Analysis of Harsh Prison Conditions - Essay Example

?Harsh Prison Conditions Prisons in America have never been considered a place free from harshness and brutality. Indeed, prisoners are not sent to prison to have a comfortable life but at they should at least be given a humane treatment. The American constitution does articulate that the prison conditions must be safe and healthier for prison inmates. However, many prisons do not meet these requirements. . In America, prisoners are not treated fairly and often suffer abuse whether it is from prison mates or the prison officers. Many have conditions made worse by overcrowding people in facilities. Many prisoners experience assault, physical and sexual abuse and condition that many people would not consider humane. The daily system for inmates in America is one of the harshest in the developed world and does not account for healthy physical and psychological needs. For example, inmates are frequently left isolated for long periods of time especially when given the punishment of solitary confinement which can even lead healthy people to have psychological problems. Many inmates may already have psychological problems and this type of treatment can make them worse. The extremely high level of security in many prisons makes life overly restricted. Many prisoners are confined to their cells for 23 hours per day. They have no access to daylight, fresh air or conversation with people. Many prisons lack hygiene, provide bad food, and do not allow visitors or extracurricular activities. Harsh prison conditions are a critical human rights problem. Even though they are criminals, they still have a right to live in a secure environment. The harsh prison environment is a controversial subject and gives a glimpse into the oppressive nature of the American government. While most people can agree that prisons are a place for punishment, and most can also agree that the punishment should not include inhumane treatment, the controversy lies in exactly what is considered inhumane and whether the conditions of many prisons is at the point of being unconstitutional. In humane treatments like prolonged isolation, blasting cold air into the cell, confiscating fluids and hygiene material, unsanitary living condition need to be stopped. This paper will consider both sides of harsh prisons and propose some possible solutions to the controversy. The following are three reasons that supporters of harsh prisons use to justify their beliefs Punishes criminals The people who are detained in prisons are convicted criminals who have conducted heinous crimes. These people are kept in extreme circumstances to feel the consequences of their evil acts. The prisoners need to feel pain so that they realize the impact of such illegal acts. If criminals were treated with more compassion, they would be less afraid to commit the same crimes again. The criminals need to have a scary and bad experience in prison as deterrence, so that they will avoid repeating the same crime again. Also, criminals who are given life sentences should undergo pain for all the atrocities they have committed in life and should not be given a leisurely and enjoyable life since they have taken away that possibility from their victims. According to (Stewart,2013) “Putting criminals in prisons with few if any amenities and having them spend time on a rock pile, out in the heat and cold, would be more appropriate”. Safety of public If the criminals have a bad experience in prison, and therefore avoid committing the crime again, then the public is made safer from the threat. The main reason for imprisonment is to punish, and punishment comes into effect if the criminal feel pain. Once they understand what it means to get hurt, there is less chance they commit crime on public. As per ( Buchen,2013) “A major driver of these long sentences is sentencing enhancements - additional prison time for circumstances such as using a gun, gang involvement, and repeat offending, aimed at targeting people thought to present a high risk to society”. Value of justice Justice means to give to the person what he deserves. Once a criminal is punished in a harsh environment, then she/he understands the consequences of their actions leads to something they don’t want. Justice means making the culprits understand that for unethical activities harsh punishments is a consequence. According to ( BBC,2013) “It's generally accepted that people should not be punished for their actions unless they have a guilty mind - which requires them to know what they are doing and that it's wrong”. Cons of Harsh prisons Meanwhile, critics of harsh prisons use these three main arguments against them. Psychological problems The harsh prisons definitely have an unhealthy psychological environment, not to mention the physical abuse. People who live in such inhumane conditions often encounter mental disorders like depression, anxiety and phobias. Moreover, most prisons keep inmates in isolation, which can cause depression and despair and lead to suicidal thoughts. As per ( Sinha,2010,pg .101-104) “The person who suffers the acute pains of imprisonment necessarily manifests psychological disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder or other forms of disability may be in the form of diminished sense of self-worth and personal value”. Sexual assault and physical abuse can also trigger psychological problems in prisoners who are in harsh prison environments. Re – offenders If harsh prisons prevent people from committing the same crimes, then why is the recidivism rate so high? In countries like Norway, recidivism rate is the lowest and this is due to the reason that inmates are treated like normal people and they are surprisingly given luxurious life. According to (James,2013) “On Bastoy prison island in Norway, the prisoners, some of whom are murderers and rapists, live in conditions that critics brand 'cushy' and 'luxurious’”. The harsh and extreme conditions in U.S prisons can lead criminals to nurture a grudge or hatred towards police officers and people in general, which may make them worse criminals. Prisoners are humans too and inhumane treatment can bring the worst out of them. Additionally, if a person has an untreated mental illness or that illness was made worse by prison, they are likely to recommit crimes. People need to be treated in such a way that they are better people and better prepared to face the realities of everyday life without resorting to crime. Prisoners are an understudied population. Demoralization Once experienced harshness of the prison environment some people can get demoralized. They get hopeless about law and legal authority and find everybody as an enemy. Some criminals are tortured in heinous ways that they start hating themselves. Imprisonment is supposed to mold a person into a better individual but such prisons can only demoralize a person. They can feel justice do not exist and they forget human qualities who wants to hurt people more and more. According to (Timberg,1999) “What no one is talking about," says James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University, "is what happens down the road when more ex-cons come out with bad attitudes and little skills to wreak havoc on our streets." Harsh prisons is a human right issue Harsh prisons are a human rights problem because these people do not have choices in how they are treated while they are confined; they are subject to the prison system, where they have a right to humane treatment. It is understood that these are criminals and they do not deserve luxurious or even favorable living conditions. However, as human beings and citizens of a nation they should be given an atmosphere free of threats and abuse. The aggressive situation in harsh prisons breeds aggression among the prisoners as a means of self-preservation. Prisoners can get more violent and angry in prisons which are harsh. When people watch others getting cruelly treated it can have a negative impact on them. Overall harsh prisons are a problem which has many conditions like drug abuse, racism, abuse, assault and mental torture. According to ( Wilson,2006,pg.4-6)“It is extremely difficult to provide ‘equivalent care’ in prisons, where physical and mental health problems are commonplace and healthcare budgets are relatively meager”. Solution to Harsh prison problem Possible Solutions to the Harsh Prison Problem The following are possible solutions to help resolve the problem of harsh prisons in the U.S. While none of them alone will likely fix the problem, taken together and as part of a cultural change, they can help to alleviate the problem. Employing officers to monitor prisons One of the main problems in the harsh prisons is that there is no person or authority independent of the prison in place to monitor problems that arise. The prisons are nearly autonomous under the Warden and prison guards, and have little fear of oversight. There needs to be some type of officer in the prison to monitor conditions. These officers need to be given certain instructions and authorities, and they should be asked to report to the government on the condition in the prison not to the wardens. Train Prison authorities Educating prison authorities is an ideal way to improve harsh treatment of prisoners. They should be given information about the laws in the prison and ways to deal with tough situations they will face. The prison officials need to be given knowledge about human rights and social consequences of treating prisoners in a harsh way. The prison officials are often ignorant of these facts and they should be given training regarding communication, human relationships, anger management and conflict management. The morale of the staff needs to be improved by way of training. Use volunteers. There should be increased volunteers, community groups and NGOs to provide beneficial programs for prisoners. Inmates should be motivated by volunteer groups to engage in activities to increase their physical and mental health. They can also be educated by the volunteers to equip them with skills to avoid criminal behavior. Among these groups should be one that provides constant checking on the activities of prison authorities day and night and understands what is going on in a prison. Even though the rules are strict, there is still too much assault and violence happening in American prisons. If there is an authorized person/group who watches the activities going on in the prison, then there would be a check on the people and system within a prison. Since this officer is a government authorized person, s/he will be respected by prison authorities. Officers need to have checks in place throughout the entire prison at different intervals. This group should also investigate all conditions, including the quality of food, the accommodation facilities and other amenities of the inmates. These officers need to inspect the prison at unpredictable hours so that prison authorities cannot carry out planned activities. Since this person has direct contact with higher authorities, it is also possible for the inmates to complain regarding illegal activities in prison like drug abuse. This group should make daily reports and should present it to the authority he is working under. This group or officer needs to have a presence in the prison throughout the day. The logic behind this is that when there is direct legal interference, and then there is less chance for these prison wardens to do offensive acts. The real problem in American prisons is that there is little or no monitoring or analysis of events occurring in prisons. Everyone in the system needs to feel they have oversight and their actions are being monitored. Humans have the tendency to forget their duty and ethics if left unwatched. Conclusion Conditions in prison remain largely unexplored by sociological researchers, and prisoners remain a neglected population. Prison life has always been subject to controversy and the harsh conditions of prisons in America are frequently ignored. Overcrowding, drug abuse, violence, and sexual abuse remain constant problems. Some people feel that prisoners deserve what they get, and the worse treatment the better. But, other people feel that conditions are dehumanizing and lead to greater problems for society. The American government has clear constitutional laws regarding prison life. However, practically speaking, most prisons are not adhering to these rules. If the government considers this matter seriously, then differences can be made to improve harsh prison conditions. Often prisoners are given less human rights and they are a neglected community in all parts of the world. If proper solutions are taken then this social problem could be eradicated with ease. References BBC, . (2013). Arguments against capital punishment. In http://www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved December 4, 2013, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/capitalpunishment/against_1.shtml Buchen, L. (2013). For Real Prison Reform, Longer is Not Always Better. In http://www.californiaprogress report.com. Retrieved December 4, 2013, from http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/site/real-prison-reform-longer-not-always-better Timberg, Craig. "At Va.'s Toughest Prison, Tight Controls ." http://www.washingtonpost.com. Washington Post, 1999. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. . James, Erwin. "The Norwegian prison where inmates are treated like people." http://www.theguardian.com. The Guardian, 2013. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. . Stewart, G. (2013). Prisons should be less hospitable; sentences should be harsher.In http://www.a l.com. Retrieved December 4, 2013, from http://www.al.com/opinion/index .ssf/2013/09/prisons_sh ould_be_less_hospita.html Sinha, S. (2010). Adjustment and mental health problem in prisoners. Industrial Psychiatry Journal, 19(2), 101-104. Wilson, S. (2006). Prison medicine: ethics and equivalence. The British Journal of Psychiartry, 188, 4-6. Read More