Ethical Issues In Prison

Correctional systems absolutely need more ethical standards. Prisons in America today are overly populated with either nonviolent offenders, simple misdemeanors with consequences that could have been resolved without incarceration, or drug offenses, which are almost harmless. The honesty of an inmate vs the honesty of those in authority, whether judge, police, lawyer, or even a guard will hold the potential of ethics at a standstill. Commonly, these listed will know a way to get around obeying the law without abusing the judicial system and ethics required. Leaving a potential criminal or inmate with the idea that he has to lie while being confronted.
Currently in overly populated correctional facilities, many inmates with a history of substance …show more content…
Showing an inmate the kindness and respect the individual is willing to return while he or she is incarcerated will increase the potential of them returning with using the same acts of kindness in the community. The first step along with education and vocational opportunities usually provided would be rehabilitation for substance abuse treatment, and psychotherapy counseling offered for the inmates who want it. Many people might think that therapy and treatment in prison would not be beneficial, however studies have shown numerous times that those who receive a degree while serving time in prison have shown lower recidivism …show more content…
Gangs, guards, and the institution can all be seen unethical. Particularly, the guards are seen as watch dogs while on duty. With less pay than police officers and even lower training, they are required to observe the inmates for anyone who violates the rules and regulations of the institution. Unsurprisingly, the unsophisticated guards that are not respected by inmates will become corrupted and not act in an ethical manner. Other guards might become fellow associates with the inmates, which helps some but can harm others extremely. If guards witness a rape happening, they have been known to walk past the raping without reporting the act or handling the situation accordingly. Rape occurs for gang activity initiations, which is a hard battle for a guardsmen to stop. Another unethical act is smuggling inside contrabands. Either pills, marijuana, or other items not allowed inside of prison guards receive an extra payoff from inmates to bring the items inside. All of this could be handled by a guard if there had a more watchful eye and performed their job by the rules applied. Although, in a guard’s defense they are often unarmed with many dangerous inmates to supervise. This is another issue with prison