Correctional System and Prisoner Rights

Prisoners in the United States enjoy far too many privileges

Every prisoner has the right to speech, medical care, humane treatment, including food and required assistance, the right against racial profiling, and the right to personal property, as stated in the first and eighth amendments of the United States Constitution. An American prisoner has more benefits and comforts than many low-class earners and veterans in addition to these basic rights. (Clear, Reisig & Cole, 2012). In light of this, it is understandable why people perpetrate crimes in order to take advantage of the free medical coverage provided by these organizations, despite the fact that the American prison system is one of the friendliest in the entire world. Not surprisingly, overpopulation and cases of re-offending have seen the population in these facilities grow past 2.5 million in the recent past and significantly increased the public spending on these facilities. It is therefore essential that these privileges and rights be curtailed or accompanied by appropriate responsibilities to deter individuals from criminal offending.

Privileges enjoyed by prisoners

Firstly, apart from a few correctional facilities, many prisoners enjoy the privilege of three meals a day, workout facilities, air-conditioned rooms, free programs in education and training as well as free medical cover for both long term and short term diseases and conditions. Additionally, there is unlimited access to television, publications and library books. To cap it all, there is no labor requirements or responsibilities expected from the inmate as these privileges are offered at the taxpayer’s expense. These comforts are way above the reach of low-class Americans and are too many to be accorded to criminals who do not actively participate in the national building at the expense of law-abiding and hardworking Americans. It is in this regard that a raging debate on the surging cost of incarceration and inmates rights and privileges has sprung (Calavita & Jenness, 2014).

The rising cost of incarceration

According to data from the department of prisons, the cost of incarceration has increased to alarming levels mainly in health care delivery to the aging population of inmates (Mirpuri, 2013). Additionally, the expenses incurred in compensation and legal fees as a result of suits from inmates due to violated rights are a cause for alarm. The costs are precipitated by American inmates constitutional rights which have been regarded as too many and unnecessarily expensive. Drastic measures taken by some facility’s administrators such as the Maricopa County sheriff have been met with harsh criticism from human rights crusaders due to their unconstitutionality and insensitivity to basic human needs. Despite its radical nature, the step by the sheriff is a first step towards addressing the rising cost of incarceration and reducing inmates privileges and rights in a bid to discourage criminality in America.

Solutions to the problem

In conclusion, the problem of high incarceration rates and a high cost of running state prisons and jails can be attributed to the many rights accorded to American inmates. This problem can be remedied through two primary programs. First, the inmates can be included in gainful work and made to pay for some privileges such as expensive meals and education. Second, the inmate’s rights acts can be repealed to exclude some rights such as compulsory medical covers to reduce public spending on such endeavors. Additionally, the scraping of some comforts such as air conditioning and wellness programs can discourage repeat offending. This helps to reduce overall costs of incarceration which can further be reduced through the release of elderly inmates who demand more resource allocations on account of their constitutional rights.

References

Calavita, K., & Jenness, V. (2014). Appealing to Justice: Prisoner grievances, rights, and carceral logic. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

Clear, T., Reisig, M., & Cole, G. (2012). American corrections. Scarborough, ON: Nelson Education.

Mirpuri, A. (2013). Mass incarceration, prisoner rights, and the legacy of the radical prison movement. D. McDowell et al. (Eds.), The punitive turn: New approaches to race and incarceration (pp. 131-155). Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press.