The Rights Of The Correctional Guards

There are several different categories an correctional officer an be assigned to. This is what a day of being an officer consist of.

Ashley Smith was diagnosed from an early age with behavioural problems. She was, in fact, a person with oppositional defiant disorder “ODD” since her behaviour was clear signs of this illness. She was eventually sent to correctional services for throwing crab apples at the postal worker. Not being treated properly led to the worsening of her condition and caused her to commit more small offences and face longer imprisonment time. Her symptoms were clear to any professional but not to the guards who saw her as a criminal.

A new and alarming trend that has been occurring in American society is the increase of violence committed by young women. The documentary Girlhood offers an insight on the emotional, psychological, and social reasoning behind the girl’s actions. Girlhood focuses on the life of two young juveniles, Shanae Owens and Megan Jensen both incarcerated for violent crimes. Shanae and Megan both experienced similar circumstances that yielded different outcomes. They were followed for a period of about three years which allowed viewers to really see what kind of role the justice system, family and peers have on the success of an at risk juvenile.

It is no secret that the United States’ criminal justice system is majorly flawed in more ways than one. We hear of all of the injustice that many civilians face on a day to day basis, which mostly surrounds the problems related to men, but what about women? Why don’t we hear about the tribulations and sufferings that our women undergo on a day to day basis within our criminal justice system? As mentioned in an article from the American Jail Association, investigation in fields ranging from subjects of general and mental health, substance abuse and addiction relating to drugs and prescriptions, and physical violence against women combined with examination and practice in the criminal justice field, have discovered that women offenders experience challenges that are not only different from their male counterparts, but also greatly influence their involvement in criminal justice systems, including jails and prisons (Ney, 2014). This information alone provides a basis to why imprisoned women should be more of a topic. This literature review will examine the several ways in which women who are incarcerated experience emotional trauma; and in some ways, abuse. My hypothesis is that most of the trauma encountered by incarcerated women majorly branches from preceding events and occurrences that happened prior to becoming imprisoned, and that they worsen as a result of improper treatment and resources within

Raseanda first became involved in the justice system at age 14. Her legal history includes seven intake contacts. Raseanda has had intake contacts for felony offenses. These intake contacts were not for felony offenses against another person. She has no history of escape. She has had six juvenile detention confinements and has run away from home several times. Raseanda has received court supervision with Chesapeake and Henrico County Court Service Units. While under the supervision of Henrico County, Raseanda was placed in the post-dispositional program at the Henrico Detention Center. Raseanda reported the program was helpful and helped build her self-esteem. Raseanda also reported being on electronic monitoring several times and being non-compliant.

A lack of infrastructure and monitoring in correctional institutions leaves the public unaware of the aforementioned human rights violation of individuals diagnosed with mental health disorders (Mfoafo-M’Carthy and Huls 2014). In the case of Ashley smith, she was often confined for long periods of time without appropriate cause and were then subjected to conditions that included violence, substandard nutrition and cleanliness, torment, unconsented medical treatment, loss of dignity, and sedation as a control method. In addition, her diagnosis of personality disorder was used against her because she did not conform to the dominant cultural, moral, and religious standards of society.

With the authors of this journal being registered nurses and having seen the first-hand accounts of these disparities, how these cries continued to be ignored. With these female inmates coming from low-income backgrounds, being often undereducated, and having few work skills (Hatton and Fisher, 1305), many of the stresses of life added on to the societal expectations of women can easily manifest into a valid psychological defect that can hinder them for the rest of their lives. Reports also show extensive histories of “childhood and adult violence, including both physical and sexual assault” (Hatton and Fisher, 1305), adding to the stressors, and causing an even worse decline in mental health. Yet, the lack of awareness and/or contributions to a fixable solution is as prevalent as mental illness amongst these imprisoned women. The goal of these institutions should be rehabilitation of these individuals, giving them a second chance, though it has fallen from its original purpose and now has become about control and power.

Autumn S. is a twelve-year old girl who presented at a short-term residential facility after a violent assault on her adoptive mother. This was not her first violent episode. She has a long history of violence towards herself, most notably a history of hitting her head against the wall when she is upset. This behavior is serious and has led to her being treated in the Emergency Room for concussions. She has also assaulted a number of same-age peers and younger children. She and her older brother engaged in a group assault on one of their good friends, hitting him with backpacks full of books. She also attempted to drown her younger cousin after an altercation in a wading pool. It required two adults to pull her off of the younger child. This violence has resulted in various problems in Autumn's life. She has been in trouble in school because of violence towards classmates, and has been targeted by other children because of her violent behavior towards others. She has been in trouble in the home because of her violence. She has even been in trouble with the law, as her most recent violent attack against her adoptive mother was of sufficient severity that a neighbor intervened and called the police.

The statistical evidence of young female juveniles describes by journalist Linda Lowen. Lowen says young girls who were subjected to many different mental health issues and some form of abuse have often led to delinquent conduct. Abuse, such as, physical, mental, sexual, and emotional abuse is the most commonplace behind a juvenile’s girl’s negative behavior. In the United States, seventy-three percent of young girls have been abused. Just over forty percent of young girls have been victims of sexual assault or rape. Girls who have been abused or neglected are twice as likely to be arrested as other girls (Lowen, 2014).

The Coalition for Juvenile Justice states that “70% of girls in the juvenile justice system have been exposed to trauma”(Kuhn). These traumas consist of high levels of rape, post traumatic stress, witness of murder and serious injury (Kuhn). Overall, girls have higher rates of mental disorders (80% compared to 67%) and are more likely to internalize their behaviors. Paula Schafer argues that the most prominent issue for girls is not their violence or aggression, but rather untreated trauma (Schaefer). To further this issue, many of the rehabilitation programs are created for boys, with very little attention paid to girls. It is possible that these programs can actually negatively impact the girls involved by triggering the stress from traumatic experiences (Kuhn). The abuse that girls experience create even more problems throughout the course of their interactions with authority such as police and correctional officers. These girls develop survival skills to cope with the abuse they have endured. Going into survival mode means putting up walls and becoming aggressive and defensive (Schaefer). The juvenile justice website mentions that many girls run away from home because of the trauma they are experiencing from their family. This observation alone helps criminologists understand why there are so many girls entering the system

In order to tackle the issue of sentencing inmates to prolonged solitary confinement, certain measures must be taken. Cyrus Ahalt, Craig Haney, Sarah Rios, Matthew P. Fox, David Farabee, and Brie Williams, the authors of “Reducing the Use and Impact of Solitary Confinement in Corrections” discussed six actions that can be taken by correctional facilities in order to reduce the use of solitary confinement and possibly eliminate its negative impact. The six actions are the following: “1) Eliminate all solitary confinement not related to violent misconduct, 2) Limit the terms of isolation, 3) Prohibit the use of solitary confinement with especially vulnerable populations, 4) Require regular review of individuals in solitary confinement, 5) Provide specialized transitional services who are being prepared for transfer out of solitary confinement,

Some prisoners who have experienced solitary confinement have physically lashed out against prison guards and even inflicted bodily harm on themselves. In “The Movement Away from Solitary”, Steinbuch writes that solitary confinement can cause “…severe and chronic depression, anxiety, problems with impulse control, self-mutilation, decreased brain function, hallucinations, and revenge fantasies” (Steinbuch 501). It should be no surprise to prison officials that when inmates are deprived of human contact that a host of mental complications can arise. When queried as to why he was not being treated humanely, Gabriel Reyes, an inmate at Pelican State Bay who by 2015 had spent fourteen years in solitary, tells of the “…severe isolation, the [lack of] education opportunities, rehabilitative opportunities, decent food, proper medical treatment, just human dignity… being treated like a human being instead of an animal” (“Effects”). Setting aside his thoughts on the poor living conditions, Reyes’ comments on the lack of rehabilitative opportunities seems to be a common theme in the American prison system.

A prison warden is the chief executive of the institution and oversees the entire operation within a prison system. A prison warden needs to possess an array of skills that is capable of managing “large groups of employees, and to operate facilities in a way that keeps inmates, staff, and society safe” (Clear et al., 2013, p. 321). Studies from Clear et al. (2013) further indicate that today’s prison warden must function effectively despite decreased autonomy and increased accountability” (p. 321). The role and responsibility of a prison warden are comparable to a police chief’s because it requires extensive knowledge in administration, and experience in various areas within the department or institution.

The United States criminal justice system has proved to be more lenient towards female offenders than male offenders. Statistics regarding this gender discrepancy in the justice system have shown that, in comparison to men, women are 12 to 23% less likely to receive prison or jail time. The justice system is often more concerned with the health and well-being of female inmates. According to Shannon Lynch, professor at the Idaho State University, with a PhD in clinical psychology, analysis of women’s psychological behaviour in prisons demonstrates that “female offenders report greater incidence of mental health problems and serious mental illness (SMI) than do male offenders.” For example, in the child abuse case of Alba Ingrid Scarpelli and her boyfriend Alan Lee Holmes, Scarpelli was convicted to 18 months due to the fact that women are emotionally impacted by violence. Conversely, Holmes, only a bystander to his girlfriend’s crime, received eight years in prison without any regard to his mental health following the incident. Such cases communicate the use of mental health in women as an excuse for receiving milder punishments; therefore, the United States criminal justice system should diminish the presence of gender bias in an offender’s sentence.

In an essay of at least 250 words, explain the concept that "all employees of a correctional institution are correctional workers first." What are the benefits of this policy? Is there a downside to this policy?