August 01, 2010
When most of us think of prison life, we think of nothing but sitting in a cell, staring at blank walls, wishing that one could get out of the “joint”. But, what we don’t realize is everything that goes on behind the scenes. I believe society is negligent to realize that some of the inmates may fear for their lives or may be ready for a fight at anytime. There are many that may fear being sexually assaulted or even raped. When it comes to privileges, do we really know what types of privileges one has in prison?
In 2007, there were approximately, 7.3 million inmates in the United States according to CNN.com (CNN, 2007). That is 7.3 million who live in a prison cell day in and day out. There are 5 different types of housing within the United States Prison System. General Population within the prison is the first and most common place for an inmate to be. According to the text, this status is the “least restricted and allows the most freedom of movement” (Foster, 2006). The next four types of housing in the United States Prison system are considered to be “special management” housing. Administrative segregation is when an inmate is removed from general population as ‘a threat to security’… other inmates and staff (Foster, 2006). Disciplinary detention is a place for inmates who choose to misbehave in the general population by breaking the prison rules. The next type of housing unit is Protective Custody housing, which is when an inmate requests separation from the general population because he/she fears for his/her own safety. The last type of housing is Mental Health Housing, which is when one is removed from the population because they have serious mental disorders, which causes a major conflict with those in the general population. (Foster, 2006, p. 254). Typically, a prison cell is a place that has a single door and the walls are made from either brick or plastic. The door typically slides and has a
Cited: CNN. (2007, ). CNN. Retrieved August 03, 2010, from CNN.com: http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/03/02/record.prison.population/ Foster, B. (2006). Corrections The Fundamentals. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall . Prisons, F. B. (n.d.). Retrieved August 03, 2010, from Federal Bureau of Prisons: http://www.bop.gov/ Things To Do In Prison . (2003). Retrieved August 2010, from Prison Talk: http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-13204.html