Prison Rape
Analysts continue to debate the appropriate role of the corrections system. One camp firmly believes that prisons are places punishment. The other side argues that the primary role of prisons is to provide rehabilitation, to train former criminals to become participative members of society.
This paper argues that even though restitution and punishment is important, the more vital role of prisons lies in rehabilitation. Realistically, most prisoners will be eligible for parole. It is therefore in the general public's best interests to ensure that prisons serve as venues for rehabilitation, by providing services like counseling and job skills training.
The focus of this paper is on one of the biggest obstacle to the goal of rehabilitation -- violence in prisons.
Studies have shown that the environment in many prisons is permeated with violence ("Violence and inmate characteristics"). This atmosphere makes it virtually impossible for any rehabilitation to occur. After all, it is difficult to learn new skills when an inmate is concerned about getting beaten up and getting sexually assaulted.
Thus, to fulfill their role as places of rehabilitation, reforms must be instituted in the prison system to address the silent but growing problem of violence in America's prisons.
Sexual assault remains a fixture in the mythology of prison. Conventional wisdom states that such forms of violence are part of prison life, given the violent nature of most criminals. As a result, few members of the general public are aware of the extent of these problems. Fewer still are willing to devote public resources towards addressing this problem.
The problem of prison violence, however, goes beyond individual concerns. Prisons are places where inmates are constantly subjected to threats and the potential of violence -- sexual or otherwise. They are also subjected to a dehumanizing loneliness, one that keeps them isolated from forming connections with other inmates.
At best,...
Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 Supreme Court has held that deliberate indifference to the substantial risk of sexual assault violates inmates' rights under the Cruel and Unusual Punishments Clause of the 8th Amendment to the Constitution. In response, the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 is designed to systematically study the incidence of offender-on-offender and staff-on-offender assault in correctional facilities throughout the United States and to propose standards for preventing
Although prisoner rape is violative of international, U.S., and state laws, the historic response to prisoner rape has been inadequate and indifferent. According to Jenness and Smythe, it was the specific intent of the PREA to address these issues. As Jenness and Smyth point out, "Current institutional policies regarding sexual violence are in need of reform and greater enforcement. The Prison Rape Elimination Act creates important incentives and standards,
In the United States alone, sexual attacks in prison are considered rape when penetration occurs. It is estimated that inmates are approached with unwanted sexual advances over 80,000 times per day (Anderson, 2001). Other more shocking statistics are (Anderson, 2001): There is an estimated 300,000++ instances of prison rape a year. Among this, 196,000 are estimated to happen to men in prison while 123,000 are estimated to happen to men in
S. during 2004 were actually at the lowest level in over three decades (U.S.). Given the growing prison population, U.S. legal experts are urging policy-makers to reconsider current sentencing policies, in an effort to avoid expensive incarceration costs and to invest in more productive prevention and treatment approaches to crime (U.S.). Many believe that prisons and incarceration have become the panacea for all of society's ills, and where once the U.S. looked
Prisons are correctional facilities where criminals are confided in order to rehabilitate them. Once a criminal has gotten out of the prison it is expected that they have learnt from their mistakes and not repeat these same mistakes or commit new crimes. They are expected to be changed people who are ready to be productive in the society. However, over the years this has not been achieved successfully. This is
'" Two steps if taken, however, would almost halve our prison population. First, repeal state laws that now mandate the incarceration of drug offenders and develop instead many more public and private treatment centers to which nonviolent drug abusers can be referred. Second, stop using jails or prisons to house the mentally ill. Tougher sentencing is being justified, in part, by the widespread belief that incarceration is the chief reason violent crime
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