Prison System
It is necessary to clarify that my prison system belongs to medium security prisons. These are “the standard facilities used to house most criminals,” so my prison will apply to most types of criminals (Types of prisons, 2021, para. 4). One of the best examples of such jails is the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI), Otisville (FCI Otisville, n.d.). It is “a medium security federal correctional institution with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp and a detention center” (FCI Otisville, n.d., para. 1). Now, the prison system is to be discussed.
Incarceration
Incarceration will make up 30% of my prison system. One of the main functions of prisons should be to keep criminals out of society. Detention includes cage-style housing but not solitary confinement in the prison system discussed here. Even short-term solitary confinement slows down and even undermines the process of rehabilitation of prisoners, significantly impairing their physical and mental health (Edge, 2014). Moreover, this is an unfair treatment of criminals with a short sentence and minor crimes.
Deterrence
Deterrence will be 20% in my prison system; this is almost the minimum required for medium security prisons. Containment here means jail staff consisting of armed guards (Types of prisons, 2021). Criminals must understand that they will be punished for trying to escape, rebelling, or harming each other and jail personnel. However, excessive deterrence measures are equal to solitary confinement in their harm to the rehabilitation process and unfair to those with minor offenses.
Rehabilitation and Retribution
My prison system is aimed not only at retribution but also at rehabilitation. The former will be 20% while the latter will be 30%. A significant part of criminals, especially those with short sentences, regret having committed crimes when they meet with the prison setting and want to become law-abiding members of society again. It is essential to provide this opportunity for them. Another part of the people in prison is violent criminals. It is necessary to make sure that they fully feel the gravity of their crime in prison. There will be no death penalty in my jail. Edge’s (2014) documentary shows that being in a monotonous setting for a long time is enough to make even the hardened criminals regret the crimes they did. The average cost of housing an inmate is about $ 450,000 per year in New York (Troutman, 2021). My prison will hold up to 500 prisoners.
References
Edge, D. (Director). (2014). Solitary nation (Season 2014, episode 7) [TV series episode]. In D. Edge. (Executive Producer), Frontline. Public Broadcasting Service.
FCI Otisville. (n.d.). Federal Bureau of Prisons. Web.
Troutman, M. (2021). NYC jail inmate costs rose amid pandemic incarceration drop. Patch. Web.
Types of prison. (2021). Crime Museum. Web.