Legal Rights of Prisoners - Term Paper Example

A hands-off policy has been adopted by most judges in the US when it comes to participation in ensuring that prisoners get their rights while serving their jail terms. According to this policy, a judge has the obligation of freeing only those inmates who are illegally confined but does not superintend the treatment and discipline of inmates in penitentiaries (law rank, 2010). In the recent past, prisoners were being treated harshly and subjected to poor living conditions as noted by Worrall (2008).

This, in essence, led to poor health conditions of the prisoners and subsequent death or irreversible health conditions. A prisoner, just like any other citizen, has the right to good living conditions. The prisoners have the right to be attended to whenever they fall sick and to the right medication. This right is an extension of the rights that all the other citizens enjoy. However, the rights to better living conditions are broader and well adhered to under civilian conditions as compared to when one is in prison (Seiter 2008).

Both prisoners and civil citizens are entitled to proper medication in the event of long-term and short-term illnesses. The medication provided should be adequate to improve the health of the ill person. Prisoners should have the right to proper medication even as they are deprived of their liberties since this is a basic human right. Denying prisoners this right may cause unwarranted deaths in prison in which case it may be argued that all those who are in prison are as good as sentenced to death.