Correctional Facilities: A Case Study

The Pennsylvania Prison System has a policy that shows no mercy towards sexual abuse and sexual harassment of inmates. Convicts have the right to be free from sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and reprisal for reporting sexual abuse or harassment.The closest federal prison in my area is State Correctional Institution – Laurel Highlands which is located Somerset Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania . The closest state prison in my area that holds female inmates is State Correctional Institution – Muncy which is located Clinton Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. The amount of prisoners that’s kept in Pennsylvania prisons has been getting larger at a constant rate since 1972. Between 1972 and 1976, the inmate population increased by 44 percent, resulting in a serious

Furthermore, one of the greatest problems for incarcerated women is sexual and physical abuse from correctional officers. Men are responsible for the majority of the abuse

The issue of sexual assault in correctional facilities is very complex and the implications reach far beyond the walls of the institution. Congress found that “prison rape endangers the public’s safety by making brutalized inmates more likely to commit crimes when they are released.”

After touring both the Pendleton maximum security prison, and the Pendleton juvenile correctional facility I can say that while they both house inmates, the way they treat their inmates is totally different compared to one another. In Pendleton maximum facility, the staff would treat their inmates like any other criminal and hold them until it was time for them to be released, while in the Pendleton juvenile facility the staff called the inmates “students” while holding them until they believe the students are ready to behave when they are released. In this paper I want to explain how both facilities handles their inmates differently, the facilities themselves and their layouts, the rehabilitative programs available at both facilities, and how the security levels and the number of inmates assigned to the facilities effect how the treatment is implemented at each facility.

More specifically, the focus was on the patters, as well as characteristics staff and inmates involved (Sorensen et al., 2011). The research consisted of 79 coded incident reports, involving Texas corrections staff, who had been seriously assaulted, over a 14 month period (Sorensen et al., 2011). It was determined that serious assaults were reasonably infrequent, yet the characteristics and indicators of what led to attacks were delivered (Sorensen et al., 2011). Both of these articles aid in the process of indulging into the hardships that corrections officers have dealt with. The physical conditions and assaults are two of the undesirable aspects that are undeniably attached to such a career, as the next section will exemplify.

Simply because inmates are smaller, weaker, or more intimidated by the cell and cellmates they are assigned, they are ultimately categorized as “victims” of these ghastly assaults and thus, their “femininity” determines their fate. Despite the high number of these crimes committed each year, the flawed system in which these facilities are run have yet to truly recognize the danger and harm that is placed upon these male prisoners. Joanne Mariner’s article is therefore an effective attempt to spark reform within the system; just because these inmates have been convicted of crimes does not mean they should not get the proper treatment and justice they too deserve.

…the BJS found that 4.5 percent of the nation’s prisoners, i.e., inmates who have been convicted of felonies and sentenced to more than a year, had been sexually abused in the facilities at which they answered the questionnaire during the preceding year: approximately 60,500 people. Moreover, 3.2 percent of jail inmates—i.e., people who were awaiting trial or serving short sentences—had been sexually abused in their facilities over the preceding six months, meaning an estimated total, out of those jailed on the day of the survey, of 24,700

It is dreadful enough to get raped, but having to see your perpetrator every day and possibly raping you again is a constant fear that many inmates have to encounter. According to the Bureau of Justice (BJS), in 2008 correctional administrators reported 7,444 allegations of sexual abuse in prisons. About 46 % of the sexual abuse involved staff with inmates. But these statistics do not include the many cases that go unreported due to victim’s fear of being punished by their perpetrators and/ or to embarrassment and humiliation that comes with rape. Although prison rape is prevalent, many individuals find it normal and even find it a laughing matter. Prison rape is abnormal and has huge consequences if not dealt with. Some of the

“I never realized that once I was labeled as a criminal, I had forfeited my right to be considered a victim,” says Elizabeth Reid at the end of an article she wrote describing her horrific experience as a resident at one of Washington Department of Corrections Work Release facilities (Reid 2013). Elizabeth was led to a secluded room of the facility where she was raped by one of the staff/ guards. She was forced to face the wall as he forcibly raped her. At first she did not report the rape because she feared that he would cause her to be sent back to prison. However, instead of telling someone inside the facility, she went to the local police to report the rape. To her amazement, the cops did not follow through because they were informed that she was on a form of supervised release. As a result, Elizabeth’s rapist was never charged or apprehended for her rape. Sexual misconduct between female inmates and male correctional officers (CO) has been a problem that

Cities with higher incarceration rates had increased socio-economic instability. Some neighborhoods decreased in population so severely that they became non-existent due to the mass incarceration rate. Because the government allowed the inmates to work for private industry for a fraction of what the standard wage was at the time, many free-laborers had difficulty finding gainful employment and had lost their ability to use collective bargaining. The free-labor loss of jobs associated with hiring inmates also increased poverty in urban areas which in turn increased crimes of

There are public service announcements which warn that a DUI will cost you about $10,000. Those costs include fines, court fees, legal fees, jail costs, bail bonds, probation services, etc. Those advertisements subtly illustrate how crime directly benefits the “prison industrial complex.” That term refers to all of the sectors which profit from a massive prison population, including law enforcement, prisons, and the entire legal system. This system employs millions of Americans as police officers, lawyers, judges, paralegals, parole officers, correctional officers, etc.

Contrary to popular belief sexually transmitted diseases are not the only physical harm victims of prison rape endure. Many rape victims endure broken bones, broken noses, bruises, cuts, concussions, and the obvious genital injuries. Sexual assaults also increases violent behavior in prisons because inmates who feel like they may be a future target of sexually assault, defend themselves, and lash out in these violent rages and fights to establish themselves with a “tough guy” reputation to prevent any sexual misconduct from other inmates.

Defendant Smith has been arrested for possession of enough ecstasy for two hits and has admitted to using alcohol, cocaine, and marijuana in the past. Clearly this indicates that he has a drug problem. However, he has no prior criminal record, has held down a job in construction for the past two years, and has a child for whom he must pay child support. He has fallen behind as of late and may be tied to his drug abuse, for which he has never received counseling or treatment. Give that he has never received treatment, has a job, and a child to support, I would recommend that he be placed into a Drug Court Program.

The inappropriate relationships between correctional officers and offenders has garnered a lot of attention as of late. As when news media focuses and depicts some police officers negatively, correctional officers are apt to face similar treatment from the press when a mistake is made. Recently, what gains attention, and is the most apt to be sensationalized, are inappropriate relationships with offenders especially of a sexual nature. Nevertheless, sensationalized or not, at times some of the attention is arguably well deserved. In 2013, CBS and many other news outlets and media reported on four female correctional officers that were impregnated by the same inmate. The resulting investigation opened a Hoover Dam of compromised officers.

The realities of correctional enterprise concur with justifications of punishments with some cases. All criminals are not the same. There are criminals that need help but do not get help there for result in criminal activity. Then there are the criminals that are flat out insane. The correctional stage can be effective; it just depends on the sanity of the criminal.