Prison Systems Are Nothing But Inhumane

The Prison System: 

Source: Fordham Journal of corporate & financial law

    There is different opinions about how we all view and define the term prison. The general term of prison is a place that holds and punish people who have committed felony crimes. Some people may see the prison system as beneficial for keeping criminals locked away. However, to many including myself, the prison system is nothing than a place that is inhumane and rips apart peoples’ sanity. There is so many issues within our prison systems that many do not seem to acknowledge. Majority of these correctional facilities are not making any effort to improve or change these conditions to improve the quality of life for these inmates. 

The issues within our Prison System:    

    The main issues within the prison system is the increase in violence, overcrowding, and drug increase.

Increase in Violence: 

    The increase in violence is a major issue because it puts the risk of inmates for serious injury or death. “Participants in Novisky and Peralta’s study discussed graphic, horrific acts of violence they had witnessed during their incarceration: stabbings, beatings, broken bones, and attacks with makeshift weapons”(Prison Policy Initiative). The increase in violence causes inmates to be traumatized, increase in anxiety, depression, suicide, and flashbacks. Even when they leave the facilities to return back into society, many are still having flashbacks from the violence they have witness. The increase of violence are either physical or sexual that leaves many of the inmates to be victimized. Even with the cart showing the statists of men and women who encounter physical and sexual violence. It does not show the most accurate data since not many of the violence is not reported, which is really concerning. 

Overcrowding: 

    Overcrowding is a huge issue because it is the main cause of the poor conditions. These facilities are not meeting the requirements to hold the amount of people in the cells. For example, the facilities may try to place three inmates in the same cell when it is meant for one person. The criminal justice systems are the main cause of the overcrowding because they are sending people to prison for minor crimes. Which increases the population rates that enter into the prisons. “Prisons in over 118 countries exceeded their maximum occupancy rate, with 11 national prison systems at more than double their capacity”(Penal Reform International). Overcrowding causes issues for inmates such as self harm, suicide, increasing in violence, lack of privacy and resources. 

Drug Increase: 

    In the majority of state prisons, most of inmates are struggling with addition. The main drugs that the inmates use in the prisons are opioids, synthetic marijuana, and methamphetamine. The reason it is a big issue because drugs are being brought in and out of the prison. The inmates would either swallow the drugs or put them inside their bodies.    By the increase of drugs in the prisons, it leads many of the inmates to die from overdosing. ”From 2001 to 2018, the number of people who have died of drug or alcohol intoxication in state prisons increased by more than 600%, according to an analysis of newly-released data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. In county jails, overdose deaths increased by over 200%”(The Marshal Project). The prisons are not giving the proper treatment to help these inmates to recover. They are not searching enough to find these drugs and confiscate from them. 

Why this issue is important to me: 

     This issue is relevant to me because my older brother was part of the prison system for the last 15 years. He was been in there since he was 15 years old due to gang related charges. He was recently released from prison about a month now, he is currently 30 years old now. I barely met him for the first time in person a few weeks ago. Even though I barely met him in person, I have been in contact with him through letters, video calls, and phone calls for the past six years. Before us getting into contact, I had no idea that I even have a brother. He was the one that reached out to me when I was 16 years old. He wanted to be part of my life anyway that he can. It was honestly scary at first to let him in but no matter what he is my brother. Since then, we both took the time to get to know each other and build our relationship as brother and sister. I am beyond happy that I finally met him and he is back home after all these years. I’ve felt a sense of peace since he has returned home. I am no longer worried about him being locked away. I can put that part of my life to rest and continue to be in his life. 

     He has told me his experience of the mistreatment and horrible conditions during his time in prison. One of his experiences of the mistreatment is that he was not taken seriously when he injured his back. He randomly started noticing that he was not able to walk properly and had horrible pain in his lower back. He was not taken to go see a doctor until months later after he had to keep repeatly telling the prison guards multiple times about his conditions. Once he went to the doctors, they did not think anything was wrong with him. Even though he kept trying to tell them that he feels like there is something wrong. It wasn’t until another few months later he was able to return to the doctors and get a MRI that showed that there was fluid in spine due to a dislocated spine disk. It basically took a whole year for the prison and doctors to do any type of treatment for him. Even though that incident was a few years ago, he is still not able to do certain physical activities due to the risk permanently damaging his back. This is mainly caused by not getting the proper treatment immediately. Hearing about this just made me really upset. The way that the prison system treats people is inhumane. No one like my brother should be denied of receiving health treatment just because they are in prison. It is important to me to spread information and experiences of the mistreatment because I do not want anyone else to have to go through what my brother went through. 

My brother (Covering up his face for privacy)

Sources:

Initiative, Prison Policy. “No Escape: The Trauma of Witnessing Violence in Prison.” Prison Policy Initiative, 2020, www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2020/12/02/witnessing-prison-violence/. 

“Prison Conditions: The Issue.” Penal Reform International, 6 Aug. 2020, www.penalreform.org/issues/prison-conditions/issue/.

Schwartzapfel, Beth, and Jimmy Jenkins. “Inside the Nation's Overdose Crisis in Prisons and Jails.” The Marshall Project, The Marshall Project, 15 July 2021, www.themarshallproject.org/2021/07/15/inside-the-nation-s-overdose-crisis-in-prisons-and-jails.