As time goes by, the wave of criminality soars more and more. In consequence, prisons were created in order to equilibrate our crime-ridden society. But actually prisons "have traditionally been expected to perform a Jekyll and Hyde function for society", as Bans Mattick, director of the Center for Research in Criminal Justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle says, since when criminals enter them they are hazards to the community, but when they get out they are estimated to be law-abiding citizens. However, there are several factors influencing these two aims, making punishment and reform ill-suited bed partners.
             The environment inside prisons has a great influence over the inmates, as sometimes it may be more dangerous to be there than outside of them. Inmates are often aggressive, incapable of feeling remorse or guilt, that is why they organize gangs and spread brutality all around, and if new prisoners enter, they would acquire their violent behavior. As a result, there would be no rehabilitation at all, since when they would finish their sentence they would have already become fully-fledged criminals.
             However the inmates are not the only ones responsible for making punishment and reform not get on well together. It is utterly difficult for the workers in the penitentiary service to have a positive response towards a prisoner. Since the latters have turned to crime, they may be seen as wicked people with no possibility of being reinstated in society as responsible citizens. Therefore, they are punished for their offences, but also their chance of reforming is taken away from their hands.
             The type of government and the economic situation of the country have also great influence over the aims of the prison system. Depending on how it is organized, how much time and money is invested (a developing country will not invest the same amount of money in prisons than a developed country as it has much more pr...