As the influx of mentally ill prisoners increase in federal penitentiaries, and prison’s staffing level remaining the same, inhumane treatment and dehumanizing practices of prisons are becoming more common and inescapable. In his article, “One of the Darkest Periods in the History of American Prisons,” Andrew Cohen elucidates how federal prisons are negatively developing over the years. By primary referencing to investigations in California and Florida, and allegations in Mississippi and Louisiana, Cohen is able demonstrate how ill-equipped, and reckless prisons have become in response to the needs of prisoners with mental illness. He even goes so far to compare today’s jails to “medieval places of unspeakable cruelty” ( ). In “One of the Darkest Periods in the History of American Prisons,” Cohen appeals heavily on pathos to the convince the audience of the fundamental corruption and carelessness that beholds today’s prisons towards inmates, especially mentally ill inmates. Cohen …show more content…
When describing the conditions at the East Mississippi Correctional Facility, Cohen embodies these traits. He seems to included valuable details from the lawsuit in a way that places you in a position of the mentally ill prisoners and the conditions they live in: “Many cells lack light and working toilets, forcing prisoners to use trays or plastic bags that are tossed through slots in their cell doors. Rats often climb over prisoners' beds, and some prisoners capture the rats. . . and sell them as pets to other inmates” ( ). The inclusion of this shocking detail implies that the prisoners have become so adjusted to the barbaric conditions they face on a day-by-day basis, they try to make the best out of the situation. This sad adaptation of the inmates is the first sense of sympathy in the
The film on Connie Hanes shows how inmates are treated inn prison and how it can drive them to commit suicide. Even before Connie Hanes verdict she was treated like a prisoner. While in court she was bare foot and not allowed to wear her own clothes, they made her wear a cotton jail dress. In addition, it was in January in the didn’t allow her to have a coat. Connie describes her attorney as believing she was guilty of the crime and “they weren’t going to waste a lot of time” because “ it was a cut and dry case” and the judge and juror are going to believe she is guilty.
Author and lawyer Bryan Stevenson chronicles the unjust and inhumane stories of multiple prisoners throughout the South. He tries to appeal and save each individual from unethical sentences that were handed down upon them. Stevenson uses this book as way to shine a very bright light on the unfair practices and sentences that consistently happen throughout American court rooms to the mentally ill and the vulnerable. He is able to provide a prologue for each prisoner and case he encounters that provides crucial information that can potentially alter whether each client would end up dying in prison, or have the potential to see life outside of cement walls and bars. Stevenson is able to show readers the unfair practices of not only prosecutors
People often are guilty of letting things that are out of sight be out of their mind, but human rights should not be something overlooked. The imprisoned mentally ill has been often overlooked and there voices are not heard as they struggle everyday in inhumane conditions. The eight amendment states that no cruel and unusual punishments is to be inflicted upon the prisoners. Is the United Sates prison systems treating mentally ill prisoners according to the eight amendment? The largest prison rates belong to the United states and of those imprisoned, around the world, they are ten times more likely to be suffering from a mental illness (Mills, 2007).
In “Monster - They Treat Me Like a Dog, I’ll Be a Dog” insight is provided to put into perspective how inmates are mistreated and subject to different forms of abuse after being incarcerated for a period of time, which ultimately causes them to harden and commit additional crimes while in prison. As pointed out by Austin and Irwin (2012), inmates are often victims of “racial prejudice, being harassed by the correctional officers, threaten and attack by other inmates.” As a result, this causes many of the inmates to become violent, fearless individuals who often admit and conduct themselves in a manner that is self-destructive because they do not care whether they live or die in the process. As discussed in the course textbook, a primary
In a book that is both devastating and inspiring, Bryan Stevenson presents the cases of several of his clients who were either arrested for crimes they did not commit, or whose sentence did not match the crime. Stevenson forces you to consider the humanity of the accused; the life they lived before incarceration, the life they lived during incarceration. Among the cases presented, the ones that caught my acute attention were the ones of prisoners with mental and intellectual disabilities.
Chomsky, Noam. " Drug Policy as Social Control. " Prison Nation: The Warehousing of America’s Poor. Eds.
In 1968 Robin Woods was convicted of two counts of felony breaking and entering. He was sentenced to 16 years at Maryland Correctional Institute, a maximum-security prison, for his nonviolent crimes. He recalls the atmosphere of MCI being both tense and racially charged. Amid reports of overcrowding and brutality from guards, a severe riot ensued adding an additional charge and 7 more years to Woods’ sentence. Our prison system neglects people’s mental and emotional needs, and treats them with contempt, yet expects respect and obedience in return.
It’s rare for someone who was charged for murder and assault to live a normal life once let out to the real world after their experience. It was interesting to see how they act up by flooding their cells, throwing food, and spreading urine and feces on the floor is the inmate’s way to pass time. It had a great success on how their behaviors change. According to the warden, “If you punish them you can make them better, but the reality is the exact opposite happens.” Highlighting the drawbacks of solitary confinement, and how there needs to be something to change these prisoners and actually make them better.
At the end of the intensive day the officers walk back through the front office and the feeling of relief overwhelms one’s mood. Everyone feels blessed that no one was harmed in any way and everyone carries a sensation of accomplishment. The values are there ringing in the back of their minds as they walk towards the front gates. There is a collective sigh of relief as every officer retraces their steps through the sally port gates to hear the final “Clang of Incarceration” resonating on the evening
Respect for persons was not adhered to at all. This first principle incorporates two principles, “first, that individuals should be treated as autonomous agents, and second, that persons with diminished autonomy are entitled to protection.” The prisoners were not treated as independent people and the people that could not be independent were not protected. I think they fell into the mob mentality with this piece. The next area is beneficence; the participants were not treated in an ethical manner nor was their well-being secured.
Solitary Madness History has shown many ways that criminals were punished for committing a crime. Some crimes in the past were punished with torturous techniques that were deemed suitable at certain points in human history. However, as time passed, many of those punishment techniques were viewed, by many, as cruel and demeaning, which sparked change in the way crime was punished. Legislation was created to protect the inmate from being punished too severely.
The applicants were arrested and charged with a felony. Once they were taken down to the station, they were booked and fingerprinted, and each prisoner was left isolated to think about what he did. After some time, the prisoners were blindfolded and transported to what they believed to be the Stanford County Prison. They were all stripped, searched, and given a uniform, bedding, soap, and a towel. In this setting, prisoners lost their liberty, civil rights, independence and privacy, while guards gained social power by accepting the responsibility for controlling the lives of these prisoners (Zimbardo p. 365).
Their are around 500,000 mentally ill people that are put away in prisons and jails. In the documentary “The New Asylums”,Ohio's state prison system reveals the issues that are ongoing with mentally ill inmates. The major problem we have today is that no one is taking care of the people of these people. Most mentally ill people live by themselves with no family or friends to take care of them and they are off their medications. The mentally ill come in to prison on non violent offenses such as disturbing the peace, trespassing, etc. After leaving mental hospitals they usually end up on the streets and become homeless.
According to the Eighth Amendment, cruel and unusual punishment is prohibited. For this prohibition to be significant throughout society in which confinement is the essential method of criminal penalty, it is essential to establish when prison conditions are cruel and brutal. While prisoners may have lost their rights to freedom in the light of their crime and conviction, despite everything, they remain to hold the same constitutional rights as free citizens do, with certain exceptions. The special cases include rights that would cause disagreement with the prison facility and system’s ability to safely, adequately, and proficiently run the establishment, those that would risk the wellbeing of the staff, the public and/or others near.
The shift is attributed to the unexpected clinical needs of this new outpatient population, the inability of community mental health centers to meet these needs, and the changes in mental health laws (Pollack & Feldman, 2003). Thousands of mentally ill people flowing in and out of the nation 's jails and prisons. In many cases, it has placed the mentally ill right back where they started locked up in facilities, but these jail and prison facilities are ill-equipped to properly treat and help them. In 2006 the Bureau of Justice Statistics estimated that there were; 705,600 mentally ill inmates in state prisons, 78,000 in federal prisons, and