The Panopticon is often used to describe a dystopian system of constant surveillance. The idea that being watched at all times creates fear and compliance has shaped how many people view it today. But Jeremy Bentham's original plan was different. His goal was to reduce violence, not enforce control. He designed the Panopticon to limit the unchecked power of prison guards and officials. By making their actions visible, he believed it would be harder for them to harm those under their care.

Bentham saw inspection as a way to prevent cruelty, especially in a time when abuse inside prisons was common and rarely punished. He wanted the presence of a watchful eye to protect, not threaten.

Now consider what that could mean today - when the former president's family business has re-entered the White House. Since returning to power, Donald Trump has surrounded himself with appointees and advisors tied directly to his private holdings. His administration has accepted gifts from foreign governments, including a $400 million private jet from Qatar routed through opaque donor networks. Trump himself continues to profit from properties where officials and lobbyists seek favor. His daughter-in-law, now co-chair of the RNC, has overseen campaign events hosted at Trump-owned venues, blurring the line between governance and self-enrichment. The Justice Department's anti-corruption unit has been quietly dismantled. Surveillance isn't missing…It's just aimed the wrong way.

Surveillance already exists. People are tracked through phones, cameras, online activity, and financial records. However, the people being watched rarely make decisions that affect others. The powerful still operate behind closed doors. What if that changed? What if surveillance focused on those who hold office, run institutions, or enforce laws? With the tools now available, such as automated monitoring, public data systems, and sensor networks, it's possible to apply the same idea Bentham had, but in another direction.

18th-Century Prisons: The Real Dystopia

Before reforms were introduced, prisons were violent and unpredictable. Guards controlled daily life with little or no oversight. Bribes were common. Those who could pay often received special treatment. Those who couldn't were left in cramped, dirty cells without basic protection. Men, women, and children were often held together, regardless of the charges or the risks. Food was unreliable. Medical care, if it existed, was informal. Beatings and sexual abuse were not unusual. Complaints rarely reached anyone with authority.

There was no regular inspection of these places. Information about what happened inside rarely reached the outside world. Wardens and guards held control over people who had no way to defend themselves. Punishment was part of the daily routine, even for those not yet convicted. This was the accepted system. No real checks were in place.

Public concern grew as reports of these conditions became harder to ignore. Writers, doctors, and early reformers began to publish details of prisoners' treatment. They called for cleaner facilities, better food, and separate spaces for different groups. However, their ideas primarily focused on conditions, not structure.

Bentham took a different approach. He argued that the physical design of the prison could prevent harm. His Panopticon model made every part of the prison visible from a single point. That visibility would apply to both inmates and staff. The goal was to prevent violence by making it possible for anyone, at any time, to see what was happening. Instead of relying on rules or good intentions, the design itself would limit abuse.

The Panopticon's Original Purpose

Jeremy Bentham's Panopticon was based on a clear structural idea: a circular building with a central watchtower surrounded by cells along the perimeter. The design allowed one observer to see into each cell without being seen. The person in the tower didn't need to watch all the time; just th...