Penal system in the United States

This case clearly outlines the tension between the right to privacy and freedom of the press. The question about the boundaries of the right of the press to criticize the behavior and actions of public officials plays a central role in this case. A printer and associate editor of a Tamil magazine from Madras were the petitioners in the case. The case is all about the publishing of the autobiography written by the prisoner Auto Shankar, who had been placed in jail on charges of multiple murders.…

engaged citizens, whether they are in prison or out in the community. To be able to see the change that happens in their lives because of education that they receive is what keeps to volunteers committed to teaching and volunteering their time. Jim states that when the students get an education he sees a change in the inmate’s perspective on life by allowing the inmates to have self-autonomy and hope for the…

you’re just dead.” –Brian Nelson, served 23 years in Solitary Confinement. Enclosing inmates in isolated cells for extended periods of time with severe restrictions in privileges is a popular disciplinary tactic utilized in the North American prison systems, along with many other countries worldwide. While the utilization of solitary confinement remains prevalent, many individuals intensely oppose the practice. Typical conditions of solitary confinement…

The relationship between race and crime and its impact on decisions in the criminal justice system is a topic of controversy in both public and academic spheres. The imprisonment of ethnic minorities at a higher rate than their White counterpart occurs in most western nation (La Prairie, 1999; Tonry, 1995, 1997). In Canada, the overly represented groups are Aboriginals (First Nations, Inuit, and Metis) and Black Canadians relative to their incidence in the general population (Roberts & Stenning,…

“A study done in 2006 found that a high prison population has a direct, negative effect on the psychological state of inmates. Overcrowding has been known to cause far more stressful situations and has prompted prison officials to react inappropriately on occasion due to being forced to accommodate ill-advised numbers of prisoners” http://online.ccj.pdx.edu/re…

one or two years. Courts, as opposed to public security organs, should decide whether the punishment can be imposed and such decisions can be challenged on appeal. Further, RETL should be incorporated into criminal law.” (China’s Criminal Justice System). Despite this request for reform, labor camps are still in operation in China. The doctor went on to to report that: “Official sources reveal that about 3.5 million people have been re-educated since its establishment in the 1950's. At…

In November 2000, the European Convention on Human Rights was incorporated into the UK law through the Human Rights Act of 1998. The Human Rights Convention came into effect in 1953 and was technically ratified by the UK in 1966 when it recognised the compulsory jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights . The Convention outlines fundamental human rights, including: right to life, freedom from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment, freedom from slavery or forced labour, freedom of…

relationships with other community members in an attempt to address the offenders’ criminality relating to general prosocial behavior, vocational training, education and substance abuse. Parole refers to an act of releasing the offender from a reformatory or penal institution after the offender has served a certain proportion of the maximum sentence (Travis & Visher, 2005). In light of this, the offender is given parole based on the condition that he or she will maintain good behavior and while…

does not violate the eighth amendment of the constitution that prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. Although Gregg escaped custody and was found dead one day prior to his execution, the decision reaffirmed the use of capital punishment in the United States. The death penalty has been the the most effective, yet controversial punishments when dealing with…

Defense A serious American contemporary issue is the use of the insanity defense. The insanity defense is when a person being accused of a crime are legally sane but were not in the right state of mind when the crime had taken place. The insanity defense is a chance to help the person who was not in the normal state of mind. This defense is a compromise of society and law because not all mental ailments can be proven or disproven. The benefits of the insanity defense include rehabilitation,…