Treatment of Individuals in Prison - Essay Example

Policy Manual for Treatment of Individuals in Prison. One fundamental right for all persons is liberty and this is enshrined on most constitutions the world over. There are instances where authorities may be inevitably required to take away this right from some individuals as a result of their actions for which they are convicted or accused. In such cases the culprits are put under prison management and are referred as prisoners. The essence is to deprive the individuals of liberty prison authorities are tasked with ensuring implementation of the same in fashion that imposes just the necessary restrictions.

Prison authorities have no role in imposing any more restrictions than is required by the law. It is therefore important that policy governing treatment individuals in the prisons should be formulated with the prisoners and officers in mind so as to ensure observation of human rights. The International Convent on Civil and Political Rights states that “All persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person.” The American Convention on Human rights under article 5 section 2 also states and emphasizes the importance of the same.

It is therefore very important for all professional working in prison facilities to observe basic human rights conventions, ethical standards and policies set by judicial authorities when carrying out their jobs in correcting behavior of prisoners placed under their care. A good policy should emphasize observation of certain important rationale in making decisions on issues of ethical concern such as the rights enjoyed by prisoners, their privacy and even medical health. This is because they are public servants, earning from public coffers and as such should perform their duties in a manner that makes assures public confidence in the institutions of correction.

Professionals working in prison facilities should always make sure to fully identify all facts so as not to act with probabilities or leave room for future prediction. They should also refer to relevant value systems as well as concepts on handling ethical issues such as privacy in the best possible interest. For instance in the case where a prisoner is sick and requires special urgent medical attention yet the rules restrict entry any officer to the prisoner’s room at the time. It will be the responsibility of the officer to make the life saving decision of ensuring the prisoner is attended while referring to available rules and concepts.

Officers should also make it their job to ascertain all moral issues of dilemma for all parties involved in an issue in order to collaboratively to towards addressing the core issue at hand. It is important also for the officers to make decision on the moral and ethical issue of immediate concern to the parties. In most cases this is behavior based and therefore professionals should widely refer and consult existing concepts so as act in a manner that is consistent with standards and upholds the basic rights of every party.

In the end the officers should resolution of ethical and moral issues is done consistent with ethical systems or with the best interest of the concerned individuals. With these steps the policy in prison facilities is supposed to guide prison warders and all administrators as well as professionals to perform their correctional duties in a manner that produces better citizens when they complete their jail terms. In conclusion therefore policy on handling prisoners should be straight forward in guiding officers perform their work in the most possible humane fashion.

There should be clear procedures to be followed in resolving issues of moral and ethical concern to prisoners. It should also be consistent with national and international conventions on the management of prisons and treatment of individuals in prison facilities. Works Cited. 1. Pollock J.M. Ethical Dilemmas & Decisions in Criminal Justice, 7th ed. Belmont CA: Wadsworth Cengage learning, 2010. ISBN: 9780495913351. 2. Samaha, J. Criminal Procedure, 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2012.

ISBN: 9780495913351