Ethical Treatment Of Prisoners

The Ethical Treatment of Prisoners:
A Discussion and Application of Different Ethical Theories

Chelsie A. Thomas
SOC 120 Introduction to Ethics & Social Responsibility
Brianne Larsen-Mongeon
Ashford University
26 August 2013

There are more than 1.5 million prisoners under the jurisdiction of state or federal correctional facilities in the U.S., with the largest number of prisoners in the world it is no wonder why the ethical treatment of prisoners is such a hot button topic (U.S. Department of Justice, 2013). There is much concern over violating individual human rights of prisoners; however, ensuring proper treatment and rehabilitation often comes with a hefty price tag. Many are concerned about rising costs in prison and
Making prison sentences a punishment for crimes could help deter individuals from becoming repeat offenders in the future for fear of going back to an unfavorable situation. Some prisons like ADX Florence, a super maximum facility in Colorado like to impose 23 hours a day of solitary confinement and no natural sunlight as a way to psychologically breakdown prisoners (West’s Encyclopedia of American Law, 2005). In addition to solitary confinement, other punishments which could be imposed would be limiting food, yard time, and leisure activities such as reading.
In addition to prison being punishment, it can also be viewed as a way to rehabilitate criminals into productive members of society. Whether rehabilitation comes from being sent to a facility for mental illness to receiving medical attention or prisoners receiving an education and training to ensure their success once they are released, these kinds of programs provide prisoners with hope for the future while giving them experience and education to help them reintegrate successfully once they have completed their
Another argument is, as a law abiding citizen I don’t want to be raped or murdered so I think individuals guilty of these crimes should be locked away forever, without the possibility of parole to ensure my own safety. This would probably result in a large influx of prisoners which could also be very costly to tax payers. While I want to remain safe I also don’t want taxes to increase as a result of the additional prisoners. In an effort to offset the cost I would expect things be done to keep costs down. Such precautions could be taken as feeding prisoners low grade food and only enough of it to keep them nourished. In addition minimal health care would be provided and their care would come from medical students who need the practice to become doctors. Funding for any leisure activities like cable and workout equipment would be cut. Educational programs that are used in places that try to rehabilitate prisoners would be non-existent. And perhaps to offset some of the costs I would want prisoners to perform long hours of manual labor to “earn their keep” in the prison. In the event of overcrowding perhaps the most serious offenders can be dealt with using capital punishment rather than locking the up for