How Closely Does The Prison In ‘Andor’ Match Up With Real High-Security Prisons?
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Evil is grandiose and operatic as presented in the original Star Wars trilogy. Darth Vader, an iconic villain clad from head-to-toe in black, crushes his opponents with a single clenched fist accompanied by a one-liner. The Death Star annihilates Alderaan, wiping out countless civilians to send a message to the Rebellion. Stormtroopers scour the streets of Ta Mos Eisley while massive Star Destroyers loom overhead.
By contrast, Andor presents the nitty-gritty details of life under the evil Galactic Empire. Instead of focusing on the machinations of Emperor Palpatine, the show drills into the inner workings of the Imperial Security Bureau (ISB). This bureaucratic organization concerns itself as much with fuel storage and shipping lane management as security, and ISB officers engage in petty squabbles over turf and career advancement. The ISB’s gradual removal of freedoms takes place so subtly that Luthen, the fledgling leader of the Rebellion, believes violence is necessary to shock the oppressed population out of their complacency.
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Nowhere is Andor’s grounded approach to evil more apparent than in its criminal justice system. Following the raid on Aldhani, Cassian Andor travels to the paradise of Niamos. Imperial guards arrest Andor almost immediately for trumped-up charges unrelated to Aldhani. Andor winds up on Narkina 5, an Imperial prison world with marked similarities to American prisons.
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Penal Labor
Upon arrival on Narkina 5, Andor learns that Imperial guards use prisoners as a cheap, replaceable source of labor. Small teams of prisoners work together to build machinery. In return for their hard work, prisoners earn flavor in their food, safety from punishment, and the chance of going home someday.
Penal labor is a significant, often frequently overlooked, part of the American economy. Over 1.2 million incarcerated people work in federal and state prisons, producing $11 billion in goods and services annually. Typical prison jobs include heavy manufacturing, food service, skilled trades, groundskeeping, and building maintenance.
Prisoners in Andor and American prison inmates both face similar working conditions. They both work for their captors with virtually no ability to protest against exploitation or dangerous situations. In addition, they both work with minimal compensation; the average wage in American prisons comes to 52 cents per hour.
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Social Isolation
After they complete their shift, the teams in Andor return to their quarters. Each individual has a cell with a bed and basic supplies. The prisoners can communicate, but they remain physically separate from one another.
Over time, Andor begins experiencing desperation and exhaustion. These feelings closely mirror the actual symptoms of social isolation. Research shows a definitive link between incarceration and adverse mental health outcomes such as loss of autonomy and purpose, boredom, and severe mood disorders.
One of Andor’s most tragic moments comes when a prisoner steps out of his cell and takes his own life. This act demonstrates how prolonged isolation can lead to self-harm. Department of Justice data indicates that prisoners are four times more likely to commit suicide than the general population in the United States.
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Surveillance
The only thing that prevents Andor from descending into a state of complete despair is the possibility of escape. With guards posted at each narrow hallway, the odds of getting out alive are slim. Yet Andor banks on the Imperial forces simply not bothering to pay close attention to their inmates hatching a plan.
The design of the Imperial prison set bears a striking resemblance to the 18th-century concept of the Panopticon. Initially conceived by English philosopher Jeremy Bentham, the Panopticon is an institution with a round platform for observation. This setup allows guards to view all of their prisoners from a set location without the prisoners being aware.
American prisons do not precisely match the classic specifications of the Panopticon as imagined by Bentham. However, the fundamental principles of surveillance remain in place, and prisons use designs to make inmates act as if they are being watched at all times.
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No Hope
Certain aspects of Narkina 5’s prison, such as the electric floors and spaceship parts, might be the stuff of science fiction. Yet its most basic elements are all too real. The prison sequence has inspired countless pages of fan discussion about its authenticity.
The most startling part of Andor’s prison trilogy is how easy it is for average citizens to get punished unfairly with no hope for reprisal. Evil does not always appear in the form of a cackling Sith Lord. It can sometimes be as simple as throwing innocent people behind bars and throwing away the key.
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