Halloween is a time for creative costumes and having fun. But some costumes have consequences beyond a night of celebration. One costume that may seem harmless but is deeply problematic is the stereotypical "prisoner" outfit. Dressing up as a prisoner for Halloween reinforces harmful stereotypes, minimizes real suffering, and detracts from the serious, complex issues of mass incarceration and systemic injustice. Here’s why we should leave the orange jumpsuits and shackles out of our Halloween wardrobes.
(1) Minimizing the Realities of Incarceration
When we see prisoner costumes—orange jumpsuits, shackles, black-and-white stripes—they trivialize the real and devastating impact that incarceration has on individuals, families, and communities. Prison is not a costume, nor is it a party. For many, incarceration is a traumatic, painful experience marked by isolation, violence, and dehumanization. Wearing a prisoner costume makes a joke of that reality, turning symbols of oppression, violence, and neglect into mere characters. But behind each orange jumpsuit or striped shirt is a story of someone whose humanity has been ignored—a person whom society has chosen to punish rather than support.
(2) Perpetuating Stereotypes and a Culture of Fear
Halloween prisoner costumes often portray a caricature of people behind bars, creating an image of someone inherently “bad” or “dangerous.” This perpetuates the idea that people in prison are irredeemable, inherently scary or unworthy of empathy, that they somehow deserve whatever they get, which is far from the truth.
This fear-based narrative does nothing to help rehabilitate those in the system or create an environment where formerly incarcerated individuals can reintegrate into society. Incarcerated individuals are diverse, complex human beings with unique stories, circumstances, and potential for change. By dressing as “prisoners” for entertainment, we foster a culture where people are judged based on their pasts rather than their potential. We reinforce harmful stereotypes and fail to challenge the stigmas that fuel unjust policies and practices within our criminal justice system.
(3) Ignoring Systemic Inequality
Mass incarceration is not just about individual choices—it’s about a system that disproportionately affects marginalized communities. Racial profiling, poverty, lack of access to quality education, and biased policing are just some factors driving systemic inequality within the criminal justice system. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), as well as individuals from low-income backgrounds, face disproportionately high rates of incarceration. In Canada, Indigenous people are incarcerated at a rate nine times higher than non-Indigenous individuals. In addition, individuals who are black in Canada represent approximately four percent of the total population, yet nine percent of federally incarcerated folks are black. Wearing a prisoner costume ignores these injustices, turning a blind eye to the racism, inequality, and classism that fuel the prison system.
(4) Changing Culture Together
Our ignorance allows the system to continue unchanged. We’re able to turn a blind eye to the human rights violations that happen in our jails and prisons because we don’t see the people inside as fully human. The horrific stories that come out of our prisons, when they do get shared, are often quickly forgotten. Most of us have no idea about the daily violence that happens behind bars or the ways in which our own indifference perpetuates suffering.
As we celebrate Halloween, let’s challenge ourselves and those around us to make choices that respect the dignity of all people. Let’s resist costumes that trivialize suffering or reinforce harmful stereotypes.