Assignment : Senior Seminar Project

In Week 1, you chose a topic area and problem or challenge within that area. Throughout this course, you have researched the dynamics of the problem. The final piece of your project is to develop a viable solution that considers resources, policy, stakeholders, organizational readiness, administrative structures and other internal and external factors, as applicable. Using the papers you have written throughout this course, consolidate your findings into a succinct project.

Write a ten (10) page paper that as a minimum, your project should include:

1. Identify the topical area (e.g., local police department, community jail, border patrol)
2. Define a problem or challenge within your topical area that you understand in some depth or have an interest in (examples include high crime rate, poor morale, high levels of violence or recidivism, high number of civilian complaints of harassment, inadequate equipment). Outline the context of the problem or challenge, including the history and any policy decisions that have contributed to the situation.
3. Describe how internal or external stakeholders have influenced the situation in a positive or negative way. How will you consider stakeholders in your solution to the problem? How will you motivate individuals to buy into your solution?
4. Discuss how technologies or information systems have contributed to the problem and how you will propose technology be implemented into the solution.
5. Discuss what data you have collected or researched to indicate there is a problem. Include at least two sources of data and how each is relevant to the problem.
6. Develop an effective and efficient solution(s) and a course of action (i.e., plan) that addresses the problem or challenge.
7. Explain what methods of assessment you will employ to measure the effectiveness of your solutions.
8. Develop a 10-15 slide PowerPoint Presentation that summarizes the seven items above.
9. Use at least 8 quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• This course requires use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The format is different than other Strayer University courses. Please take a moment to review the SWS documentation for details.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Assess a policy or problem and develop solutions based on available resources, taking into account the political and global implications.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in criminal justice.
• 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