Motorcycle Travel Series by @velimir 'The Prison Restaurant' (Part #208)

in motorcycle •  7 years ago 

The correctional facility at Lepoglava has its own public restaurant. The inmates work there on their own accord. I think this is really good and beneficial to them. The reasons of imprisoning someone for non-capital crimes are to remove the person from the environment in which he/her committed a crime so that it wouldn't repeat, and to give them a fair chance of rethinking motives for their wrongdoings. I don't believe someone's time should be 'punishment'. More like a chance to start over. Let's see that place!

I don't want to accept the paradigm that someone is 'bad inside'. We were all babies and then innocent children at some point before we grew up in what we are today. The reasons for committing a crime, as well as triggers for other behaviours, are rooted in a few first years of our lives. The environment we live in and our parent's influence is where one finds causes and reasons behind later actions and behaviours. But then again, if everyone would be good and helpful to others we wouldn't need prisons. A working wood stove right in front, as I enter. I like that!

Be it as may be, the penal system gave these people a possibility to work as free people, interact with guest and prepare meals. I'm not allowed to take their pictures but nobody minds me taking pictures of the place itself. I like the way it is decorated with several cupboards like this one.

This jolly bunch of prison guards frequents the place and eats here almost every day. They don't mind flashing a smile at my camera. One of them asks,
-'You know this is a prison's restaurant, right?'
-'Yes, that's why I am here, taking pictures,' I answer.
They smile really friendly, and I go back to my table.

Aaaand a snap of their meal. :) Looks nice, too!

The lady who served me is very warmhearted and nicer than quite a bit of staff at other places I've been to. The calamari is what she recommends and they are delicious. Eating at the prison restaurant was one of the good ideas of the day. One doesn't get an opportunity to do this every day. I recommend this place to everyone.

The night is slowly falling, maybe I took too much time. I better hurry up before the darkness takes over.

Enjoy your day! :-)



©2018 Velimir Kovačić All rights reserved.



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Lovely ..
be yourself
Thanks for sharing and the photos

I'm sure you had a good time there. I hope to see improvements in correctional facilities in developing countries like the Philippines. Whenever I see the news, I pity the inmates living in cramped spaces, too many of them in a hot, humid cell.

This food looks great. Looks like you had a great time there.
Your food pictures has made me hungry now ☺️

Nice one. Still on Prison topic. I am enjoying the ride :)
I love topics that expose where the government got things wrong and how things are treated unfairly and neglected. Just like some of your previous posts.
I must say that i am shocked that inmates work there. You dont get to see such in prisons around my part of the world.
I agree with you on the purpose of prison. The main purpose of imprisonment in a humane society is reformation of the criminal, the second is deterrence to other would-be criminals and only thirdly the (temporary) removal from society of a threat.
Infact here in my country, there is this argument that they can't reoffend while they're in prison, and that this therefore protects victims. This is palpable rubbish. Unless you're going to imprison people indefinitely for minor offences, they have to be released eventually. By failing to reduce the reoffending rate, you're only deferring the victims to a later date, and increasing their number.
This is from personal experience and i have a some knowledge on psychology
There are two types of criminals in the world. Those who have been caught and punished, and the rest.
In the group we label as "criminals" (those who have been caught, convicted, and punished) there are two groups:
The Mentally Abnormal and the Normal Everyday Citizen
The mentally abnormal person can be described as having an illness which leads him to commit crimes of violence against other people. These are the real problem criminals in our society and civilization as a whole.
They are a danger to our families and friends, our peace, and our well being.
The normal everyday citizens are just that. People who are essentially good, and pose no real threat to others, but can be led astray by their upbringing, their friends, associates, or dire circumstances.
These people make mistakes, and when they are caught up in their mistake, we treat them the same way we treat the mentally abnormal criminals. Since we treat them this way, they must be one and the same, right? Wrong.
The normal everyday person can be rehabilitated, and reintegrated into society, I am not sure that is the case with the mentally abnormal. Psychotic individuals are rarely able to change; it is a physical abnormality (though maybe hard to pinpoint where in the brain the fault lies) not a psychological one. My apologies @velimir that i am not talking about other parts of this exceptional post.:)
But i love this blog because i like to learn more.
I have a question for us here. I wish we could interact more.
If prison does not work what should you do with criminals? Since you support that they should be released after sometime :)
Exceptional topic here. I apologise for the long comment. Its just that i am passionate about injustice and its relations. :)

You have made a lot of sense her @georgechuks. @velimir. I enjoyed the post. Its a great one. And the topic is really crucial only if our government could look deeply into it.
To answer you question, there are other alternatives being employed to better effect in other countries. One option is to give first time offenders substantial custodial sentences for relatively minor offence, with almost all of it being suspended. The criminal serves a very short period, perhaps only a couple of weeks, in fairly harsh conditions. This can usually be served without disrupting employment, earning capability etc, which is a significant factor in reoffending. It also makes the offender aware of whats in store in the event of reoffending. In tandem, community based programmes involving victim awareness, causes of offending behaviour etc would help to identify, and hopefully reduce, the risk that the deterrent is ineffective in and of itself. In countries where this kind of approach is adopted, reoffending rates are significantly lower than in the UK, and fewer people are in prison. I believe Italy, for example, suspends all first time custodial sentences, except in the case of violent or sexual crimes.
I hope i answered your question. Thank you @velimir for providing the room for this interaction

Thanks for the helpful reply.
I think that we really have it backwards on this issue. We are missing a huge opportunity. We are warehousing people, punishing them and returning them to our society worse off than when we got them. I think our goal should be ultimately to help turn people's lives around -- but we are not treating our prisoners that way right now. There is a reason why America has incarceration rates that are seven times higher than our European allies and murder rates that are ten times higher. We are putting people in prison, many times, for non-violent crimes and turning them out more violent and dangerous than when they went in.

Interesting point @nancy7819 I wasn't aware of this. Maybe our civilization becomes human, after all :)

I like your poste thanks

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

@georgechuks You said it all, buddy! :) No apologies of any kind are needed. To the contrary, thank you! :)

What I would say is that the environment of a prison should model in every way how we want prisoners to behave upon their release. So what do we want them to do when they get out of prison? We'd like them to have respect and compassion for others and respect for the law. That means that while they are a prisoner, they have to receive respect and the prison has to be law-abiding. Today's prisons are neither. What our prisons teach now is that it is normal behavior to hate your enemies and to harm them. Prisoners will answer with violence for the violence that has been perpetrated against them in prison. I don't feel that, I know that. When you talk about reform, you talk about transforming prisoners' lives in a positive way. But prisons offer anything but an environment for that type of transformation.
The violence that is coming out of these prisons is a much greater threat than terrorism.
Awesome post @velimir. Thanks foe sharing.

Good point @nancy7819.
I just wish all prisoners are entitled to programs aimed at reform. The way a society treats people convicted of crimes is an indicator of the human values of that society.

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

That's an interesting concept - a jail like that one!
I always wondered about the role of prison in regard to criminal and the aim of imprisonment. On one hand there are dangerous people who should of course be separated from society, at least for the time being - but traditional prisons are such hard and cruel places that anyone entering one of them will most probably get back to society just to do heavier crimes - that's what he learned about from other inmates during the boring hours and days of sitting without productive activity at prison and that way of life, especially for those sentenced for many years, chips and roughens a man conscience so that we can't really expect much more of him.
I do want to believe in rehabilitative prison, but I would have to see research literature on order to check whether it is really beneficial and I guess that such method will not be applicable in all cases (like in this famous case here where the Norwegian authorities, even though their method is rehabilitive, had to use special methods to keep this fella in for life https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anders_Behring_Breivik)
But generally - I do support any feasible kind of incorporation of rehabilitive and educational imprisonment - the current method surely doesn't work and only makes things worse. I guess that there should be different types of jail for different types of crimes and persons, according to their history, an assessment of a psychologist/ psychiatrist/ social worker etc...

The second picture my favorite - the fire that burns merrily in warm and pleasant red in the confined borders of the stove gives me the feeling of the place's purpose - to imprisonment, but yet- to try to fix and advance the inmates to a better future.

Yes...well there are people, and there are people... as I said. I doubt these guys would let violent people work in the restaurant. :)

I'm sure they wouldn't :)

Hey @velimir I and some of my friends are big fans of your travel series.
In my view point these are not only series of travel but we get lot of lessons regarding life. Might be I'm wrong, but you always share the stuff where Govt or People should take a look. Obviously that place or point is neglected or something wrong is happening there.
I'm very very thankful to you for spreading such a beautiful positivity. People like you are rare in this time.
We have a request...: Can you start a world your so that we could see you. I promise I will keep you my guest for as many days as you can.
Thanks for giving us love and Stay Blessed!

Thank you very much, my friend. :) Really happy to read my posts are appreciated!

Another journey continued. Your writing and photography are as always first rate. It's a joy to read and behold.

As a side note, the restaurant is interesting indeed. We had a sitting Governor in Arizona that was convicted of Fraud and sentenced to prison. While inside he took some cooking instruction and continued after he had served his time. He is now the head chef at a very popular Chop House and says he has no further interest in politics. Rehabilitated to be sure.

our environment is really strongly influenced by the environment in which we live and the society in which we are brought up. Our parents tighten the foundation of the future relationship in society and with society.
It's good that you were given the opportunity to take photos. To be honest, I was on an excursion in Russian prisons - it looks awful there and the content there frightens many.
Therefore, these species seem like a Dut Garden. But I'm sure in every place there are drawbacks - which we just do not see.
Thanks and have a nice day

It is understandable they do not allow pictures of the inmates working there to be taken. The guards are friendly too. They look like cool-headed fellas and also appear at ease to dine in a place run by those they work in keeping captive.

Oh, they are allowed to be photographed if they like. It was their choice not to be. More shyness than anything else. :) I liked that actually :D

Oh, that was awesome. Do they have like a guard at the door?

As a person who has worked in homes for welfare case boys and criminals with developmental disabilities in the Greater Los Angeles area, I would agree 100% that these people need a 'second chance' and not severe, dehumanizing punishments.

There we go! :)

Welcome to the 'The Prison Restaurant'

Well i do agree upon the point you just mentioned above that we all were innocent at some point of life. It is the environment who change our direction of life. None is a born criminal.

'The Prison Restaurant' looks more than awesome and beautiful as per the Word Prison attached to it.

if everyone would be good and helpful to others we wouldn't need prisons.

I am Happy they did not bother you to take the shots @velimir

By the great Decision to go back before it get dark.

Hope so you are enjoying your Sunday with lot of Fun.

Stay Blessed, Steem On!

Everyone needs a chance for change. You are right about giving them a chance in work like others will set them to the norm. By getting them get used to it, they may continue their journey in the right way after their prison life. The food looks good too. Yummy!

From your description of the place and the photographs displayed I'll prefer to refer to the place as a correctional centre than prison. And it is only in that kind of harmonious surrounding that the mind can truly reflect and be remorseful. Thank you for sharing this wonderful story.

Yes I agree with you, the society we live in has a way of constantly shaping our lives, either positively or negatively. No one should be unjustly punished.

At least the penal system gave them a possibility to work as free people, interact with guest and prepare meals. I most admit, the prison meals look delicious from your photo.

Continue your travels.

Prison guard, is a thankless job ...Really all my respect.

This is very good post best of luck

Great story and a lot of respect your way but to draw attention to ylur clising comments.

"I encourage everyone to use own texts, thoughts and images as much as possible. Be yourself and stay yourself. This is a proper way to build steemit.com. I do not have respect for dishonest authors. Also, bloggers actually DO matter"

Im new to this space and agree that its open to abuse from one word authors and curators. Keeping original content is important as I myself like reading!

Who wants to read comments like "Cool, thanks" or " thanks for sharing.

Surely there would be more to contribute. If not the why contribute so little.

Its like giving a gift to someone and then them just grunting "Taaa" at you like its a an acceptable response..

Good work sir @velimir i enjoy your post immensely. Have you ever done traveling in South-Africa? We have amazing wildlife and awesome bike routes. Especially along the west coast.

Kind regards
Fellow Photographer, from Africa.

This photograph is awesome ..My favorite hobby motorcycle ride ..Thanks dear sharing this nice post .

wow nice.
i like you bike vlog.
i love to ride on bike.
@qami

This photograph is awesome, My favorite hobby motorcycle ride @velimir

hehe cute post.

Everyone needs a chance for change. You are right about giving them

Amazing photography.Thanks for sharing it

i appreciate your post ^@^! Thanks.

good post you fren

Postingan yang bagus anda memang seorang propesional yang sangat luarbiasa saya menyukainya

wow this is amazing i loved it just like alwasys

Very nic post

Your motorcycle travel diaries inspired me to make ones of my own. Thank you!

This is a place for becoming new again, becoming born to a new you.
It was a nice place for them.
I really like it.
The food also looks delicious.
I wont mind spending my time there if i can.
Great post sir!
Cheers!

what a amazing shot you have made
i am here who is intreted in photography but dont know it

Okay, now im hungry! Nice Post!

i enjoy your post ^^! Thanks.

Waaw amazing friend..

Woww..amazing potst. Very nice. I like it

Vidim da se lijepo isplacuje ljude na adsactly i dosta njih su minnow, pa kako bih ja mogao isto pridonijeti adsactly zajednici? Ne bi mi smetalo malo viska novaca za obitelj :)

I resteem this post to 1500 followers

This is on steemit since long run

#lenghty ride.

Never heard of a public prison restaurant before! But it seems a good idea and a chance for the inmates...

Love this reportage!

Hi I am following to u and your articles are very interesting good going best of luck to you. I am new to steemit follow me and upvote me.

The food looks amazing

Relax me gusto demasiado. saludos.

  ·  7 years ago Reveal Comment

a very good post is very useful
Regards @velimir

What a cool concept! My boyfriend works in a jail and it has really changed the way I look at prisoners.

Good example of what is needed at more prisons. Gives prisoners a way to express thier creativity, while having interaction with the public. One more step towards humane prison reform.

Thanks for sharing. Stay blessed.

wow , you have just increased my knowledge
a very interesting post to readout today on steemit
thanks for such post , looking forward for great posts like this

stay blessed :)

Hi hello my good friend today I can see your post to follow the series, I can comment that the photos of the food are excellent leave to the imagination of the reader steemit the good taste you can have. Another very funny photo is the guard very relaxed giving away smiles, means that the prisoner population of porta well.
regards
do not forget to follow me
I invite you to read my post I know you like it.
Together we can help each other.
takecare

Really tasty food made a good choice my friend

That look lovely. What was served with fries?

Thanks for sharing it. Very nice post! :)

One from the best post !! I like your beautiful work!! Thank you for the hard job!!

  ·  7 years ago (edited)

WHAT?!?
No Chevapi, no Burek, no Pljeskavica u Lepinji sa Kajmakom?!?
Something is wrong there, or with these cops or with the restaurant.
But what would you expect, it is a prison restaurant! ;-)

All joke aside, any time I cross the ocean and I'm in that area, I will never ever EVER! miss the opportunity to order and enjoy upper mentioned meals.

For all that don't know, what I'm talking about, if you are in a big city, with few million residents, anywhere on the planet, chances are, you have a restaurant with those meals available. Check it out. Search for key words, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Sarajevo... and upper meals I mentioned above. And try them out, you may decide to try again and again and again... ;-)

(on the picture, Burek - meat pie - sorry don't have my own picture handy and I wanted others to see how it looks like)

burek - meat pie.jpg

It seems to me that this is not a correctional institution, but a rest camp for young people who committed crimes.
Let's hope that criminals will appreciate a good attitude towards them and will no longer violate the laws.

yummmy loOking soo tasty food picture and awesome all these photographs

Food in the last pic made me hungry.. lol. I bet this food is very very delicious. Keep travelling velimir but stay away from the oily food because that may cause bad health during travel.

What a cool experience! Quite often people shy away from experiencing humanity in situations other than ideal conditions. It's nice to see this type of thing exists! Great post, @velimir

Hello, I insolit the site because it looks very exquisite to be the restaurant of a prison, you can see that you had a great time and ate delicious, seeing your post made me hungry, greetings from Venezuela and I invite you to see my post https://steemit.com/travel/@felixrodriguez/lagunillas-merida-venezuela-merideno-indigenous-people-in-their-past

wow beautiful . ..
Food in the pictures is looking so tasty ..
want to eat it :/

I enjoyed your post, you put lots of sense, its nice. Is it total freedom within?

Nice photography dear but how you capture such beautiful pics pot

prison resturant, a unique concept.never heard about it before !!

.the meal look fancy though !

very impression your post, I really like, I want to like you what is its secret?

if you wish please visit my blog, i need your support .thank you https://steemit.com/@muliadi

Wow... beautiful bike you got there. @velimir

Nice post.