Michael Rini
SOC 120
Jacqueline Brooks
August 26th, 2013
America 's Treatment of Inmates
Here in America there are over 2.2 million Americans incarcerated in over 4,575 prisons. In almost every prison there are inmates that are claiming that they are mistreated by the staff. When we think of prisons we see rows and rows of cells with bars and lots of concrete. People have a misconception of what prison is like by what they see on television and in the movies. This is not exactly true and I will show how inmates are actually treated by defining how some prisons and jails operate.
In this country we incarcerate 730 in 100,000 people that is the highest ratio other than Russia. Inmates in most prisons …show more content…
If the prisoner does not follow the rules than there time will be rough and they will spend a lot of time in solitary confinement. Prisoners in Ohio are treated fairly well they are clothed allowed to buy tennis shoes of their choice, have regular visits from family and friends that are approved by the prison they are given time for recreation and fed three times a day. Prisoners are also shown movies three times a week. To most people prison is not as bad as people make it out to be, yes you have some corrections officers that are in need of sensitivity training, but for the most part if you leave them alone they will leave you alone. Ohio uses a direct method of supervision which means that there is an officer on the cell block at all times. Kentucky uses an indirect method of supervision which means that corrections officers are used on more than one cell block or dormitory at one time. In a level 1 or 2 prison in Ohio corrections officers do not carry weapons of any type, if a fight breaks out or a riot occurs the officers than have the use of pepper spray. In a level 3 or higher prison corrections officers carry clubs or batons to help protect …show more content…
As far as the treatment of inmates goes inmates are treated fairly and given a chance to rehabilitate themselves so that they can rejoin society and be productive citizens. Level 1live in dormitory style housing inmates have very little restrictions there is no curfew as to when to be in your bunks and there is only 1 count per day. Level 2 inmates still live in dormitory style housing but have more restrictions placed upon them and they have a curfew of 9 pm. Level 3 thru 5 inmates live in cells and are confined to their cell almost 23 hours a day. The only difference is that level 3 inmates may hold a job even though they are confined to a cell. There are 23 adult male prisons in Ohio and only 1 institution for women. This means that the women are likely to be placed in housing with other women who have committed more serious crimes and this results in more prison violence. I think that this aspect should be changed, the state should build minimum security institutions for women like they have for the men. Ohio also has prisons for men that deal with sex offences and habitual drunk driving, the women do not have these type of programs available to them. So I think that the men have it easier than the women. (Warden Ganine