Humans forced to be barefoot (from Wikipedia)
Removing the footwear and making a captive person go barefoot has been one of the first means to identify prisoners and other unfree individuals such as slaves in most civilizations. As footwear has been a standard clothing feature in urbanized cultures since antiquity, the relatively uncommon sight of an entirely unshod person stands out in a salient contrast to the usual appearance. The display of bare feet is an easily recognizable element and hereby has been a predominant feature of early modern prison uniforms. This approach is still employed in many countries of today and is also commonly used in situations, where a captive person cannot be outfitted with specific prisoner's clothing but still needs to be identified in a simple and unambiguous manner.
Going with bare feet also makes a person more vulnerable and therefore limits the freedom of action in many everyday situations. As such a barefooted person is usually at a physical disadvantage against a person wearing shoes in several regards. Removing the footwear from a person and hereby forcing him or her to go barefoot is therefore often used by authorities or captors since it offers an easily accessible option to contain and control an individual in a situation of imprisonment or captivity.
Due to the lack of protection a barefooted person usually is at a notable disadvantage in a physical confrontation against an opponent in footwear. Opposite to a person who has to stay barefoot, drastically more severe injuries can be caused by a kicking person who is wearing shoes because considerably more force can be put into the motions with a much lesser risk of hurting oneself. For this reason shoes are considered dangerous weapons by penal laws in different countries. One example is the constant jurisdiction in Germany. As footwear can be misused in a harmful way, it is also a measure of precaution in a number of countries, not to issue prisoners with any form of shoes at all and to keep them barefoot instead. In countries where prisoners are usually allowed to wear shoes, it is commonplace to seize the footwear of inmates in potentially dangerous situations and during intake procedures. Mentally unstable or incalculable inmates are usually forced to stay barefoot as well. This is done to safeguard detention staff from getting injured by the kicking of a resisting person.
On the other side bare feet are a common target for the application of force in situations of confrontation as they are overall highly pain-sensitive and usually within easy reach of the opponent. Moreover the particular vulnerability of unprotected toes make them an opportune target to exercise physical control over the barefooted person. These advantages are usually desired by correctional or police officers in situations with resisting arrestees or prisoners. Law enforcement techniques such as pain compliance can be used on bare feet in ways of toe-locks or painful bending of the toes. It is further possible to subdue a resister by applying pointed pressure to the unprotected soles of the person's bare feet, which present a high level of sensitivity. The vaults of the feet are particularly alive to pain due to the very tight clustering of nerve tissue. Thus the undersides of bare feet provide a multiplicity of spots for controlled application of force by a detention officer. Also by gripping the big toes of both feet and holding them firmly together an insubordinate prisoner can practically be immobilized and rendered harmless. It usually gets painful for the detained person, if he or she continues to struggle while being held in this toe-lock. With these enforcement techniques a dangerous situation can usually be deescalated without injury.
Another main objective of keeping a prisoner barefoot can be seen in preventing and counteracting potential attempts of prison escape. Without the effective protection against the environment that shoes usually provide, the locomotion of an unshod person is more difficult in the majority of exterior surroundings. This way a fugitive prisoner is easier to retrieve in many cases. Detainees are often discouraged from attempting escape by this measure alone.
A barefoot person experiences certain discomfort in daily life situations. The desire to be protected from the common inconveniences of the ground, mostly due to coarse textures or adverse temperatures, prompted humans to make use of footwear in ancient history. Incidentally, the traditional visual appearance of civilized societies was established, including footwear as an obligatory feature. A forced exclusion from the conveniences and appearance of footwear typically creates the awareness of being vulnerable, therefore it often has an intimidating effect on a person. Forcing prisoners or other captives to go barefoot often induces a persistent consciousness of submission, as they cannot relieve this often adverse situation on their own. The effect of intimidation is often compounded even further, if the bare feet also serve as the target for methods of corporal punishment such as bastinado, which is the case in a number of countries where prisoners are regularly forced to stay barefoot.
As the practical effects are achieved effortlessly and without expenses, keeping prisoners, slaves or other captives barefoot has been cross-culturally practiced ever since antiquity.
Going with bare feet also makes a person more vulnerable and therefore limits the freedom of action in many everyday situations. As such a barefooted person is usually at a physical disadvantage against a person wearing shoes in several regards. Removing the footwear from a person and hereby forcing him or her to go barefoot is therefore often used by authorities or captors since it offers an easily accessible option to contain and control an individual in a situation of imprisonment or captivity.
Due to the lack of protection a barefooted person usually is at a notable disadvantage in a physical confrontation against an opponent in footwear. Opposite to a person who has to stay barefoot, drastically more severe injuries can be caused by a kicking person who is wearing shoes because considerably more force can be put into the motions with a much lesser risk of hurting oneself. For this reason shoes are considered dangerous weapons by penal laws in different countries. One example is the constant jurisdiction in Germany. As footwear can be misused in a harmful way, it is also a measure of precaution in a number of countries, not to issue prisoners with any form of shoes at all and to keep them barefoot instead. In countries where prisoners are usually allowed to wear shoes, it is commonplace to seize the footwear of inmates in potentially dangerous situations and during intake procedures. Mentally unstable or incalculable inmates are usually forced to stay barefoot as well. This is done to safeguard detention staff from getting injured by the kicking of a resisting person.
On the other side bare feet are a common target for the application of force in situations of confrontation as they are overall highly pain-sensitive and usually within easy reach of the opponent. Moreover the particular vulnerability of unprotected toes make them an opportune target to exercise physical control over the barefooted person. These advantages are usually desired by correctional or police officers in situations with resisting arrestees or prisoners. Law enforcement techniques such as pain compliance can be used on bare feet in ways of toe-locks or painful bending of the toes. It is further possible to subdue a resister by applying pointed pressure to the unprotected soles of the person's bare feet, which present a high level of sensitivity. The vaults of the feet are particularly alive to pain due to the very tight clustering of nerve tissue. Thus the undersides of bare feet provide a multiplicity of spots for controlled application of force by a detention officer. Also by gripping the big toes of both feet and holding them firmly together an insubordinate prisoner can practically be immobilized and rendered harmless. It usually gets painful for the detained person, if he or she continues to struggle while being held in this toe-lock. With these enforcement techniques a dangerous situation can usually be deescalated without injury.
Another main objective of keeping a prisoner barefoot can be seen in preventing and counteracting potential attempts of prison escape. Without the effective protection against the environment that shoes usually provide, the locomotion of an unshod person is more difficult in the majority of exterior surroundings. This way a fugitive prisoner is easier to retrieve in many cases. Detainees are often discouraged from attempting escape by this measure alone.
A barefoot person experiences certain discomfort in daily life situations. The desire to be protected from the common inconveniences of the ground, mostly due to coarse textures or adverse temperatures, prompted humans to make use of footwear in ancient history. Incidentally, the traditional visual appearance of civilized societies was established, including footwear as an obligatory feature. A forced exclusion from the conveniences and appearance of footwear typically creates the awareness of being vulnerable, therefore it often has an intimidating effect on a person. Forcing prisoners or other captives to go barefoot often induces a persistent consciousness of submission, as they cannot relieve this often adverse situation on their own. The effect of intimidation is often compounded even further, if the bare feet also serve as the target for methods of corporal punishment such as bastinado, which is the case in a number of countries where prisoners are regularly forced to stay barefoot.
As the practical effects are achieved effortlessly and without expenses, keeping prisoners, slaves or other captives barefoot has been cross-culturally practiced ever since antiquity.
4 years ago