Prison System
Prison System
Janette Brown Garcia
Westwood College
Abstract
A supermax prison is an institution that has the following characteristics: greater levels of restriction, limited visitation and programs, lack of congregate activity, and the increased degree of isolation from other inmates (Mears and Watson, 2006). Craig Haney (2003) describes supermax prisons as being marked by their totality of isolation, intended duration of confinement, reason for being imposed and technological sophistication. Although conditions vary from state to state, many supermax prisons subject inmates to nearly complete isolation and deprivation of sensory stimuli, which are deleterious to the mental health of inmates (Kurki and Morris, 2001). None of the above characteristics conform to the rehabilitative ideal; the supermax prison, as an institution and as a form of punishment, most directly represents the correctional goals of incapacitation and retribution. More to the point, the supermax prison cleanly operates within the correctional theory of incapacitation, which aims to ensure that the offender has minimal chance of reoffending or causing additional harm (Cullen and Jonson, 2012). The question is “are supermax prisons doing what they were intended to do?” My answer will be No. Just like other prison it is a lack of supervision to me. Supermax meant to be a prison to keep closer eye on the inmates. They know what the prisoner in prison for. The supermax is not tough like they use to. It seen like no one is supervisor over them. The inmates feel that they can do what they want to do. That is why the drug dealer still selling drugs while they are in prison.
One of the article can prove my point that supermax not doing what they are doing “So is Castro, who was convicted in another drug conspiracy case more than a decade ago. The latest federal indictment says he used coded letters, phone calls and his girlfriend 's help to get messages out of SuperMax and that he
Janette Brown Garcia
Westwood College
Abstract
A supermax prison is an institution that has the following characteristics: greater levels of restriction, limited visitation and programs, lack of congregate activity, and the increased degree of isolation from other inmates (Mears and Watson, 2006). Craig Haney (2003) describes supermax prisons as being marked by their totality of isolation, intended duration of confinement, reason for being imposed and technological sophistication. Although conditions vary from state to state, many supermax prisons subject inmates to nearly complete isolation and deprivation of sensory stimuli, which are deleterious to the mental health of inmates (Kurki and Morris, 2001). None of the above characteristics conform to the rehabilitative ideal; the supermax prison, as an institution and as a form of punishment, most directly represents the correctional goals of incapacitation and retribution. More to the point, the supermax prison cleanly operates within the correctional theory of incapacitation, which aims to ensure that the offender has minimal chance of reoffending or causing additional harm (Cullen and Jonson, 2012). The question is “are supermax prisons doing what they were intended to do?” My answer will be No. Just like other prison it is a lack of supervision to me. Supermax meant to be a prison to keep closer eye on the inmates. They know what the prisoner in prison for. The supermax is not tough like they use to. It seen like no one is supervisor over them. The inmates feel that they can do what they want to do. That is why the drug dealer still selling drugs while they are in prison.
One of the article can prove my point that supermax not doing what they are doing “So is Castro, who was convicted in another drug conspiracy case more than a decade ago. The latest federal indictment says he used coded letters, phone calls and his girlfriend 's help to get messages out of SuperMax and that he
References: Mears, Daniel P., and Jamie Watson. 2006. “Towards a Fair and Balanced Assessment of Supermax Prisons.” Justice Quarterly 23:232-270. Haney, Craig. 2003. “Mental Health Issues in Long-Term Solitary and ‘Supermax’ Confinement.” Crime and Delinquency 49:124-156. Kurki, Leena and Norval Morris. 2001. “The Purposes, Practices, and Problems of Supermax Prisons.” Crime and Justice 28, 385-424. Cullen, Francis T. and Cheryl Lero Jonson. 2012. Correctional Theory: Context and Consequences. Thousand Oaks, CA. SAGE Publications, Inc. CNN, D. G. (2006). CNN. SuperMax Prison is Super Lax, Court Cases Allege. Pro & Con. (2004, June). Retrieved from eHow.co.ukhttp://www.ehow.co.uk/info_8004796_pros-cons-prison.html#ixzz1Vzk2zJ1W