A specific scene in many American prisons, well-known thanks to films from across the Atlantic. The inmates are often dressed in a bright orange uniform.
But why this specific orange color? I'll explain.
First, in any prison in any country in the world, every effort is made to ensure that prisoners wear identical clothing. This is one of the characteristics of the system: it is essential to prevent any individual from standing out from the crowd. The punishment is then felt even more intensely.
Prison clothing must also be visible. That is, it must be easy to spot an inmate in case of an escape. For example, prisoners were often dressed in striped clothing, which is still used today, for instance, for those sentenced to life imprisonment in the Russian colonies.
In the United States, inmates are now dressed in bright colors—so that security can see them from a distance, especially from above. The color orange is very rare in large quantities in nature, so if an inmate decides to escape, they will be easily spotted against the landscape, for example, against a green forest or white snow.
By the way, there's also a color-coded system for American prison uniforms. The well-known orange color signifies that the inmate in front of you is an ordinary, moderately serious criminal. In contrast, the much rarer bright red uniform symbolizes that its wearer is a particularly dangerous individual, prone to escape.
Sometimes, American prisoners also wear pink uniforms. This color can designate, for example, prisoners who categorically refuse to submit to prison rules. Basically, complete rebels.
The use of the color orange in the clothing of many American prisoners began to spread about a hundred years ago. Originally, the prison uniform was striped - orange and white.
Criminal psychologists also support the choice of orange. They believe that bright orange robes do not oppress a person's psyche as much as dark colors like black or blue. Consequently, an inmate has a better chance of rehabilitation and being released with a clear conscience.
However, in some less remote parts of the US, inmates casually wear, for example, jeans and blue shirts. The orange robes are only provided for transport—to prevent them from escaping from the notorious prison buses.