Ethical Treatment of Prisoners - Term Paper Example

? Assignment Ethical Treatment of Prisoners The role of the prison system plays two roles by contributing to and alleviating the problems of crimes. The slow growth in the economic system has greatly influence criminal acts due to the available benefits in the prison system. However, over the years, the treatment of prisoners has become a safe haven for many minorities and impoverished individuals. According to the Human Rights Library in the University of Minnesota “All prisoners shall be treated with the respect due to their inherent dignity and value as human beings. All prisoners shall have the right to take part in cultural activities and education aimed at the full development of the human personality.” “Conditions shall be created enabling prisoners to undertake meaningful remunerated employment which will facilitate their reintegration into the country's labour market and permit them to contribute to their own financial support and to that of their families.” (Human Rights Library) There are many rights and treatments that prisoners are entitled to base on the rules and laws put in place. Many of these fall under Rules of General Application such as Registration, Separation of categories, Accommodation, Personal Hygiene, clothing and bedding, food, exercise, sports, medical services, discipline and punishment, Instrument of restraints, Information to and complaints by prisoners, books, religion, Notification of death, illness, transfer and many more. Ethical treatment is something that every individual deserves. It involves a moral conduct to be followed by a group of people or a person in order to befit society and live together with others in peace and harmony. To be treated in a rightful manner, a man must also deserve the same and have earned his right to be treated so, however, there are times when people carry out activities that are not morally right and thus are termed as prisoners or criminals. Even then, it is the right of every man to be treated by others in as ethical a manner as possible because only when a man is treated with compassion and proper care, in an ethical manner, he will be able to learn from his mistakes and make sure as to not repeat them or cause harm to other people in the future. Since times immemorial, people have been challenged with this very aspect of how to treat someone who has done wrong to society. By taking into account gut intention, a person would usually stay away from someone who has committed a sin or a wrongdoing or caused havoc within society. Prisoners are usually such people as they have been imprisoned for doing injustice and wrong to people. However, the notion to treat them in a morally incorrect manner is wrong on part of other people living within society. At the end of the day, they are also people and have the right to be treated in a proper manner because only when people show a certain amount of compassion towards them will they learn. According to a number of Conventions that have been laid down, a moral code of conduct has been decided to be followed, as per given within the scope of this article, in order to help prisoners lead a morally ethical lifestyle. (Acome, Mathew) Prisoners need to be treated with care and dignity and need to be provided with all the opportunities possible, that a common man could have. This is done in order to help them realize the magnitude of their crimes and teach them a sense of responsibility while serving time in prison. Treating a man who has committed crime, in a criminal manner, will only make the situation worse and make him think worse of the surroundings that he has been thrust into. It is important to treat prisoners properly so that they are finally able to make a contribution towards society, both during their time in prison and after they have been let out. The treatment of persons sentenced to imprisonment or a similar measure shall have as its purpose, so far as the length of the sentence permits, to establish in them the will to lead law-abiding and self-supporting lives after their release and to fit them to do so. The treatment shall be such as will encourage their self-respect and develop their sense of responsibility. Systems of privileges appropriate for the different classes of prisoners and the different methods of treatment shall be established at every institution, in order to encourage good conduct, develop a sense of responsibility and secure the interest and co-operation of the prisoners in their treatment. Based on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights it states that “All prisoners under sentence shall be required to work, subject to their physical and mental fitness as determined by the medical officer. Vocational training in useful trades shall be provided for prisoners able to profit thereby and especially for young prisoners. The hours so fixed shall leave one rest day a week and sufficient time for education and other activities required as part of the treatment and rehabilitation of the prisoners.” (Sniffen, M.J) For case in point, last winter I was having casual conversations with a relative whom is a police detective. He mentions that he arrested a crime offender for shoplifting and the offender was released from jail a couple of days later. He was seen again by the detective, and he told the detective that he was cold, hungry, needed a place to sleep and going to jail would provide that for him. There are provisions made for such kind of prisoners so that they are able to lead a substantial if not completely comfortable lifestyle, because after all they carry out crimes for the purpose of their survival. They steal, cheat and lie just so they can get some money with which they can carry out their daily activities. For such prisoners, it is important that proper provisions are made so that they do not resort to committing such crimes later in their lives. On the other hand, there are criminals who have committed serious crimes such as murder, child molestation and fraud. Those individuals should be placed behind bars to prevent them from committing other crimes, which is a form of deterrence and this aids in the prevention of crime. Overall, the prison system aids in alleviating crime. The type of family and upbringing usually determines the path that an individual will follow. A family with a strong up bringing would help in alleviating the problems of crime by simply following the rules and regulations that have been laid down for people to follow. Families with little or no values are more prone to contributing to the problems of crimes.  This is because a strong sense of morality helps people to understand their outlook towards the rest of society. People that do not have such morals and character will be more prone to committing crimes in order to get whatever they need. For such prisoners, a proper programme should be carried out within prison, teaching them how to live with other people within a society, in a civil manner. The stratification system contributes to the problem of crime because individual economic and social status. Crimes committed by powerful people or people with higher social status are ‘acceptable’ because they are able to corrupt people and pay off their dues and thus are able to cover up their crimes. Under the stratification system members feel that they haven’t been given the same opportunity as others, based on their religion, race or gender. Those individuals cut corners to measure up to the others and this alone contributes to crimes.  The ethical treatment of prisoners has gone to a different level in many prison systems. Prison should be hard, but based on prison documentary shown on cable television; it creates an image that prison isn’t difficult as history has shown. In the past, prisons were areas with the worst of amenities; people were treated like dirt and rodents and were made to survive in the worst of conditions because it was believed that only by thrusting them into such an environment, they would learn and repent. However, in modern times, there have been a number of conventions against such behaviour towards prisoners and ethical treatment has been introduced by the Human Rights Councils around the world in order to provide a better living condition for prisoners. As per personal opinion, I believe that all items that are considered a luxury should be removed in order to make the environment more uncomfortable in the modern day and age, because in many parts around the world, prisoners are being provided with better than substantial provisions and facilities. They should be treated in a strong and disciplined manner but at the same time given certain facilities. However, this should not be overdone and make them feel completely at ease because they will never learn otherwise. It is important to be strict with them, nonetheless, also important to provide them with ethical treatment. A prison should be a prison and not a home; this goes for any kind of prisoner or criminal living within it. At times, there are people with high status and power in society who commit crimes and are jailed; however, they receive excellent treatment within prisons just because of their name and the kind of wealth they might have. This is wrong because after all, at the end of the day, they too are prisoners and thus should be treated as harshly as the others around them. There are a number of prisoners that may be undergoing mental problems which have created a negative impact on their health. Such prisoners must be given proper facilities and doctors so that they may be able to recuperate and understand the purpose of their lives better. Half the times, people that are undergoing serious medical and mental issues tend to carry out criminal activities and thus are detained in prisons. These people should not be looked over and thus should be provided with proper care and attention so that they are able to get better and live healthier lives. Furthermore, this will also reduce the rate of their negative thinking which might lead them to live better lives in the future. It is the duty of every man to help his fellow men understand the purpose of their lives and help them live when they are lost, thus, officers must be at the liberty to help prison inmates at such times and help them come out of their depression or mental issues. This can be done by conducting meetings and programs for all the prisoners where each one may come up and help the other as well. Prisoners might be able to understand each other as they may also be able to comprehend the thought process that brought them within the confines of the jails and prisons in the first place. Thus, such programs might help to bring their thoughts together and help them understand themselves better. After all, it is only ethical for people to be brought into contact with each other so that they are, in the process, able to understand themselves as well. It is important for criminals to understand the intensity of the situation, as per the level of crime that they have committed. Prisons should not be comfortable abodes because otherwise every poor man would want to commit a crime and then live in prison just in order to be able to receive the provisions in terms of food and shelter. Prisons should contain a harsh environment, however, at the same time they should also provide the basic necessities of life to the prisoners. As per the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, prisoners should also be made to learn discipline and be punished as per rules not followed. Medical services are also to be provided to prisoners in case they might fall ill. (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights) It is important that prisoners are given proper education during their serving time in jail so that they are able to understand their lives better and make something out of it. They need to be provided with proper food so that they can carry out activities that help society. The entire system of justice believes that every man can be cured if he has the will to do so, thus the first step in going ahead with this very statement is that the prisoner needs to be provided with proper accommodation, food as well as attention and learning in order to help him develop and grow into a moral human being. There have been reports of many prisoners who have spent a decent time in jail and have come out as better human beings. This has happened only because of the kind of care that they received from being around with each other and jail mates and officers that helped them realise their faults and mistakes and helped them turn over a new leaf. Treating a man with dignity and ethics is important to help him comprehend that he too has a stake in society and in other people’s lives. Most of the times, people carry out crimes just to get their voice heard and tell themselves that they are as important as anyone else around them. (Curry, J) In conclusion, prisoners are after all human beings that have been wounded in their souls and have suffered injuries in terms of morality of character and their personality. They carry out crimes in order to make their voice heard within society, yet people fail to understand them in a rightful manner. There are some criminals who are imprisoned for a lifelong term for carrying out heinous crimes as well. However, despite the intensity of the crime, it is important for any prisoner to be treated in a proper ethical manner and to be given the due respect that he deserves as a human being first and as a prisoner after that. Prisoners should receive the care and attention that they need along with the basic necessities of life. They should be taught responsibility and also put their skill and talent to use in order to make a contribution towards society, during their time in prison. This should be done in order to harness their latent talent and to make them realise their potential so that they can heal during their time in prison and be better human beings when they are released. References Human Rights Library (1990). Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners Retrieved on June 23, 2011 from http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/g2bpt.htm  Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (2007).Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoner. Retrieved on June 23, 2011 from http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/treatmentprisoners.htm Sniffen, M.J. (2006) Prisoners Lacking Mental Health Treatment. The Washinton Post. Retrieved on June 21, 2011 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/06/AR2006090601629.html  Acome, Mathew. Ethical Treatment of Prisoners. Ethics Thought Paper. Curry, J. (1998). Treat prisoners humanely. Military Review, 78(1) Read More