How Prison Officers Can Benefit from Improved Human Rights Conditions in Prisons - Essay Example

How Prison Officers Can Benefit from Improved Human Rights Conditions in Prisons Introduction Over the years, the management of prisons within ethical confinement that demonstrate practical respect for all people, be it inmates, prison officers, or visitors has emerged as one of the core preoccupations of international and national human rights organizations. Whereas such an ethical context is ideally expected to be universally applied, the observation of fundamental human rights continues to present unprecedented challenges in prison contexts. From a generalized perspective, prison management entails the management of people, who in this case include prisoners and staff. By implication therefore, the successful running of prisons can not be purely evaluated by considering the efficiency and effectiveness of operations (European Convention on Human Rights Act 2003 10). Above all, the question of human rights is of prime significance. The common contention is that the rights of inmates and staff must be upheld, as this promotes their wellbeing and that of the society in general. However, numerous incidences of human rights abuse have been reported in many parts of the world. Particularly, Ireland has increasingly been on the limelight for its slow pace of implementing strategies aimed at fostering a higher degree of efficacy in as far as the upholding of human rights standards is concerned. A closer observation of the available body of evidence reveals that both prisoners and staff stand to benefit if such standards are strictly adhered to (Penal Reform International 53). Human Rights Conditions within Prison Contexts In virtually all geopolitical contexts, imprisonment has been embraced as a necessary step in restoring order and justice in society. Based on the accumulated body of facts, the number of detention facilities has been on the rise in most parts of the world (Swift 20). This is often accompanied by a significant increase in the number of criminal justice workers deployed in such facilities. Additionally, parole release decisions have been tightened, and the average sentencing terms have relatively been raised (Human Rights Information Centre 47). In essence, the objective of detaining individuals convicted of various criminal offences and felonies is perceived as bearing the potential of deterring criminal behavior, besides restoring order within a social context (Hamilton, Claire and Kilkely, Ursula 67). Particularly, imprisonment is envisaged as a measure that that serves to rehabilitate criminals and encourage a change in behavior. Nevertheless, this objective has remained elusive, and criminal recidivism remains high in countries all over the world. Criminals end up committing more crimes upon being released, thus leading to re-arrests, subsequent conviction, and imprisonment. Whereas such a trend can be attributed to diverse factors, among them being the individuals’ socioeconomic background, a closer examination of the available body of evidence reveals that the prison conditions play a significant role in encouraging recidivism. Prison Conditions in Ireland The year 1854 saw the birth of the Irish Prison Service, making it one of the oldest government institutions to be established. Previously, the Prisons Act of 1826 was the predominant legislation that governed the administration of punishment, particularly imprisonment of offenders. Besides, the Act also served to control the activities of prisons. In contemporary Ireland, the principal mission and objective of the Prisons Service is that of providing humane, secure, and safe custody for individuals convicted of crimes (Aylward and Mitchell 98). The underlying motive behind the institution’s motto entails the management of custodial sentences such that offenders are transformed into law-abiding citizens. Additionally, inmates are encouraged to live productive lives upon being released from the prison confines. Nevertheless, this objective has been largely unattainable. Although the government has continuously embraced the initiative of refurbishing prison accommodations in a bid to improve living conditions, Ireland’s prisons continues to face numerous challenges. In the past for instance, nearly all prisons were massively overcrowded, a scenario often characterized by the occupation of single cells by several inmates, and lack of adequate accommodation items such as beds and bed space. According to Aylward, and Mitchell, the situation has fairly improved, and mass crowding is nowadays a rare spectacle (99). Similarly, approximately seventy percent of the Irish inmate population has access to in-cell sanitation amenities. However, complete upgrading of the prisons has never been realized. For instance, the issue of sanitation poses unprecedented challenges, as exemplified by the use of chamber pots inside the cells (Aylward and Mitchell 100). Indeed, the living conditions of Ireland’s prisons have continued to elicit sharp criticism, particularly from domestic and external human rights activists. A case in point is Mountjoy prison located in Dublin. One of the problems that persist in this prison is overcrowding. Although its intended capacity is 489, the prison was home to over six hundred prisoners as at September 2009 (O’Keffe). Instances of prisoners being housed in odd places such as reception areas have been reported. Similarly, it is commonplace to find seven or eight prisoners sharing a cell originally intended to house four prisoners. Besides, sanitation also remains a problem in this prison. Notably, detainees are forced to share toilet buckets, a practice branded as “sloping out” (Carey 39). The contents from such buckets are often poured into the prison premises. This has not only served to pollute the prison air, but also attract rodents such as mice and cockroaches. The sharing of toilet facilities can indeed be described as degrading and inhuman treatment of prisoners. The absence of toilet facilities in the prisoner cells means that inmates eat their food only a few feet away from where there the chamber pots are located. Additionally, lack of adequate space has precipitated a situation whereby some prisoners are forced to sleep in shower rooms, on floors, and other inhumane and inappropriate rooms. In a recent survey of the prison premises, Judge Reilly opined that such an environment was not only insecure and unsafe for prisoners, but as well for prisoner officers (O’Keffe). Severe overcrowding has sometimes led to fatalities as illustrated by the death of Gary Douche, a prisoner in the year 2006. How Prison Officers Can Benefit From Improved Human Rights Conditions in Prisons In an investigation commissioned by Ireland’s Prison Officers Association in the year 2007, over sixty five percent of all prison staff articulated that they felt unsafe while working within the prison premises (Prison Officers Association 1). Approximately 50 percent of those interviewed disclosed that they had either been attacked by prisoners, or had received frequent threats of physical attack. Additionally, a significant majority (86 percent) was of the opinion that the Irish Prison Service was not doing enough in safeguarding their safety while at the prison environment (Prison Officers Association 3). In essence, the anxiety experienced during working hours has encouraged prison officers to frequently apply for stress-related leaves. By implication, the few officers left on duty have to handle multiple tasks that would have ordinarily been shared. A critical examination of the available body of facts reveals that degrading human conditions in prisons impact negatively on prison staff, particularly those who are in constant contact with prisoners. Notably, overcrowding challenges the training experience of prison officers. Besides being a significant root of stress among staff, the unparalleled increase in the number of people put in detention facilities has created the need for recruiting additional staff. In the United States for instance, more than forty percent of vanguard correction officers have less than 2-year experiences while executing their duties (Human Rights Information Centre 53). In Ireland, additional recruitment of prisoner staff is generally aimed at handling the ever-growing number of inmates. More often than not, older and experienced staff has had to embrace an additional burden of training and mentoring the new officers. Based on the growing body of evidence, this additional task tends to places undue pressure on officers, besides making them fatigued. Thus, reducing the mass overcrowding that is evident in a number of Ireland’s prisons would constitute stride towards the reduction of stress experienced by prison officers. Indeed, overcrowding remains a pervasive problem within prison setups. For instance, overstretching the period for which prisoners are locked within prison walls has often been associated with staff shortages (Human Rights Information Centre 67). More often than not, additional staff members have to be recruited whenever the number of individuals incarcerated increases. However, this poses unprecedented challenges, considering the rigorous nature of recruiting and training prison officers. In essence, this implies that officers have to man several prisoners at a time, and this increases their workload. To a larger extent, prison congestion traces its roots in the legal doctrines and infrastructure embraced by various countries. Laws such as those stipulating mandatory minimum sentences for specific crimes are chiefly responsible, considering that they give jurors the power to give verdicts based on the relative weight of the crime. Congestion has also been attributed to the escalation of crimes witnessed in contemporary times, prolonged pretrial custody, and wrongful convictions of individuals. From a practical point of view, prison officers stand to benefit a lot from prison decongestion. Research indicates that a significant number of prisoners are individuals convicted for having committed minor crimes and civil wrongs. Thus, embracing alternative punishment strategies such as deployment in community service initiatives, probations, and paroles would significantly reduce overcrowding, hence making the work of prison officers a lot easier. The fact that a prison staff member has fewer prisoners to attend to implies reduced workload. According to the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights, all individuals have the right to life and personal security (Human Rights Information Centre 82). However, unfavorable prison conditions such as overcrowding, poor sanitation, and the threat of physical torture bears the potential of amplifying the levels of stress among inmates. As Robert and Cobb observe, an increase in the number of individuals entering prisons coupled with prolonged cell confinement lead to higher levels of anxiety and depression among inmates (Robert and Cobb 27). Indeed, the common spectacle of prison fights can be attributed to the increased distress that emanates from unfavorable prison conditions. Whereas inmates themselves have suffered immensely while under confinement, prison officers have not been spared either. More often than not, wardens and other prison staff have been attacked by prisoners, sometimes leading to fatalities. Human rights-friendly initiatives such as the provision of sufficient food rations, improving hygiene levels, availing adequate accommodation facilities such as beds, mattresses and rooms, and decongesting prisons has the potential of lowering anxiety and stress that often culminates in violence against prison officers. This tends to reduce the associated threat of physical or verbal attack, besides minimizing the cases of harassment by prisoners against prison staff, thus making prison management an enjoyable and less risky task. Conclusion Beyond doubt, the management of prisons is a complex task. Despite the numerous steps embraced by governments in an effort to promote the successful running of prison contexts, success remains elusive, a scenario that has tended to jeopardize human rights. Being in direct contact with inmates is a challenging experience since it involves working closely with individuals who have been deprived of their fundamental freedoms. Additionally, a good number of prisoners are either drug addicts, or mentally and emotionally disturbed. Thus, the violation of rights precipitated by unfavorable prison conditions or severed relations between staff and inmates are likely to compromise the success of managing such facilities. In order to foster high human rights standards within prison contexts, it is imperative that prison officers are carefully recruited, provided with the right training, wisely supervised, and supported. Above all, improving human rights conditions in prisons has the potential of reducing the workload and the risks associated with the supervision of inmates by prison staff. Works Cited Alyward, Sean. “The Irish Prison service: Past, Present, and Future-A Personal Perspective.” In Criminal Justice in Ireland, ed. P. O’Mahony, 570-594. Dublin: Institute of Public Administration. Aylward, Sean and Mitchell, Jim. “Irish Prisons: Past, Present and Future Challenges.” Corrections Today, 65 (2003):98-101. Carey, Tim. Mountjoy, the Story of a Prison. Cork, Ireland: Collins Press. European Convention on Human Rights Act 2003. 20:(2003):10-35. Hamilton, Claire and Kilkely, Ursula. “Human Rights in Irish Prisons.” Judicial Studies Institute Journal 2(2008): 58-85. Human Rights Information Centre. Human Rights In Prison: The Professional Training Of Prison Officials: Proceedings, Seminar, Strasbourg, 7-9 July 1993. Strasbourg: Council of Europe Press, 1995. O’Keffe, Cormac. “‘Inhumane’ Conditions in Mountjoy Prison.” Irish Examiner. 25 September 2009. . Penal Reform International. An international Handbook on Good Prison Practice. ISBN 0953522024; Penal Reform International. 1.225 Prison Officers Association “Threat to Prison Officers Highlighted.” RTE News. 14 August, 2007. . Robert, Marcus and Cobb Alison. “Mental Health and Detention,” Criminal Justice Matters, 71 (2008): 26-27. Swift, John. “Global Human Rights 2008 – An Evaluation.” Administration 57.2(2009):7-24. Read More