When the justice system works adequately, the number of prisoners might arise due to the power of the law. This occurred in Los Angeles, where the number of prisoners exceeded the acceptable quantity. The case has been discussed in Los Angeles Times and received the public’s attention. This essay will provide a brief synopsis of the case and discuss its impact on society.
The case discussed further contains many ethical issues raised by society. The American Civil Liberties Union revealed that Los Angeles Country jail’s conditions are “barbaric” and requested that District Judge Dean D. Pregerson take action (Finnegan, 2022). The case orbits around poor living conditions, especially for inmates with mental illnesses, who have been chained to chairs and benches for days, dehydrated, and refused their regular medications. Currently, the ACLU’s court filing results have not brought significant results (Finnegan, 2022). The organization’s request was temporarily restrained, and the case ended with the country administration’s statement.
This case can remarkably affect society because it can change society’s collective attitude towards prisoners. If the issue receives massive attention, people will start showing empathy towards the intimates with mental illnesses. Consequently, people can make the administration take significant actions to improve the conditions for prisoners in LA Country jail. Nonetheless, the case might cause ethical controversy, like questions about whether prisoners deserve good conditions in prison or administration should prioritize jail issues over other social problems. Discussing this case in society might lead to changes in laws and the justice system in accordance with the ethical views of the majority. The media has a power to portray police, courts, and others, and it also can create a negative image of the justice system. The negative image might cause activists to create national movements and result into change of the administrative personnel, and reforms in constitution.
To conclude, the country administration should force the LA board of supervisors and sheriff to improve the conditions in the jail for inmates with mental illnesses or diabetes. The administration should also consider passing reforms in police education to change officers’ attitudes towards the prisoners. The case discussed above also needs further study and discussion of its ethical issues.
Reference
Finnegan, M. (2022). ‘barbaric’ L.A. County Jail conditions alleged as ACLU seeks federal intervention. MSN. Web.