Ethical Treatment of Prisoners
Ethical Treatment of Prisoners
Deborah Driscoll
Soc. 120
Beverly Rudnick
October 30, 2011
“Imprisonment as punishment for crimes was first used during the sixteenth century in Europe. Prior to that, criminal correction usually consisted of enslavement or swift physical punishment such as whipping or execution. Prison was conceived as a more humane response to criminal behavior.” (M. Wagner. "Introduction." At Issue: How Should Prisons Treat Inmates? 2004) The prison system has come a long way since the sixteenth century in regards to technology and living environments; yet the treatment of prisoners and how they are viewed by law abiding citizens seems to have stayed the same.
People in society today have rules and guidelines to follow in order to maintain safety, structure, and self-discipline. If any of these rules are broken, there are consequences that follow. Some consequences are more severe than others based on the severity of the crime. An example would be driving while license suspended versus murder. Someone convicted of a murder could face life in prison or even the death penalty. “DWLS 1 is a gross misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail, a $5000 fine and an additional one year suspension.”(S.Lawrence, waduiatty.com) Even though these are two completely different charges and two completely different crimes, these criminals will more than likely spend some time together in the same facility or even in the same cell. But when law abiding citizens and correctional officers look at prisoners, it does not really matter what the crime was or how severe the punishment, a prisoner is still a “nobody.”
Life in a county jail compared to a state prison is almost a “slap on the wrist”. Prisoners sentenced to anything over one year, are usually sent to a state penitentiary to
Deborah Driscoll
Soc. 120
Beverly Rudnick
October 30, 2011
“Imprisonment as punishment for crimes was first used during the sixteenth century in Europe. Prior to that, criminal correction usually consisted of enslavement or swift physical punishment such as whipping or execution. Prison was conceived as a more humane response to criminal behavior.” (M. Wagner. "Introduction." At Issue: How Should Prisons Treat Inmates? 2004) The prison system has come a long way since the sixteenth century in regards to technology and living environments; yet the treatment of prisoners and how they are viewed by law abiding citizens seems to have stayed the same.
People in society today have rules and guidelines to follow in order to maintain safety, structure, and self-discipline. If any of these rules are broken, there are consequences that follow. Some consequences are more severe than others based on the severity of the crime. An example would be driving while license suspended versus murder. Someone convicted of a murder could face life in prison or even the death penalty. “DWLS 1 is a gross misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail, a $5000 fine and an additional one year suspension.”(S.Lawrence, waduiatty.com) Even though these are two completely different charges and two completely different crimes, these criminals will more than likely spend some time together in the same facility or even in the same cell. But when law abiding citizens and correctional officers look at prisoners, it does not really matter what the crime was or how severe the punishment, a prisoner is still a “nobody.”
Life in a county jail compared to a state prison is almost a “slap on the wrist”. Prisoners sentenced to anything over one year, are usually sent to a state penitentiary to
References: Michele Wagner. "Introduction." At Issue: How Should Prisons Treat Inmates?. Ed. Michele Wagner. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2000. August 2004. 12 November 2011. <http://www.enotes.com/should-prisons-article/39687>. Coyle, Andrew (Author). Understanding Prisons. Berkshire, , GBR: McGraw-Hill Education, (date). p 12. http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ashford/Doc?id=10161289&ppg=25 Kurt Mosser, Introduction to Ethics and Social Responsibility, 2010 Human Rights Watch http://www.hrw.org/about, March 2010 Snohomish County Jail http://web5.co.snohomish.wa.us/corrections/JailRegister/dailyJailRegisterSearch.aspx