Pros And Cons Of Incarceration And Prison System

In this essay, I will be arguing the following: Incarceration and prison systems should be moral, progressive and therefore rehabilitative in nature. The United States’ current systems are inherently racist, classist, sexist, excessive, immoral, and non-rehabilitative. I will first look at rates of incarceration and discuss their immoral and reproductive nature as well as propose some solutions to equalize and lessen them. I will then turn to the prison system. In a moral system, I argue that prisoners should be treated humanely as people, fully deserving of rights such as access to health care, paid work, human interaction, and healthy food. If the system is progressive and rehabilitative, I argue that prisoners should be enrolled in …show more content…
Here, it is important to note the different general levels of security in United States prisons. Super maximum security is for the most dangerous inmates and is often its own separate prison. Prisoners in this level experience 24 hour solidarity confinement with abridged amenities. Maximum security is the next level down where prisoners live in individual cells and are allowed one hour in a cell block or exterior cage per day. Close security is the middle level in which there is one or two people in a cell, each of which has its own toilet and sink. Prisoners may leave their cell for work assignments or corrective programs and otherwise may be permitted to be in a common area within the cell block or an exercise yard with guard towers and lethal electric fences. Prisoners in medium security sleep in dorms on bunk beds with lockers for their possessions, communal showers, sinks, and toilets. In this level, there is less supervision over internal movement. Minimum security is the lowest level for those who pose the least physical threat. The prisoners in this level are mostly non-violent, “white-collar” workers. They live in less secure dorms with communal bathroom amenities. They have a single fenced outdoor area, sometimes not fenced if the facility is in a more rural area, and work on community projects. The facilities for minimum security are usually located in or near larger prisons, military bases, or other government institutions in order to provide convict labor. Some states even allow internet access to inmates. Notice that there is little to no human interaction for most of these levels. Studies have shown that inmates who are allowed contact with the outside world are less likely to be further convicted and have a much easier time reintegrating after release. Solitary confinement is largely used and often underreported, so it may be used even more than