Prison Officials A New Form Of Punishment Essay

Dating back to the early nineteenth century, the United States had adopted a new form of punishment. The punishment involves imprisoning people in a cramped, concrete, windowless cell for between 22 and 24 hours a day. Solitary confinement for many prison officials has been a method to deal with difficult or dangerous prisoners. Recreation for these prisoners is often only three to five hours a week alone in another cage with little to no purposeful activities. There has been numerous class actions challenging prolong solitary confinement. Due process along with rights guaranteed under the eighth and fourteenth amendment has been brought into questioning. The eighth amendment specifically states that the US federal government is prohibited from imposing excessive bail, excessive fines, or cruel and unusual punishment. The fourteenth amendment addresses citizenship rights and equal protection of the laws, which was proposed in response to issues related to former slaves following the American Civil War. All around the world and including the United States, there has been movements calling for the end of solitary confinement. Most of the movements across the United States have been prison-led. Issues such as substandard medical care, the use of isolation, and conditions of confinement are just a few of the issues that have gained media attention and public scrutiny. The issue of solitary confinement has even reached all the way up the ladder of the UN. From the laterShow MoreRelatedWhy the Death Penalty is Ineffective1552 Words   |  6 Pagesof death as punishment arise from differences in religious, ethical, cultural, and morale perspectives. The role of death as a punishment for an offence has not been solved today, and remains a dilemma for the citizenrys political, legal, social, and religious thought. This is because an answer to the question is the death penalty effective? is not clear or evident today, as it was in the 18th century. Many studies have tried to create a persua sive response and evidence that official state killingsRead MoreThe Punishment Imposed On Perpetrators1228 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"One word can aptly describe the punishment imposed on perpetrators in the first half of that century — cruel† (Curland). Crime and punishment in the 1800s was very severe and often was amusing to the public. Some techniques of punishment included branding, whipping, and ear nailing. The English-American colonies used a patriarchal method to their punishment. The men, typically civil officers, or religious leaders, made the laws. The less fortunate, including children, servants, slaves, soldiersRead MorePros And Cons Of Solitary Confinement1001 Words   |  5 PagesOver the last couple of decades, prison systems have adopted the use of solitary confinement as a means of punishment and have progressively depended on it to help maintain obedience and discipline inside the prison structure. Solitary confinement is a form of incarceration i n which a prisoner is isolated in a cell for multiple hours, days, or weeks with limited to no human contact. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, the United States represents only 5% of the worlds population yetRead MoreA Look Into The World Of Solitary Confinement Essay1614 Words   |  7 Pages Looking back to the early nineteenth century, the United States had adopted a new form of punishment. The punishment involves imprisoning a person in a cramped, concrete, sometimes windowless cell for hours ranging from 22 to 24 hours a day. Solitary confinement for many prison officials has been one of the primary methods to deal with difficult and sometimes dangerous inmates. Recreation for the rest of the prison population is usually about an hour a day, where with somebody that’s in solitaryRead MorePunishment Versus Rehabilitation1513 Words   |  7 PagesPunishment vs. Rehabilitation Brenda A. Dove AJS/502 Version I September 10, 2012 John V. Baiamonte, Jr. Ph.D. Punishment vs. Rehabilitation Punishment versus Rehabilitation, there has been many debates on the effectiveness of punishment compared to the effectiveness of rehabilitation of convicted offenders in prison and under community supervision. If an individual commits a crime serious enough to warrant incarceration, then the individual is sent to prison as a form of punishment. While incarceratedRead MoreIncarceration Of Prison And Prisoners869 Words   |  4 PagesFor many years, people with knowledge and statistical results and data, drew to logical conclusion that prison has become a revolving door and the ones who study how prison and prisoners acted that prisons were replacing mental hospitals. â€Å"On any indictment or presentment for a misdemeanor, process shall be issued immediately.   If the accused appear and plead to the charge, the trial shall proceed without delay, unless good cause for continuance be shown.   If, in any misdemeanor case the accusedRead MoreEarly Correctional History : The Rise Of The Modern Penitentiary System1409 Words   |  6 PagesAncient Greece and Rome. Even offenses such as murder, justice relied on the victim s family with the threat of private war or vendetta the means of protection against further slights. This idea that there must be some final justice is the earliest form of justice, and it characterized ancient times, at least up until the development of lex talionis after the fall of the Roman Empire (476 AD). Lex talionis means an eye for an eye or tooth for a tooth but it technically refers to the switchover inRead MoreHistory And History Of Corrections1069 Words   |  5 Pageshave been around since almost the beg inning of the nomadic time of people. The Huns developed systems of punishment for behavior or resistance throughout Mongolia. Because of the development of agriculture cities started to become more populated and cultures and fears of people taking advantage or causing harm to others became more and more widespread. This led to more formal systems of punishment and corrections for crimes developed. These rules based on cultures, and also the early Babylonian lawsRead MoreThe Controversy Over the Death Penalty Essay907 Words   |  4 PagesThe Controversy Over the Death Penalty Why is the death penalty used as a means of punishment for crime? Is this just a way to solve the nations growing problem of overcrowded prisons, or is justice really being served? Why do some view the taking of a life morally correct? These questions are discussed and debated upon in every state and national legislature throughout the country. Advantages and disadvantages for the death penalty exist, and many members of the United States, and individualRead MoreSolitary Confinement Is The Violation Of Rights Essay1563 Words   |  7 PagesSolitary confinement surpasses the violation of rights and reaches the level of torture as prolonged exposure to isolation can have irreversible effects. The United Nations, established following the end of World War II, attempted to form universal standards of human rights that would force accountability for each country. This charter was in direct response to the heinous crimes against targeted groups, especially those that were placed i n concentration camps. While the U.N. does not specifically