Write clearly and concisely about criminal justice using proper writing mechanics.Running head: PRISONS AND CORRECTIONS 1
PRISONS AND CORRECTIONS 4
Prisons and Corrections: Causes and Prevention of Violence in Prison
Christopher James Russell Jr
Strayer University
Prisons and Corrections: Causes and Prevention of Violence in Prison
The prisons and correctional system refer to the institutions that manage people in a state of probation, parole, rehabilitation, or incarceration. The correctional system oversees a broad array of programs such as handling offenders who are continually released, supervising inmates in prison, and supervising individuals who do not require imprisonment and are issued penalties (Specter, 2006). Correction officers have diverse roles such as monitoring the confinement of inmates serving their sentences, providing counseling services for those re-entering the society, organizing educational opportunities for inmates, and rehabilitating the sentenced offenders. However, prisons and corrections facilities encounter inmate violence which should be further addressed and prevented.
The History and Policy Decisions That have Contributed to Violence in Prison
Prison violent is mainly caused by prison administrators who do not provide human conditions. As Specter (2006) explains, two decades ago, the union that represented correctional officers in California presumed that inmates were always dangerous. However, over the two decades, only one corrections officer have been killed by a prisoner, while more than 100 inmates have died from guard brutality, suicide, and medical neglect. Although prisoners are identified as violent, the Supreme Court clarified that the extent of institutional violence does not depend on prisoners. As such it is a product of how a country operates its prisons.
Why Should Prison Violence be Addressed? Who are the People Affected? Has the Problem Been Solved?
Interpersonal violence such as aggravated assault, robbery, rape, homicide, and neglect of older adults should be addressed because it is a severe public health issue, not only in the United States but in the entire globe. For example, in 2011, the homicide cases were more than 14,600 (Morales, 2018). Besides, females, males, juveniles are always involved in interpersonal violence. Although violent crimes have decreased dramatically since 1993, in 2013, 10% of the crimes reported were committed by young adults.
The people internally affected by prison violence include fellow inmates and correctional officers. For instance, violent prisoners can harm or kill fellow inmates and other corrections officers. Besides, the lack of good sanitation in prisons or corrections facilities can result in a disease outbreak among the inmates, thus endangering their health (Pavlovic & Radojkovic, 2016). It is essential for correction centers to address the problems to safeguard the wellbeing of both prisoners and corrections officers.
Different Ways to Prevent Prison Violence
Morales (2018) explain that prison centers should have health programs to identify, care, and provide treatment for people involved in violent acts. The National Commission asserts that violence is a public health issue that requires correctional health programs to address violence issues among the incarcerated population. Specifically, corrections health programs should integrate violence risk evaluation such as mental health assessments, inmate health examinations, screening inmates upon intake, personal victimization, sexual abuse, and domestic abuse (Lalor & McElvaney, 2010). Moreover, the correctional facilities should establish guidelines and protocols for violence intervention, prevention, and follow-up, educate correctional officers, and establish contacts with community organizations.
The prison violence problem can also be addressed by establishing excellent correction systems. It is important to note that, prisons are made for convicted felons. Therefore, prison institutions should be established for both reform and punishment. Prisons should have various security categories such as (low, minimum, medium, and high), that correspond to the seriousness of the offense committed by the offender (Isenhardt & Hostettler, 2016). Furthermore, solitary confinement institutions should provide a remedy for inmates who become violent and pose threats to others. It involves placing violent inmates in isolated cells that disenable communication between them and other people.
Conclusion
Although there are various improvements in violence interventions, techniques, and strategies, only little implementation and dissemination has occurred. However, the identified interventions are suitable for use in prisons where youths are detained for violent crimes. Therefore, it is important for correctional health programs to address violence, identify, and provide treatment for incarcerated people.
References
Isenhardt, A., & Hostettler, U. (2016). Inmate Violence and Correctional Staff Burnout. Journal Of Interpersonal Violence, 088626051668115. doi: 10.1177/0886260516681156
Lalor, K., & McElvaney, R. (2010). Child Sexual Abuse, Links to Later Sexual Exploitation/High-Risk Sexual Behavior, and Prevention/Treatment Programs. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 11(4), 159-177. doi: 10.1177/1524838010378299
Morales, Y. (2018). Addressing Violent Extremism within the Southeast Asian Context. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.3104232
Pavlovic, Z., & Radojkovic, Z. (2016). Sexual violence in prisons. Vojno Delo, 68(2), 72-83. doi: 10.5937/vojdelo1602072p
Specter, D. (2006). Making Prisons Safe: Strategies for Reducing Violence. Washington University Journal Of Law & Policy, 22(1). Retrieved from : http://openscholarship.wustl.edu/law_journal_law_policy