Human Rights Approach to Prison Management - Literature review Example

Human Rights Approach to Prison Management Introduction Management of prisons in Ireland has come a long way since the “establishment of a three person Convict Prison Board in 1854” (National Crime Council), to its present 14 institution establishment of Irish Prison System (Irish Prison Service Website). The transformation has envisaged a number of policy changes and radical shift in the underlying perceptions. Human Rights Approach to prison management is one such change that needs to be understood by every person who is interested in taking a career of prison management because, it allows for both the prison inmates and the management staff to have better understanding and interaction with each other, making it a valuable learning experience for both. This essay shall briefly explore the role of the self understanding of human behaviour in taking a human rights approach to prison management. In the course of its exploration, the essay shall sketch on relevant theories of human behaviour, the learning to be had from Abu Ghraib prison torture in Iraq, and the relevance of Stanford Prison Experiment Research (1971). Theories of Human Behaviour and Role of Self Of afore mentioned 14 Irish prison institutions, 11 are, what is called the “traditional ‘closed’ institutions” (Irish Prison service Website), which is explained by the social psychologist Erving Goffman (1961) as “total institutions”; whose characteristics are “encompassing or total character is symbolised by the barrier to social intercourse with the outside and to departure that is often built right into the physical plant, such as locked doors, high walls, barbed wire, cliffs, water, forests, or moors” (Goffman 1961, pp. 15-6). These are confining spaces, which evoke thoughts of oppression, violence and subjugation at mere thought, and totally devoid of even basic human rights. Of particular interest is Goffman’s The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1959), in which he has treated life itself as a sort of drama stage. According to this theory, every human being is a performer in the stage of life, with each having a role-model in mind, and emulating the role. The actor or performer plays that particular role in the way that he/she understands reality which may or may not be actual reality. However, in pursuit of this role-play, the performer then goes on to behave, speak, walk and follow all other behaviours so as to make the others in the society believe that the performer is the authentic role itself (not merely playing the part). This role again, is nothing but a reflection of the society in which the individual hails from (pp. 28-45). In essence, the human behaviour is modified by self, to suit the perception of other players as to the characteristics of the particular role, and gradually, the self comes to believe that, one is none different from the role itself. This may be illustrated and comprehended better by means of an example, through the Stanford Prison Experiment Research which will also highlight the importance of human rights approach to prison management. Inference through Simulated Stanford Prison Experiment (1971) A very interesting research was carried out by well-known psychologists Philip Zimbardo, and his fellow researchers - Craig Haney, David Jaffe, and Curtis Banks (1971). They wanted to know the psychological impacts of role play, especially in a prison environment; like for example, what are the effects of playing the role of prisoner or a prison management staff. Therefore they created an artificial prison environment at the Stanford University, and kindled a prison-like atmosphere with enrolled volunteers playing the roles of prisoners and prison management staff (http://www.prisonexp.org/). The research (1971) findings have proved that Goffman’s (1959) contain a lot of substance in them. A number of events pertaining to the behaviour of the volunteers who played the roles of prison inmates, pointed to the above. For example, one can see how much the individual starts to believe that he/she is the role itself from the way in which the volunteer who was given the number “819” behaved - “he broke down and began to cry hysterically, just as had the other two boys we released earlier” (http://www.prisonexp.org/slide-30.htm and http://www.prisonexp.org/slide-31.htm). Furthermore, such near-total-transformations, into the roles that they played were not restricted to those volunteers who played prisoners alone. Those volunteers who played the role of prison management staff too, were prone to ill-treat the inmates and flout their power and authority; in some occasions in complete disregard to the health or preservation of basic human dignity of the prisoner volunteers, like in the case of the “metamorphosis of our prison consultant as he adopted the role of head of the Parole Board (http://www.prisonexp.org/slide-32.htm). If a mere simulated experiment could transform and distort human behaviour to this extent, then one can easily understand what havoc can be created, when power is bestowed on persons untrained in prison ethics. Terrible Realities of Abu Ghraib Prison The relevance of respect for human rights and human rights approach in prison management may be best understood through the illustration of a situation in which human rights has been conspicuously, and totally disregarded. The immediate example that comes to one’s mind is the torture of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Gharib prison reported by Seymour Hersh, in the The NewYorker in 2004. Hersh (2004) has pointed to the fact that adolescent boys, women and many adult males who had nothing to do with terrorist activities, were subject to the worst kind of torture and ill-treatment at the hands of American and British military personnel, who had no training or experience whatsoever in prison management or prison ethics. The result of which was, terrible, unprintable happenings like several prisoners being denuded of both clothing and dignity, being photographed thus, made to commit despicable acts like masturbating, oral sex etc, which are especially taboo to the cultural beliefs and practices of Muslim-Iraqis. This reminds one of what Du Bois observes of the sufferings of all oppressed communities in general and Afro-Americans in particular, as “the problem of the twentieth century” pertaining to discrimination on “the color-line,--the relation of the darker to the lighter races of men in Asia and Africa, in America and in the islands of the sea” (1903, p.23). It brings to the fore the significance of humane manner of prison management, and also the essentiality of proper training and education of prison management staff. Humane Approach to Prison Management Important to the study of the human rights approach to prison management is Andrew Coyle’s A Human Rights Approach to Prison Management –Handbook for Prison Staff (2003). Insisting on an ethical approach to prison management the author warns of the consequences of the contrary; “Without an ethical context, managerial efficiency in prisons can take a path that leads ultimately to the barbarism of the concentration camp and the gulag” (Coyle 2003, p.15). He has stipulated that prisons must have clearly written procedures to precisely define the qualities and selection criteria for recruitment of prison staff, “There has to be a clear set of procedures to ensure that only those applicants who are suitable are in fact selected to join the prison system” (Coyle 2003, p.20). While staff managing prisons should be well-cared for in terms of salaries and other aspects, an active recruitment policy should be followed by “a programme of public education about what goes on inside prisons” (Coyle 2003, p. 21). In the section devoted to the treatment of prisoners as human beings, Coyle (2003) describes how this can be put into practice, by making it obligatory for all prison staff to be “fully aware of the complete prohibition on torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment”(p.36). Highly significant to above studies and theories, is his warning of “certain key moments which set the tone for how staff are expected to deal with prisoners; One occurs when the prisoner is first admitted into prison; The treatment he or she receives at that point is an important indicator to the prisoner and to others of what is to follow” (p.36). He further advocates minimum use of force in prison management. Humane approach to the healthcare aspect of prisoners has also been extensively explained by Coyle. He rightly states that “Prisoners often come from the poorest sections of society and their health problems will reflect this. They will bring with them untreated conditions, addictions and also mental health problems; These prisoners will need particular support” (Coyle 2003, p. 49). Emphasizing on the necessity of screening for various sorts of health conditions for prisoners due to fact that many prisoners may enter the prison with undisclosed conditions like HIV/AIDS and TB, he states that “In addition to these facilities for general medical, dental and psychiatric care, the prison administration should also ensure that it has suitable arrangements in place to provide specialist consultation and in-patient care” (Coyle 2003, p.52). Furthermore, in his section dealing with “Disciplinary Procedures and Punishments” Coyle (2003) has delineated how a humane manner of enforcing discipline is to be followed. Advocating “fairness of procedures” and appropriate and “proportionate punishment” for breaking of rules, he hastens to point out that prisoners should be sufficiently educated of the rules and regulations that have to be followed within the prison (Coyle 2003, pp.75-9). Following such humane ways and methods in management procedures of prisons and prisoners shall pave the way for far better harmony and understanding between the two sections of prisons that is, the prisoners and the prison management staff. Conclusion Very relevant theories of social psychologists like Erving Goffman (1959) have facilitated an understanding of human behaviour and the role of self in transforming modifying behaviour to suit the society’s image of the role. The veracity of Goffman’s theory has been testified through simulated experiments of Philip Zimbardo and his fellow researchers (1971) and also in the terrible, nightmarish, torture perpetrated in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq by American and British military officers, untrained in prison management. This has been an eye-opener in the necessity of education and training in the human rights approach to prison management, as explicated by Andrew Coyle (2003). Following the procedures laid down by him, shall surely better the environment in prisons and promote harmony and mutual respect between prisoners and staff, who are all human beings and need to be treated thus. References Coyle, Andrew (2003). A Human Rights Approach to Prison Management available online accessed on 27 March, 2009. http://www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/law/research/icps/downloads/human_rights_prison_management.pdf DuBois, W. E. B. (1903). The Souls of Black Folks: Essays and Sketches Fawcett Premier Book. P. 23. Goffman, E. (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York: Doubleday. Goffman E. 1961A/1 On the Characteristics of Total Institutions Extracts accessed on 27 March, 2009 at http://studymore.org.uk/xgof.htm webpage available at http://www.mdx.ac.uk/WWW/STUDY/xGof.htm#Encounters Hersh, Seymour (2004). “Annals of National Security - Torture at Abu Ghraib American soldiers brutalized Iraqis. How far up does the responsibility go?” in The NewYorker dated May 10, 2004. Accessed on 27 March, 2009. http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/05/10/040510fa_fact Irish Prison Service. “Location of Prisons and Places of Detention” Online article accessed on 27 March, 2009. http://www.irishprisons.ie/prisons-home.htm National Crime Council. “Prison Statistics” Online article accessed on 27 March 2009, http://www.crimecouncil.gov.ie/statistics_cri_prison.html Stanford Prison Experiment(1971). Website accessed on 27 March, 2009. http://www.prisonexp.org/ Read More