"In an article in Paris Match (July 31, 1991), the
French Minister [of Justice] said that `prison should have a
punitive and deterrent value; but it should also prepare the
inmate for his return to society.' To accomplish his laudable
reform objectives, the Minister was able to construct a new
`luxury' prison with classrooms, workshops, recreation halls and
a gymnasium. It provided educational and vocational training,
there was no overcrowding, and psychiatrists and psychologists
were readily available to attend to the inmate population. But
despite all the outer trappings of reform, the experiment failed
miserably. Changing the environment won't have the same
rehabilitative effect as changing the milieu int‚rieur, and
shortly after the prison was built, the inmates rioted and burned
the prison to the ground." Jay B. Marcus, in
The Crime Vaccine, 1996