In "Cell One" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a young man is put in jail and jokingly makes a remark that the country should be run the same way the cell is run. Over the course of his stay, he changes as a human being. He enters the cell a confident and cocky teenager, and when the time comes, he leaves a solemn and sober young man.
It could be interpreted that he grew up at last and that what he needed was some consequences for his actions, proving the benefits of the prison system.
I think that it's because he realized that the country is run the same way as the cell, and that the system is not as nice as he first thought it to be.
There is a hierarchy of extremity of the cells, all leading up to Cell One, where inmates (inmates' corpses, actually) are made examples of to all the other cells.
All of society's problems are locked up, abused, and ignored.
It all becomes apparent to Nnamabia, the young inmate, when an ill old man is thrown in jail and abused for something his son was guilty of, simply because he was available and his son was not. Nnamabia is shocked and negatively impressed over this, as he is forced to understand the horrible system that is prison, as well as government.
He tries to help the old man, and is punished further, sending him to Cell One.
He was lucky to leave Cell One alive, but he left it as a different human, more aware of the horrors of the world.
I also found that part of the story interesting and I like the connection that all of society's problems are ignored. I also think that Nnamabia is not correct that Nigeria should be run like the prison because the people there are mistreated and reliant on one leader in the cell to provide them with food, so if there was ever any conflict one person has sole power to make another go hungry. While some structure is beneficial and the experience was humbling for Nnamabia, I don't think prison would "benefit" everyone.
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