Sample Essay On Responses To Posts On Rights Of Inmates

Response to Post of Miranda Greer

My impression of this post is that the poster feels that all the rights that inmates ought to have, have been given to them, which aligns with my own opinion. However, the poster seems to be suggesting that these rights are half-heartedly given because of the conditions attached to them. I feel that this aspect is part and parcel of being a convicted prisoner. The punishment of imprisonment necessarily carries with it certain restrictions, which means inmates cannot enjoy fully the rights that we who have not violated the law should enjoy. This is because imprisonment serves not only as a punishment for breaching the peace, but also to “cut them off from the wider society for an appreciable period of time” (cited Haley & Bohm 2014, p. 389) to keep society safe, thus, the restrictions. Otherwise, what will differentiate them from us?

Response to Post of Angela Adams

I think the poster has confused the Fifth and Eight Amendments. Haley and Bohm (2014) state that prison conditions are generally claimed under the Eight (p. 406) on the grounds of ‘cruel and unusual punishment.’ I don’t think that sharing cells is ‘cruel and unusual punishment’ although if the other prisoner really smells bad life could be very hellish. People outside prisons share rooms, such as students in college dormitories or soldiers with their bunks. Why should prisoners be more fortunate than average people? Moreover, I do not think rehabilitation should be a right although it is the correct policy to take to keep recidivism rates down as they are very high (Haley & Bohm 2014, p. 410). If it is a right then the government will be forced to rehabilitate all prisoners. What if a prisoner is on death row or is so hardened that he cannot be rehabilitated? The idea of a prisoner demanding the government to rehabilitate him seems absurd. Rehabilitation is a personal choice in the same manner that the government voluntarily chooses it to be a policy to make society safer and better – not to make individual persons better.

References

Haley, K. and Bohm, R. (2014). Introduction to Criminal Justice. 8th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill.