Introduction
Criminal justice is a variety of processes and agencies which aim at understanding, controlling, and minimizing crime and providing moral support for victims. Research on criminal justice has been developing for decades, and, during this time, it produced many theories. These opinions generally attempted to contribute to the prevention of crime. For instance, some studies were conducted to examine which criminals are more likely to violate the law in the future and, eventually, to propose differences in treatments for offenders. Other investigations researched the influence of violence on civilians and the importance of delivering justice to those accused of crimes. Therefore, all these studies were carefully conducted to develop a properly functioning criminal justice system that would treat prisoners as fairly as possible. Nevertheless, in the modern world, the issue of prisoner abuse remains unresolved. As indicated by McGuire (2018), violent indiscipline not only causes physical and psychological harm but also is “associated with re-offending after release” (p. 2). This research paper will suggest possible solutions to the issue of prisoner abuse by, first, exploring the causes of violence and, subsequently, discussing various types of assault in the prison system.
Main body
First of all, it is necessary to note that the mistreatment of prisoners is not just a contemporary phenomenon but an issue that has existed for a long time. During wars, enemy combatants were viewed “not as mutual human beings deserving of respect, but rather as objects to be dealt with” (Wallace, 2015, p. 1). Prisoners were sold into slavery, thrown into gladiator rings for entertainment purposes, or even used for the practices of ritual sacrifice (Wallace, 2015). Over the years, the killing and enslavement of combatants disappeared; however, captors started to use new ways of applying violence against prisoners, including hard labor and torture. As indicated by Wallace (2015), during the Second World War, the survival chances of prisoners were minimal, and two-thirds of Soviet soldiers tortured by Nazi Germans did not live until the end of the war. For this reason, most of the soldiers favored continuing fighting and facing certain death at war over being tortured by enemies in peace (Wallace, 2015). Consequently, the abuse of criminals existed long before the appearance of the criminal justice system and modern prisons and has mistreated and led thousands of people to undesirable death.
Even though enslavement, ritual killing, and torture are no longer common forms of punishment in the modern world, prisoners are still dealing with terrible conditions and mistreatment in prisons. Jails are often described as the places for punishment, where people who have committed serious crimes and violated the law should spend the prescribed period. Levan (2016) indicated that apart from spending years in a designated place, prisons are usually established in rural areas. These places are situated far from the mainstream community, giving little chance for families to visit prisoners during serving time (Levan, 2016). Besides, prisons are poorly equipped and underfunded, leaving prisoners with no chance to be provided with professional services for rehabilitation (Levan, 2016). Inmates are constantly exposed to different forms of violence, both from the prison staff and other prisoners (Levan, 2016). Thus, all the mentioned issues are harming individuals kept in prisons and, in particular, their physical and mental health. As a result, those who eventually get their freedom back are returning to the community with additional health and psychological issues being more likely to commit new crimes in perspective.
The first and the most apparent issue that influences the rise of violence and abuse in the prison system is unprofessional administrative and managerial work. As indicated by McGuire (2018), this category refers to arrangements made by the jail managers regarding the questions of how an institution will be run. The administrative work applies to various elements of the prison experience, such as the freedom of movement, the choice over daily activities, and the amount of time outside (McGuire, 2018). In case of inconsistency between the decisions made by managerial staff and the needs of individuals from different sectors of the prison, violence is more possible to occur (McGuire, 2018). For instance, creating over-controlling conditions for criminals or, contrarily, giving violent offenders too much freedom are the contributing factors to the emergence of abuse both from the side of prisoners and administrative employees. Subsequently, poor procedural control and the lack of proper education concerning the treatment of criminals among prison managers add to the rise of abuse in the prison system.
The second contributor to the deterioration of conditions and abuse in prisons is their overpopulation. According to MacDonald (2018), overcrowding has been one of the most severe problems for jails for nearly 30 years. It is an apparent cause and contributing circumstance to several health issues in prisons, most notably mental illnesses and infectious diseases (MacDonald, 2018). Moreover, a large population can not only create a positive environment for the spread of various diseases but also lead to the emergence of violence, which is destructive for the mental and physical well-being of inmates (MacDonald, 2018). An analysis of prison conditions in England and Wales, covering 118 establishments, showed that “two in five England and Welsh prisons are unsafe and in two-thirds of prisons’ conditions are inadequate” (MacDonald, 2018, p. 66). Therefore, overcrowded institutions are not able to provide prisoners with necessary safety standards established by international laws. Because of the surplus in the prison population, people are at risk of getting infectious diseases and experience a lack of privacy, which leads to the appearance of violent behavior among prisoners.
Another phenomenon that profoundly influences the emergence of abuse in the prison system is the existence of gangs. Jail gangs and gang members create a significant risk for the increase in the level of violent interpersonal behavior within an institution (Decker & Pyrooz, 2015). Moreover, as mentioned by Decker and Pyrooz (2015), the results of the appearance of prison gangs extend far beyond violence between the groups. The emergence of criminal unities also impacts correctional officials and destructs the program designed to change criminal behavior (Decker & Pyrooz, 2015). Racial and gang tensions “multiply motivations and opportunities for misconduct, in turn presenting serious challenges for the control of these behaviors” (Decker & Pyrooz, 2015, p. 144). Consequently, such patterns further contribute to the distancing of gang members from the rehabilitation program that is supposed to help them transition to an appropriate society. The emergence of gangs and authoritative groups is a serious issue that dramatically affects the level of violence in prisons and does not let inmates change their behavior for the better.
Millions of prisoners, who are continually being exposed to the deteriorating conditions in jails, experience various types of abuse, and one of them are psychological abuse. The mental and emotional offense of an individual includes sleep deprivation, verbal abuse, exposure, humiliating instructions, and many more. According to statistics presented by Bronson and Berzofsky (2017), “about 1 in 7 state-federal prisoners and 1 in 4 jail inmates reported experiences that met the threshold for serious psychological distress” (p. 1). Also, after visiting a mental health professional, 47% of prisoners were diagnosed with different psychiatric disorders (Bronson & Berzofsky, 2017). Not surprisingly, emotional abuse in prisons is imposed both by the inmates and the correctional officials. The same study by Bronson and Berzofsky (2017) concluded that a big number of inmates reported being emotionally assaulted by correctional staff and felt anxious while interacting with them. Such treatment prevented prisoners from successfully rehabilitating and feeling that they deserve to be members of the modern world (Bronson & Berzofsky, 2017). Hence, psychological abuse is highly present in prisons making individuals develop and suffer from various mental health disorders.
Another type of assault that is highly present in prisons all over the world is sexual abuse. It mostly affects women and refers to forced sexual intercourse, strip searches, excessive vaginal and rectal searches. Speaking of sexual assault coming from the correctional staff, it is necessary to note that it has a dramatic effect on the physical and mental well-being of prisoners. Strip searches are often experienced as stressful and traumatic events for both female and male prisoners. Besides, a considerable number of imprisoned women refer to strip searches as a form of rape (Balfour, 2018). Prisons, on the other hand, see searching women as a means of showing power, which purpose is to judge women through the confiscation of their items, such as clothing and make-up (Balfour, 2018). Therefore, sexual abuse caused by administrative officials is a vital issue in modern prisons, which results in traumatic experiences and harms the mental and physical health of female prisoners.
In addition to managerial staff being the source of sexual assault in the prison system, prisoners are also likely to humiliate fellow inmates. As indicated by Balfour (2018), sexual violence is most likely to be delivered by prisoners sent to jails for the perpetration of sexual crimes in the past. While inmates who were recognized as sexual offenders experience isolation within the prison, they are left without a possibility of necessary social interaction (Balfour, 2018). As a result, people’s social needs are not met, and they become more likely to show aggressive behavior and commit sexual offenses in prison. In plus, for prisoners, as well as for correctional staff, forced sex is a mechanism to feel powerful and in control (Balfour, 2018). The group of people who is most likely to be sexually mistreated are young, transgender, gay, mentally ill individuals and those who have been sent to jail for non-violent crimes (Balfour, 2018). These individuals experience sexual abuse and, eventually, suffer from severe physical and mental health issues.
Moreover, despite torture being illegal and forbidden by international laws and conventions, it is another form of prisoner abuse. Torture is either a physical or psychological act aimed at inflicting severe pain to extract information or punish an inmate. In the United States prisons, torture comes in various forms, which destroy the physical and mental well-being of an individual (Phillips, 2016). For instance, individuals are kept awake throughout the whole night with bright lights and banging, exposed to heat, left in the snow naked for hours, beaten by guards and other prisoners (Phillips, 2016). Some people are isolated for years without any human interaction and are not provided with appropriate medical treatment (Phillips, 2016). Besides, another popular way of torture is white noise. As defined by Phillips (2016), white noise is an endless playing of static music without any pattern that causes disorientation and discomfort. It makes people vulnerable and contributes to the appearance of psychological issues. Overall, torture is presented in different forms and turns the lives of prisoners into suffering rather than rehabilitation.
With the existence of so many types of abuse in the prison system, it is essential to develop programs that would help deal with this serious issue. If society wants to rehabilitate criminals and bring them back to the community with good intentions, an enormous amount of effort should be put into rebuilding the jail system and avoiding the abuse. The creators of the Pennsylvania and Auburn prisons in the United States believed that it is possible to limit the assault in institutions; however, the implementation of their actions was not adequately developed (Levan, 2016). Prisons did not have enough funds to research, investigate, and put abuse prevention strategies into reality (Levan, 2016). Even though there is a considerable lack of research concerning the prevention of the continual rise of violence in jails, it is possible to suggest ways to successful solution of this problem.
One of the possible suggestions for a successful limitation of abuse in the prison system is an increasing emphasis on educational programming and treatment. As mentioned by Levan (2016), correctional institutions were going through considerable changes over time with an attempt to create a better environment in jails. Nevertheless, “a lack of quick results from rehabilitation efforts resulted in society becoming frustrated and disheartened” (Levan, 2016, p. 6). The focus of prisons began to shift back towards punishment, isolation, control, and torture (Levan, 2016). It is evident that contemporary ways of treating criminals are not helpful for their rehabilitation and produce a rise in the level of violence. Prisoners need specific therapy that will satisfy their need for socialization and intellectual development. That is why correctional institutions should reconsider the implementation of educational programs and understand that a particular period will be needed for these treatments to start working and bringing results.
Secondly, an effective solution to the problem of abuse in the prison system is providing an environment for inmates that is perceived as positive and safe. Such a situation is achieved through constant training of correctional staff regarding the ways of communicating with prisoners adequately. Prisons should also encourage the rehabilitation of offenders and motivate them to become better human beings for successful reentry to society. A study by Blagden et al. (2016) found that one of the most vital aspects that contributed to the favorable climate was the feeling of safety within the prison community. Security appeared to be essential in allowing individuals to solve their problems and feel confident about them (Blagden et al., 2016). In addition, prisons that stimulate change or see offender transformation as their primary purpose help to promote the improvement of criminals’ personalities and, eventually, eliminate the level of violence (Blagden et al., 2016). Consequently, in order to reduce the amount of abuse, it is crucial to ensure that prisoners do not feel anxious or threatened when trying to rehabilitate and change their attitude towards the world.
Thirdly, the presence of healthcare professionals in the prison environment assures a constant observation of prisoners’ and correctional officials’ behavior and prevents the appearance of violent actions. Nowadays, administrators and prison managers are leaving healthcare workers out of the discussion regarding the rehabilitation of offenders. This indifference results in inappropriate behavior towards prisoners and their unprofessional treatment. Pont et al. (2015) believe that healthcare specialists are in an essential position to help prevent violence in prisons. They are able to observe how prisoners are treated and what influence this treatment has on their well-being. With the usage of their knowledge and skills concerning the topics of health and abuse, they can propose leading abuse prevention strategies in prison settings (Pont et al., 2015). In addition to observing the behavior of prisoners and staff, healthcare workers can develop uniform procedures for a systemized medical screening and documentation of violence (Pont et al., 2015). Overall, the efforts of professionals can significantly benefit the planning and implementation of future violence prevention strategies in prison populations.
Another way towards a reduction of abuse in the prison system is dealing with its initial cause – overpopulation. It has been proved earlier in the paper that overcrowding of prisons results in negative consequences, such as putting too many people in one sell and contributing to the spread of infectious diseases and violence. Subsequently, it is vital to influence the rise of jail populations to solve the issue of abuse. According to MacDonald (2018), there exist two responses to dealing with the problem of overcrowding: building more jails and eliminating the number of prisoners. For years the prison system has been unsuccessful in implementing these solutions since they did not reach its goal of significantly reducing the prison population (MacDonald, 2018). That is why more effort should be put into solving this problem. Governments should invest in the establishment of new correctional institutions and the reformation of old ones, and the structure of prison management should be reformed by implementing early release programs and amnesties (MacDonald, 2018). Hence, solving the issue of overpopulation by improving the jail system is one of the possible ways to contribute to the disappearance of abuse in correctional organizations.
Conclusion
Overall, it is clear from the following research paper that abuse is one of the most worrying problems for the contemporary prison system. Violent behavior, which is coming from correctional officials and inmates, is a substantial contributing factor to the appearance of different physical, psychological, and mental disorders. Besides, assault is referred to as a traumatic experience that does not give offenders a chance to rehabilitate and reenter mainstream society with a new perspective. For this reason, the system of criminal justice should work more on reforming prison institutions and implementing necessary measures to eliminate the abuse in jails. Prisons should change their perspective from being the establishments of control to serving as rehabilitating institutions. The presented research paper provided several solutions to the problem of abuse in the prison system by, first, explaining the sources of violence and, second, reviewing various kinds of assault present in jails.
References
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