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In this paper, the author deals with prison as an archaic social institution, which reflects an archaic conception of human being, his needs and duty, but exists in a modern society. Russian prisons are institutions of a male initiations as well as a Russian army. They give a special sort of male socialization, very archaic and military, patriarchal and hierarchal; produce a special kind of society divided on unmixed social groups, casts, and is very violent. Taking into account how many people go through prison in Russia (rotation near 300 people per year, every 4th man got in contact with prison and every 3rd with army) and a fact that prison and society are communicating vessels, our prisons, our prisoners and former prisoners are a good reserve of our social underdevelopment, social cruelty, our disability to promote social reforms, to take care about vulnerable group of our population (children, old people and female), because they are not a part of male prison and a military hierarchy. An attempt to modernize prison life, prison condition by different way and especially mediation as a way to make them softer and human is an attempt of social development.