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| Tabriz Central Prison |
An approximately 500-square-meter asphalted space, used for walking and exercise during half the day, and locked up after headcount time, which is around 6 PM. It’s enclosed by a three-meter-high brick wall, topped with two meters of metal fencing. In fact, it’s a barrier between this ward and another one on the other side of the wall. The yard is the only place besides the rooms where prisoners have access.
On the other side of the yard lies the main area of the ward, consisting of a hallway with five hangar-like rooms. Except for Room No. 5, which was built later, each room holds approximately 25 to 30 triple-tiered beds. Each room holds over 75 people, and the total capacity is around 400. Each prisoner has about one to two square meters of space—this doesn’t even include those who sleep on the floor.
At the far end of the hallway are the bathrooms—an extremely unsanitary space consisting of seven toilets and showers, one of which is always out of order due to leaking sewage from the floor above. On the opposite side is a four-meter room with six telephone booths used for communication. Each prisoner is allowed one 10-minute phone call per day.
The drinking water is poor quality and unfiltered. Doctor visits occur monthly and only with prior registration. The prison infirmary assigns a single-digit quota to each room, and no more than that number can register. Fruits and vegetables are absent from the prison shop and food rations. Prisoners must purchase fruits weekly at their own expense. The food is low quality and completely lacks variety. Prisoners are constantly facing a shortage of blankets, and bringing them in from family is prohibited.
The above statements describe part of the general conditions of Ward Twelve of the Convicted at Tabriz Central Prison, which must be fully documented in another text and made available to friends and relevant organizations. These words are a prelude to the main subject of this writing.
The overall environment of the ward is one of severe restrictions, lack of basic facilities, and the complete absence of privacy or personal space for inmates, all imposed by the prison authorities and the overall prison structure. The structure of the prison is such that it breaks down the individuality of the prisoner day and night, constantly reminding them of the repressive power of the institution and keeping alive a sense of helplessness and despair.
The humiliation of inmates is evident in every behavior of the guards. Upon entry into the prison or returning from a visit, the prisoner must wait in a barred cage until it’s their turn to strip and be body-searched. Ostensibly, this search is to prevent the entry of drugs and illegal items. The reason it is done manually rather than with specialized devices is precisely to humiliate the prisoner—while still failing to prevent contraband from entering the prison as intended!
This process of humiliation, personality alteration, and de-individualization goes so far that most prisoners become content with the bare minimum. Worse, the abuse inflicted on them becomes tolerable and even normalized. To the extent that one prison guard, who refrains from reporting violations and instead resorts to physical punishment, is considered the most popular guard in Ward Twelve.
Improving prison management through minimal upgrades and relatively better conditions would not be a difficult task. Adding a few more phone booths or showers, for example, would not be a costly endeavor—and sometimes prisoners themselves are willing to cover such expenses. If these changes were made, the prison’s structure and, consequently, the behavior of inmates would shift. But the prison needs these restrictions to maintain its unethical control. Prisoners must be humiliated in the queues for the bathroom, showers, and phones. Fights and conflicts must break out several times a day. Their energy must be drained. And most importantly, in order to secure ten minutes of phone time or some extra amenities, a culture of sycophancy must be cultivated—along with division among the inmates.
In fact, the behavior of prisoners is a direct reflection of the behavior imposed upon them.
This structure, the resulting determinism, and its accompanying behaviors are not only present in Ward Twelve but are observable in the broader society. One can extend the behavior of prison guards to neighborhood bakers, university professors, and high-level managers. The only difference is in social status and their audience. While the guard’s domain of control is the prisoner, the professor’s is the student—and the behavioral patterns are often strikingly similar.
If a prisoner resorts to flattery for a few extra minutes of phone time, in a city where five job openings are met with a thousand unemployed applicants, a similar dynamic unfolds.
We all follow the same behavioral model: Despot–Sycophant.
We are despotic to some; subjugated in front of others.
35 روز دوازده محکومین و تلفن های 10 دقیقه ای
Original Farsi Article:
https://web.archive.org/web/20130116132818/http://ruzbeh-s.blogfa.com/post-15.aspx