Health Negligence within the Prison System due to Overcrowding

In California, prison overcrowding has become so extreme prisoners have taken the issue to Federal Court. Current inmates issued lawsuits claiming suffering from physical and mental illnesses due to inferior health care caused by overcrowding. The inmates request the court to limit California’s 33 prisons to a population of 104,000, which would mean a release of 52,000 prisoners. The inmates’ arguments began last Tuesday, November 18, 2008, gaining the support of the California Correctional Peace Officers Association (CCPOA), which have many prison guards appearing as witnesses on their behalf. Attorney Gregg Adam acknowledged, “overcrowding increases violence behind bars, spreads illnesses and has a dehumanizing effect on correctional staff.” http://www.sfgate.com/cgibin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/19/BAAV147D2S.DTL

Gary Benson, one of the most compelling witnesses for the inmates, was a guard working in a medical triage unit at Folsom State Prison. Benson admitted, “as many as 50 inmates at a time typically wait two to five hours inside a 12 by 20 foot holding area for medical or mental health treatment. He claimed he also regularly sees inmates in communal showers with bleeding, oozing, staph infections. Benson said he contracted an antibiotic-resistant staph infection in July 2006. Inmates with the infections are not segregated and such diseases often spread in the prison.” http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=6305853

Another guard, Brenda Gibbons who works at Salinas Valley State Prison stated that “suicidal inmates were kept overnight in cages the size of telephone booths until crisis cells became available.” http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=6305853

The states main arguments were that California spends $14,000 a year per inmate on health care, a great deal more than the national average. They also argue that California has significantly enlarged medical staffing in prisons since 2006.

This is a very intriguing case because the courts are becoming involved in trying to solve the overcrowding and health care catastrophe inside of California’s prisons. If the courts rule in favor of the inmates it would cause 52,000 prisoners to be released to county jails, treatment centers or parole. If this were to happen there would be an outcry from the Republican Party and those who support being “tough on crime.”

This case signifies how truly unhealthy and horrific conditions inside California’s prisons have become. The prisoners are not the only people who suffer from these conditions, as the dire conditions have adversely affected the staff as well. The conditions are drastically wearing on correctional officers who do not feel as safe or as in control in the institutions as they used to. This problem is made very apparent in this case because the CCPOA support the prisoners’ claims.

With minimal progress being made in reducing population and making the prisons safer, this case may bring about the drastic change that is needed in the California prison systems. Although I do believe that people should serve time for their wrongdoings and violations of the law, I don’t believe that they should have to be forced to live in inhumane conditions. Hard working correctional officers who make an honest living and put their life on the line everyday should not be exposed to ever-increasing risks because of overpopulated prisons. A substantial release of low-risk prisoners may be what California needs to decrease the ever-growing problem of prison overcrowding. The criminals released would still be monitored and would have to, for example, meet with parole offices, have regular drug test, and participate in rehabilitation and counseling. The benefit of making prisons safer and more humane outweighs the threat of releasing low- risk criminals who are crowding our prison system.

Easing the Dilemma of Overcrowded Prisons

Overcrowded prisons are everywhere in the United States with a new influx of prisoners arriving everyday. The overcrowding causes inhumane conditions, which initiates stress and contributes to behaviors such as aggression and depression. Prisoners do not get ample space or food to satisfy their personal needs and prisons are too impacted to provide adequate rehabilitation or job training programs. In addition to the problems overcrowding encompasses on prisoners, it also creates a predicament for correctional officers who are many times understaffed resulting in enhanced danger. Overcrowding impacts the community outside of the prison walls as well by eating up much of our tax dollars. Prison overcrowding appears to be a problem without a clear solution, but one American county is productively working to ease the dilemma.

In Berks County Pennsylvania, Warden George A. Wagner is making recommendations to county judges on prisoners who should be released early for exemplary behavior. Wagner started his earned-time program in 1993. A new law, which takes effect November 25, provides rules under which prisons must implement programs similar to Wagner’s. Wagner has been releasing about a dozen inmates per month prior to their release date. “Wagner said his program gives inmates an incentive to behave in jail while helping to reduce overcrowding.”
(http://www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=111331)

The new law in Pennsylvania would allow state prisons to decrease incarceration time for nonviolent offenders who finish treatment programs. “We found that what is driving criminal behavior is underlying substance abuse problems, “said Susan McNaughton, state prison spokeswoman. “If we can provide them with skills, it is less likely they will re-offend.
( http://www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=111331 )

Although this is clearly not the total solution to fixing the epidemic of overcrowded prisons in America, it is a start. Unconventional programs such as Wagner’s need to be utilized throughout America’s prisons. Wagner is releasing about 12 prisoners early each month. If every American prison followed this example, overcrowding could be reduced significantly. Programs for non-violent offenders in which they can decrease their sentence through good behavior and concluding their treatment program, should be initiated throughout America. A giant step would be taken in alleviating the overcrowding of our prisons if all of America were to follow in the footsteps of Berks County, Pennsylvania.

LETHAL BUNK BUDDIES

Massachusetts is taking steps to alleviate prison overcrowding that may ultimately threaten the safety of inmates and correctional officers. The Department of Corrections (DOC) is initiating a plan to mount 400 bunk beds in Souza-Boranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, MA, in order to house the most hazardous inmates from MCI-Cedar Junction in Walpole, Ma. To make matters even worse, the state is said to have been accepting requests from inmates who want to bunk together. “The roommate request scenario, sources explained, raises several bad possibilities: gangbangers teaming up, couples making house in the big house, or even worse - jailbait forced to live with their abusers.” http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/2008_11_10_Prison_guards_say_cons_chiming_in_on_bunk_buddies:_The_roommates_from_hell/srvc=home&position=1

If the DOC of Massachusetts were to go through with this plan it would be a tumultuous idea. Prison is not a privilege as is college and inmates should not be able to choose their roommate as if they were in a dorm at a university. The prisoners that are being considered for this move are exceptionally dangerous and can only become exceedingly more dangerous if bunked with one of their inmate pals. “One 20-year correctional officer explained, “once this happens, my ability to separate inmates is gone, it’s gonna be ugly. It’s gonna be a bloodbath.” http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/2008_11_10_Prison_guards_say_cons_chiming_in_on_bunk_buddies:_The_roommates_from_hell/srvc=home&position=1

Riots and other fights would have the potential to become more lethal if buddies are bunkingtogether because they would have the ability to group up and work in tandem. Gangs could team up on rival gang members and inmates could also have the ability to plan attacks on other inmates or possibly on correctional officers. Correctional officers always want to maintain control at an institution and by placing associates together in the same bunk bed, they may lose a little of that control. Inmates outnumber correctional officers substantially, and to allow associates to bunk together and have the chance to arrange or prepare a group attack on an officer is extremely hazardous. Placing known acquaintances together in a prison atmosphere is a recipe for disaster, not only for the correctional officers, but also for inmates whom could come under attack.

I would not recommend the stance Massachusetts is taking to alleviating overcrowding prisons. Alleviating overcrowding prisons at the cost of the safety of prisoners and correctional officers is not a reasonable solution to solving the nation-wide problem of overcrowded prisons. There are many other stances that could be taken to reduce overcrowding in prisons, including 1) reduced sentences for good behavior for low-risk offenders, 2) rehabilitation programs to reduce second time offenses, and 3) a change in the mandatory minimum sentencing laws, to name a few.