Dancing Prisoners
 

Last night I was watching a doco about a province in the Phillipines where the ex governor has implemented dancing as part of the 'rehabilitation process' for prisoners. Here's a link to Mr Garcia's youtube page where you can see a number of the dances

At first it made me laugh to see all these guys in orange dancing to pop songs from the 80's (Mr Garcia's favourite era) but then I thought about what else they'd have to do all day in prison anyway. Some people view his methods as a deprivation of human rights, but from my own perspective, pretty much every person I've ever met from the phillipines (and the number is very high due to the fact that my step mother is from there), loves to dance and do karaoke (which they have in Mr Garcias prison also).

Anyway, maybe it's just entertainment for some here, but I'd be interested in other views on the ethics of the situation.

dancing is a fundamental human activity, so it makes sense to me that prisoners should partake of it.

My mom is from the Philippines, and I spent two months there as a teenager. I can second that the grand majority of Filipinos LOVE singing and dancing.

That aside, as long as the prisoners are not being forced to dance, I don't think it's a bad thing. It's a little bit of exercise, group interaction in a peaceful setting, and discipline (organization, routine). I think letting them have some fun is probably beneficial towards improving their overall health, and might fit in well with whatever other rehabilition activities they have there.

I wouldn't even have a problem with it if they were forced. School children are forced, it doesn't kill them....

Well, they were forced into it. They were told they could stay in the nice prison and dance, or they could go to the over crowded military prison and not dance. (They also sent the socialists there without a choice)

The thing I found most shocking about the doco though was that most of those prisoners have not even been to trial yet, so they've not been found guilty of anything. Some of them have been in that limbo like state for over 5 years. It's a bad situation in the Phillipines.

It should be a crime to do bad Karakoe and bad dancing. I think they may be setting them up for a major crime. :D

It's not a crime, but you might get shot for it...

Hasn't this content and even video been posted already?
Anyway, I think it is awesome there is dancing in PI. And Merc, c'mon! They aren't half bad. The guy dressed up as the woman was so into it! Oh, my people are funny :D
Yes it is true, every Flip loves to sing and dance, that stereotype is correct. I'm proof.

And those guys are 10 times better than Dancing With The Stars! Bravo! :)

Socialists can't dance? Don't tell Dana ;)

I'm with Jinx - we were made to do country dancing as children and we hadn't even committed a crime.