process of our convicts.
I find it very intriguing that both male and female inmates are permitted to have a rodeo. It is a tad odd that people that committed severe enough crimes to actually be put in prisons to begin with are getting the luxury (whether it’s under extreme security or not) of getting to participate in sports. Getting that tiny bit of freedom is contradictory to their sentence of being in prison. So pretty much that train of action is saying hey I’m going to kill someone and get put in prison, but it’s ok because ill still get to have fun by participating in a rodeo and I’ll get small glimpses of the outside world anyways. On top of that it is awful to put anyone through that kind of action! It’s harmful! If you wanted them hurt or dead, why not go ahead and make their punishment death! Seems to be the underline intention anyways. Giving them the opportunity to volunteer at this seems, non logical. They’re so desperate to get out of their cell, too bad you committed a serious crime to be in there suffer the consequences for your actions but the authorities shouldn’t by any means create that sort of torturous opportunity for the inmates.
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