Prisons

Incarceration rates in the United States have been on the rise since the 1970s, expanding America’s prison population into uncharted territory. Never before in the history of our nation have so many men and women been within the walls of our penal institutions. Further, after inmates are released the likelihood they will recidivate is significant. While it is not the goal of this piece to examine why the prison population has expanded so drastically, a discussion is in order as to whether or not…

Exactly half of the prisoners in the U.S. have mental health issues, states a 2006 Justice Department Study. Through my research I have found that jails and prisons are without a doubt considered to be new mental health facilities for those with mental illnesses. There is a high percentage of people who suffer from mental illnesses in prisons and jails, which has caused a ripple effect in taxation. The problem that arises from incarcerating people with mental illness for petty crimes, is that…

In Bolivia, female penitentiaries are not different from the male penitentiaries. One of the female prisons is worse than the majority of its male counterparts. For example, the San Sebastian female prison is far more overcrowded than other prisons. Juveniles convicted under the Bolivian correctional system are not differentiated from adult criminals and housed under the same prison, with no separations. Adult criminals and juvenile criminals receive very little to no rehabilitation programs to…

lesson and ensure they never offend again. Unfortunately, this is a highly distorted perception. The prison system introduces prisoners to a culture of hostility and violence. When they are finally released from this environment, the norms they’ve become accustomed to in prison make the transition into regular society extremely difficult. The mental and physical trauma inflicted on an offender within prison is not easily overcome, and it sticks with them long after their release. Additionally,…

enable instead of relieving problems that may occur within a prison environment. Unfortunately this trend is evident between mentally ill offenders, because they often face the difficult task of adjusting and conforming to correctional policies. Furthermore, when a prison is also facing overcrowding it can intensify these problems. Thus, considering that mentally disabled inmates tend to become irate and violent in overcrowded prisons, it has become routine to place these individuals in solitary…

humble opinion, inmates that are serving a sentence in prison coincide, somewhat, with the current constitutional rights they are entitled to. First and foremost, it would be enlightening to know that every prisoner was serving a sentence that resulted from a solid case based on overwhelming and supportive evidence, to solidify their sentence in a fair and balanced manner. Historically, we have all learned of people that have been sentenced to prison and new evidence proved they were actually…

double that of general population resulting in over 200 deaths per year. It is the leading cause of unnatural deaths in jail at 29 percent. (Frank, 2013) According to Laura Frank and Regina Aguirre, the top symptoms that are linked to suicide in prison are depression, anxiety, paranoia, medical induced problems; impulsivity, religious beliefs, and previous suicide attempts. Many of these symptoms can attribute to the overcrowding of the correctional system and the small quarters…

How would you feel if your child was sentenced to life in prison? On June 25, 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that juveniles who committed murder could not be sentenced to life in prison because it violated the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. A justice of the majority claims the immaturity, impetuosity, and failure to appreciate the risks and consequences. Including the background at home, usually you cannot extricate someone from their environment at home. There is no…

inmates. Most prisoners are experienced manipulators, seducing female guards into sexual favors and convincing them to break prison rules. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics,”84 percent of the relationships that female staffers had with inmates ‘appeared to be willing.’” Inside by Mike Santos sheds light on the types of relationships that can develop behind prison walls. Ms. Luna an attractive young female teacher, gets involved with gang member Choo Choo an inmate in the…

One of the biggest issues in local jails, state prisons, and federal prisons are the suicide rates and the treatment of inmates with mental illness. Preventative measures have been implemented such as suicide screenings when inmates are first entered into prisons and jails. These preventative measures and assessments need to be improved because even now, the leading cause of death in jails since 2000 has been suicide (Noonan, Rohloff, & Ginder, 2015) and it has become worse rather than better.…