Prison Overcrowding Speech Outline

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, nearly 20% of inmates spent time in solitary confinement between 2011 and 2012 (1). Solitary confinement, or more commonly known as extreme isolation, is when prisoners are locked up in small cells and have no contact with the outside world for at least 23 hours a day. This could last for several months, and sometimes decades. What are the effects of this sort of treatment towards inmates in prisons and jails? This research paper will explore the relationship between solitary confinement and self-harm, mental illness, and the amount of violence inside and outside of prisons.

The past 25 years the numbers of prisoners who are held in solitary confinement has sky rocketed. State and federal prisons all have solitary confinement. Therefore, when an inmate acts out and tries to attack other inmates, and officers then they are put into an individual cell and are isolated from other individuals. One senator had said that the expansion of the use of solitary confinement is an issue. Supermax prisons hold inmates that are considered “the worst of the worst”.

Solitary confinement is when a prisoner is locked away in a relatively small cell away from any human contact. Inmates in isolation spend most of their day—23 hours to be exact—locked away. They are given one hour to go outside; however, once there, they meet yet another small cage. (Do I cite if it’s a summary of my sources?) Solitary confinement is used for a variety of reasons—some that are quite absurd.

Juveniles whom experience disrupted thinking experience a mild case of psychosis. The length of their stay in solitary will determine the severity of their case. Maztner (2010) notes, “the stress, lack of meaningful social contact, and unstructured days can exacerbate symptoms of illness or provoke recurrence.” Adolescents experiencing hallucinations are reported and placed on medication resulting in them becoming medically ill patients for the remainder of their life (Corcoran, 2016). Facilities have stated approximately fifteen percent of the population incarcerated has been diagnosed with a mental illness. According to Matzner (2010), studies have shown eight to

Logos Solitary confinement worsens the behavior of the inmates. The fifty four minutes film reveals that about 80,000 inmates in America alone live in isolation (Edge). The isolation was initiated to make the prisons safe and also punish the inmates. There is an evidence of an inmate earnestly trying to open his cell’s door to no avail. Another one

Few remember that not just the indicted are changed in the prison system-the authority figures become different, too. Thousands of people go to detention facilities and stay there from minutes to decades, but the authority figures stay there with every influx of new prisoners. The wardens, in particular, are a monumental part of the system. They regulate the prisoners causing them to adapt to situations, whether positive or negative. Samuel Norton, the warden in the adaptation of Stephen King’s Shawshank Redemption, is embodied by the atmosphere of the prison.

How was your understanding of cultural contextual consideration of the work developed through the interactive oral? Learning about both the author (Aleksandr Solzhenitsy) and the situation is Russia in 1952-54 proved very informative for me, especially to understand the harshness in the life of our protagonist Shukhov (and potentially all the prisoners during that time period). It was interesting to know that Aleksandr had actually went to several camps; both a “normal” camp and a more political or Stalinist camp. Needless to say he found the political camp far worst then the normal ones. During Stalins reign (1879-1953) the citizens of Russia were subjected to insane poverty, hunger and distress.

There was a small corridor for the prison yard, a closet for solitary confinement, and a bigger room across from the prisoners for the guards and warden.the prisoners were to stay in their cells or the yard, all day. The guards worked in teams of three for eight-hour shifts. As for the guards they were told they didn't have to stay on site after their shift was over. After it all the guards were just become completely different people. For example, complete different attitudes, they did not have any respect or sympathy for any of the other “prisoners”.

According to (Schmalleger & Smykia, 2015, p. 241), “For the nation’s one-half million correctional employees and thousands of daily visitors to prisons and jails, good health care also reduces their risk of becoming infected from inmates with communicable diseases.” I definitely point out a great reason on why the prison health care programs shouldn’t be abolished. “Jail and prison inmates experience disproportionately high levels of both physical and mental symptomatology, including infectious diseases,1-3 chronic conditions,3,4 severe psychological disorders,5 and mild psychological symptomatology” (Lindquist & Lindquist, 1999). We want to run a safe environment while ensuring we maintain good health within the prison walls. Staff health and safety is just as important as a prisoner’s. Also, those with mental health issues deserve treatment as it will assist with their behavior and how they function.

The purpose of this paper is to examine recidivism and public perception. Every year thousands of ex-offenders are returned to prison for a variety of reasons. Many jurisdictions lack the resources for ex-offenders to have a successful return to society (James, 2011). The disadvantages of recidivism effects not only the lives of felons, but also their families and surrounding communities. Recidivism occurs when a person has been previously incarcerated, and later released, reoffends, and returns to the correctional system.