Race, Age, and Gender in Criminal Justice - Essay Example

The treatments and the rights are controlled by those who are supposed to manage Her Majesty’s prisons and even though things such as the Human Rights Act 1998 and the European Convention on Human Rights have improved the conditions for many prisoners, there is still a lot more which can be done (Valette, 2002). This is certainly recognized in the corporate objectives outlined by the UK Prison Service but it must also be noted that the external environment of the world at large and the UK, in particular, is changing rapidly, and in the next ten to fifteen years significant alterations can be expected (Beckford, 2005).

In this context, gender and age become particularly important since recent research has shown us that young males in prisons are particularly likely to commit suicide while they are in prison. While there is no method by which we can know exactly why a prisoner might kill him/herself we are told by the Royal College of Psychiatrists that there are certain risk factors associated with individuals who have previously committed suicide in prisons (RCP, 2005). Unsurprisingly, these factors are:
• Youth
• Male gender
• Clinical depression
• Alcoholism
• Recent loss of a dear one
• Lack of support from the criminal justice regime

The lack of support from the prison authorities can have several influences which push a prisoner to the brink of committing suicide. For instance, if a prisoner is seen as being at risk for suicide the need for a constructive relationship between the prison authorities and the prisoner is strongly recommended. In fact, positive relationships are the most important means for preventing prison suicides as is a program within the prison system which works for suicide prevention (RCP, 2005). In terms of gender, the justice system also recognizes the delicate position of women in prisons (Scott, 2001). Thus the improved operations of the criminal justice system require improvements in how relationships are established with all population segments that are placed within the system and the justice authorities recognize this quite well. Read More