Essay On Human Rights Of Prisoners

The Human Rights of Prisoners

Introduction

There is now near-universal consensus that all individuals are entitled to certain basic rights under any circumstances. These include certain civil liberties and political rights, the most fundamental of which is the right to life and physical safety. Human rights are the articulation of the need for justice, tolerance, mutual respect, and human dignity in all of our activity. Speaking of rights allows us to express the idea that all individuals are part of the scope of morality and justice.[1]

[1] Helena Kennedy. "Conflict Resolution and Human Rights: Contradictory or Complementary?" INCORE, 1.

Hidden from public view, prisons can become terrifying institutions of torture, disease, and degradation. Amnesty International reported torture and other ill-treatment of prisoners in 141 countries from every world region over the past five years. Torturing prisoners contradicts the international conviction against torture and

Overcrowded prisons around the world often lead to other serious problems. Like that fact that the are more likely to be unsanitary, violent, difficult to control, and difficult to administer. In South Sudan, despite efforts by the prison service, limited resources and judicial capacity led to harsh, overcrowded, and life threatening prison and detention center conditions that resulted in illness and death. Lack of water reportedly led to riots in Juba Prison in August 2012. Also in 2012, Haiti had overcrowding forced prisoners to sleep in shifts and led to significant problems relating to ventilation and sanitation. UN observers also indicated approximately 70 percent of prisoners and detainees in Haiti suffered from a lack of basic hygiene, malnutrition, poor quality health care, and water-borne