Throughout their sentence, prison inmates endured miserable life before and during the Prison Reform Movement of 1800’s, unlivable conditions, and physical abuse from the guards. “Men rarely become spiritually better by being made subject, through human discipline, to extreme bodily discomforts; these convicts are not made morally better by such treatment as they are subjected to here in the days of bodily weakness and pain” (Lightner 56). Prison Reform Movement from 1870-1930, greatly changed what type of treatment that was acceptable in prisons towards the inmates, much of these changes were due to the effort of Dorothy Dix and her efforts to investigate the prisons. When prisons first formed, people weren’t exactly sure how they should go…
In the PBS film Prison State, filmmakers follow the lives of four individuals throughout incarceration in the Kentucky Criminal Justice system, as well as efforts made to reform the system and the effect on inmates. They also studied the impact of criminalization of Juveniles for minor crimes, and the incarceration of the mentally ill and drug addicted. Among the many staggering statistics revealed on the Kentucky Criminal Justice System in the film, was the amount spent on housing the growing inmate population. According to the film, the state of Kentucky’s spending jumped by 220%, about half a billion dollars, in housing inmates between 1999 and 2010.…
The last five chapters of the book “The American Prison: Imagining a Different Future” written by Francis Cullen, Mary Stohr and Cheryl Johnson discuss some of the various prison systems that can be found in America, and the issues that surround them. The main focus of discussion for each chapter is the history of the prison, its effectiveness in running, its social context in modern day America, and the authors of the chapter’s personal thoughts on the importance of that specific prison type. The four types of prisons covered in chapters 9-12 are the private prison, the green prison, the small prison, and the accountable prison; chapter thirteen of the book talks about the lessons that should be learned from the book regarding the harm and…
Every day is the same to you; you wake up, read the paper, and drink your coffee. You work at the East Cambridge Prison, where you keep the inmates in order by whipping them, chaining them up, and by not giving them food. You know that the conditions are wrong and inhumane, but it’s a well-paying job. You don’t speak out because you’re worried about your family and three kids at home who need to be fed. Stories like these occurred in prisons and mental institutions all around the world.…
On 06/28/2015 at approximately 0650 hours Mainentance Lenord Keenen and Payroll Clerk Erin Keenen observed Correctional Officer Alvin Barnes sleeping in the stationary vehicle posted near Zone one as they entered the gate into Central Arizona Correctional Facilty. According to the written statements made by Lenoard and Erin Keenen they observed Officer Barnes leaning on the door of the vehicle and his head was down. Mr. Keenen also obsereved Officer Barnes eyes closed at this time.…
Since research indicates that an inmate’s mental health tends to deteriorate while in solitary confinement, the procedure’s by staff in the prisons are ineffective. To illustrate, Dr. Sharon Shalev, a human rights activist and criminologist, writes in her article “Solitary Confinement and Supermax Prisons: A Human Rights and Ethical Analysis” about the effects of solitary confinement on offenders and the legalities of methods used within Supermax Prisons. (Shalev, 151) Shalev mentions how there are frequent indicators of anxiety, depression, anger, cognitive disturbances, perception distortions, and paranoia & psychosis present in permanently isolated individuals, leading to irreversible damage to the brain. The cause of these mental illnesses stem from the involuntary placement of at-risk inmates into desensitized cells, and harsh treatment from prison guards who facilitate their stay within the…
Prisons are a world of their own with a social and economic system that utilizes their population, the prisoners. The severity and intensity of prisoners’ rehabilitation is a controversial topic. There is a long standing history of neglect and abuse of power, victimizing the physical and mental health of inmates. This corrupt and inhumane prison system is perpetuated by the labor system, its profits garnering support from various corporations and organizations. The labor system was built not to rehabilitate, but to exploit prisoners in the interest of business whilst preying on marginalized communities.…
This incident made Mark feel as if he had no control or say in the situation unless he wanted to face the punishments of his superiors. This feeling can lead to ex-offenders having difficulties reintegrating into society such as having “difficulty in accessing the self-motivation required for free world life” or the feeling that they do not have any control of their life, especially for someone like them who is looked upon by society (Chesla & Marlow, 2009). As an inmate resides within correctional facility walls, aggression is prone to develop in order to adapt to prison life. Mathew, a 44 year old African American became an aggressor because that was his only way to be respected by others in the facility.…
Mass Incarceration Mass incarceration is very unique problem to the United States that has been around for several years and seems to continue to grow by the years. In the book Mass Incarceration on Trial it is stated that, “The term mass incarceration was first used by specialists in the field of punishment and society to describe the tremendous changes in the scale of incarceration that began in the late 1970s…” (Simon 3). The fact that this term has been getting attention for almost forty six years comes to show how urgently this issue needs to be addressed. Mass incarceration is not only negatively impacting the prisoner himself, the prisoner’s family, but society as well.…
The trend of neoliberalist policies in the United States, reducing government regulation while allowing private market interventions to replace these once powers of the government, has shown its effects unevenly to different groups in varying realms of life. Both Wacquant and Molina discuss policy implications with regard to the American prison system and to border control, respectively. Government reducing its effort on certain fronts and yet increasing them on others, seems neutral in theory but in reality, contains consequences, which are examined. A not-previously-seen increase in the rate of incarceration within the American prison system stemmed from a reduction in welfare programs, implemented across the board but disproportionally…
Today, it has become apparent that the generation of political powers today faces incredible challenges stemmed from the repercussions of policy enacted over two decades ago. Widely associated as making the greatest impact under the Bush and Clinton administrations judicial hardening was well underway in the later years of Bush’s presidency and throughout the entire time in office for Bill Clinton. To begin first, the concept of the Drug war made significant headway in the mandatory minimum sentencing arena and posed significant impact of criminal convictions as well as prison populations throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s. to provide insight on the type of impact this political movement was making throughout the entire United States; according…
America’s prison culture has been targeting minorities, underclass people, and drug addicts unfairly and for far too long. Mass incarceration is a system that captures people, then labels them as criminals and felons, keeping them locked up for extensive periods of times only to release them into the underclass where there is no hope to achieve higher living. Since the introduction of the War on Drugs in the 1970’s by Ronald Reagan, where “over four decades, the [Drug Policy Agency} says, American taxpayers have dished out $1 trillion on the drug war”, the influx of prisoners increased 700 percent. Black Men are singled out for imprisonment 5 times more than white males. On a global scale comparison, America accounts for 25% of incarceration…
prisons has received much attention in recent years, but the disproportionate representation of minorities is not limited to adult prisons. It is also found among youth confined in secure juvenile facilities. The crimes for which racial minorities and whites are imprisoned also differ; blacks and Hispanics were much more likely than whites to be imprisoned for drug offenses. This disparity is noteworthy since drug offenses constitute a larger share of the growth in the state prison system today. (Bonczar, 2003) states that there also are substantial racial and ethnic differences in the “lifetime likelihood of imprisonment.”…
Not only do we follow the ideals set by the founding idea of containing an abusive person, yet we have improved the individual 's experience. As a society, we have increased the benefits of the individuals who are behind bars by leaps and bounds. Comparing the treatment of prisoners today, to prisoners of the past. Many state that our current prison system has been reformed sufficiently, arguing that the implementation of “United Nations standard Minimum Rules for the treatment of prisoners, Universal Declaration of human Rights, code of conduct for law enforcements Officials, and Basic principles for the treatment of prisoners” (“Why Promote Prison Reform?”). Is protecting the prisoners sufficiently.…
Prisoners may face misconduct and possible effects on prison management, psychological consequences, an effect on the jail population dynamics, as well as high rates of prison violence among inmates and staff. In order to help improve the overcrowding of prisons a development of a “10-point plan to reduce prison overcrowding” (Penal Reform International) was constructed. The plan was constructed in order to help provide direction to policy-makers on how they can address this situation and ease its harmful consequences. The steps include 1.…