Again Nick Broomfield gives the general public insight into what its like inside a public institutions, the side which is generally hidden from their eyes. Comparisons could be drawn to Titicut Follies 1967, which looks at an American mental institution. The great thing about America is, although their institutions are very brutal, they let the documentary film makers do their job. It would be hard to see the British authorities complying to allow the filming of such a movie, not unless captured by an underground reporter like BBC Panorama or Ch4 Dispatches.
The "Crime and Punishment" model of dealing with criminality , is heavily tied to Christian philosophy in the West; the idea that evil deeds must be punished. We get to see this, as the main content of their rehabilitation programme appears to be a very animated baptist church preacher and his hearty inmate followers.
On an intellectual level, it is hard to see how this inhumane treatment of prisoners could serve wider society in the long run. Its more like a torture chamber/ training camp, for psychopaths. The rates of recidivism among the inmates interviewed for thr documentary reflects this.