In every era, societies have ultimately been judged not only by their military strength or economic prosperity, but by how they treat those who are entirely under their control. Prisons exist to enforce justice through the rule of law—not to transform punishment into a spectacle of fear.

Recent reports about plans to construct a crocodile-filled moat around a section of an Israeli prison have sparked widespread public debate. Regardless of one’s political views on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, the proposal itself raises a profound ethical question: What happens when deterrence begins to resemble intimidation, and when symbolism overtakes humanity?

The true measure of a........

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