This Should Surprise No One

Jailing people doesn't produce the sort of reform one might think.

Hot House, a documentary about Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, was awarded a Special Jury Prize in the World Cinema Documentary Competition at this year's Sundance Film Festival. With a tremendous amount of competition from the 14 other contenders in the category, Hot House still stood out among the rest.

...

The film, whose creators had the opportunity to meet the highest security Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, examines the development of hierarchies and societies within prison walls. It reveals a prison system that acts more as a organizational center for crime than a location of meaningful reform.

And prison life eventually spreads its influence into society on the outside. This influence reaches its peak during the historic Palestinian parliament elections that brought Hamas to power in 2006.

The film shows prisoners following the elections and discussing the results. Given that the prisons have their own hierarchies and even elections among different factions (a system the wardens found makes riots and breakouts less likely), it's no wonder that politics are a point of interest.

(read more)