Supermax Prison Essay

Are Supermax Prisons an Appropriate Way to Punish Hardened Criminals? Career criminals, who are in and out of prison almost the entirety of their lives, know the roundabouts of the prison and legal systems. Those who work within the Department of Corrections understand the importance and purpose of the security measures that are throughout the prison system. Those who work closely with offenders are put at risk of injury or even death if the proper security measures are not in place. Offenders, who end up in prison, wouldn’t be in that situation if it weren’t for their own actions. If they display behaviors that officials view as disruptive or potentially dangerous, it is appropriate to monitor them under higher security surveillance such …show more content…
After numerous slaps on the wrist, it is acceptable to take measures up a notch if the poor behavior continues. People who are sentenced to prison have a personal choice in how to behave. Those who prove they can be reasonable under minor supervision stay within the lower security facilities, and consequently those who are disruptive and disobedient, get transferred to segregation or even further to supermax prisons. Offenders, who are living in supermax prisons, worked their ways there based on their behavior. Hershberger clarifies, “The main purpose of a supermax facility is to control the inmates’ behavior until they demonstrate that they can be moved back to a traditional, open-population penitentiary” (Hershberger, 2013). This dismantles the argument that those who are in supermax prisons are just being held there indefinitely. It is eventually up to the inmates themselves, to decide when they will be allowed more freedom within the prison system. Good behavior isn’t necessarily rewarded, but uncontrollable behavior is certainly punishable; if you act like a child, you will be treated as