In the United States, there are million of women and men being convicted of crimes and sent to prison. The prison system is thought to be a place for rehabilitation, for convicted felons to change their life from being a menace to society to begin a positive contributor. However, for many years prisons have not been able to meet their goal due to unlawful treatment of prisoners and corrupt authoritative figures in the prison system. Many prisoner do not get the protection the law provides. In the Rita Hayworth and Shaw shank Redemption written by Stephen King, the prison system and it’s corruption is presented in support of these accusations.
Walnut Street Jail Janice Tighe Harrison College History of Criminal Justice Mr. Royer 10/17/11 As a Criminal Justice student it is important to know and understand some of the history of our Criminal Justice system. One aspect to know would be the history of our correctional system, in particular the Walnut Street Jail. Before the creation of the Walnut Street Jail life for prisoners was cruel and inhumane. As our text states “By the late eighteenth century, men, women, and children were till mixed together in many American jails. Before the birth of the modern penitentiary at Walnut Street (Philadelphia) in 1790, prisoners endured unimaginable squalor” (Roth, 2011, p. 86).
As a U.S. Department of Justice publication notes, “Their organization was so firmly entrenched before authorities understood the danger confronting them that control of the institution was seriously threatened (Seiter, p. 250). There were initially five major prison gangs which were known as the “Traditional Prison Gangs”. These gangs were initially formed to protect themselves from other inmates and predators. Through the years these gangs have went from self protection to now being known for their viciousness and violence to maintain power and control over other inmates. The Aryan Brotherhood (AB) originated in the San Quintin Prison in 1967.
Criminal Justice April 4, 2011 Term Paper For many years, abuse in prisons has been a serious issue and over the years, the abuse has only gotten worse. We see on the news of this happening in other countries but many Americans do not realize this is happening in our country as well, right under our noses. Some of the most unimaginable things take place in prisons not too far from where we live. Everyday, inmates undergo a variance of different forms of abuse. According to www.hrw.org, some forms of abuse are being beaten with fists and batons, stomped on, kicked, shot, stunned with electronic devices, doused with chemical sprays, choked, and slammed face first onto concrete floors by the officers whose job it is to guard them.
The jailer made his money by charging the inmates for food and drink and legal services and the whole system was corrupt. One reform of the sixteenth century had been the establishment of the London Bridewell as a house of correction for women and children. This was the only place any medical services were provided. One of the most notable reformer was John Howard who, having visited several hundred prisons across England and Europe, beginning when he was High Sheriff of Bedfordshire, published The State of the Prisons in 1777. He was particularly appalled to discover prisoners who had been acquitted but were still confined because they couldn't pay the jailer's fees.
I personally believe that American prisons can be quite harsh when it comes down to how the prisoners are treated. A lot of factors come in to play when you look at the conditions of our prison systems. Such factors are population, cleanliness, the rules of the prison, and most importantly the severity of the punishments. The first thing I am going to discuss is the population. Ever since the populations of prisons have gradually increased over 2 million inmates, many prisons are becoming overcrowded.
The influx of prisoners poses issues such as gang rivalries, and violent confrontations, not only among the prisoners themselves but also between them and the prison guards. At Corcoran State Prison, on “gladiator days” officers forced rival gang members to fight, and shot them both for entertainment(Schlosser). In private Juvenile detention centers such as YSI facilities, staff often choose to not report most assaults and major fights to avoid scrutiny for violating their contracts and the rules of the Department of Juvenile Justice. Overcrowding also leads to inconveniences such as double-bunking, which urges aggression, violence, and stress-induced mental disorders. The incarceration system in the United States has inflicted much damage on societal well-being, caused by privatization of prisons, war on drugs, and overcrowding of prison cells.
This is another example of dehumanization. They were stripped of more rights when they were trafficked. If unhealthy, they were executed through gas chambers, crematoriums or personal execution. Not even given a second thought before death, as if it were the execution of an animal. Wiesel uses a lot of different similes and metaphors to portray how he is feeling and the dehumanization of the inmates at the camp.
Pregnant and Shackled: The Chaos behind Prison Walls Katrina Young Hodges University Criminal Justice Management CCJ4001 Professor Todd Everly April 10, 2012 Abstract For many decades, crime has been around the United States; from as little as running a red light to committing murder. Some people committed crimes because they were a follower of others and their organization and others because they had to find a way to survive. For instances, those people had to resort to some sort of criminal activity in order to keep up with society; rather it was robbing, stealing, selling drugs, or even committing fraud. The prison walls begin to fill at an increased rate from those who have been caught, convicted, and reprimanded to serve time
Overcrowding has become a major issue in the United States mainly because nonviolent drug addicted offenders are repeating behaviors and ending up in jail. As a result, criminals are receiving early releases, violence in the institutions is on the rise, and non-violent prisoners are not receiving the rehabilitation that they need. The elimination of federal parole and