This
article explains the past and current problems in jails across the
country. Author Frank Trippett explains the failing systems in the
nation that are not improving crime rates nor helping inmates. He
describes the increasing costs the governments spends on jails, the
poor conditions, and the lack of safety for both inmates and law
enforcement. He ends by expressing the way society's view for prisons
needs to change and how as a society, we need to understand there are
things prisons are and are not capable of.
Prison
is not the best solution for dealing with gang members because they
are not given any chance for improvement, but are rather but in the
same or similar environment as they were before. Being surrounded by
other gang members only encourages rebellion and outbreak. These gang
members are all trying to fight for the same thing they were fighting
for in the streets: power. When gang members are locked up and put
in the same building with rival members there is a very slim chance
for a safe environment. This not only creates and unsafe environment
for inmates but for the patrolling officers as well. The environment
because hostile and dangerous for everyone around.
Prisons
do have the ability to become successful if reform in jails across
the country were to take place. This would require a drastic change
in how prisoners are treated and dealt with. One thing that benefit
prisoners would be psychological treatment. If prisoners were given
psychological counseling or therapy it can vastly change their
thought process, their need to seek power, and possibly deal with any
trauma they faced as children. It would also help if officers were
trained differently on how to treat and speak to the prisoners in a
more effective way.
It
was surprising and interesting to learn about the hostage situation
that took place in a New Jersey jail and the situation that lead to
multiple deaths in the New Mexico State Penitentiary. It was
surprising to hear how little media outlets did not report these
situations because they seemed to be common occurrences. It was
interesting to read how much money the government and California
alone spends on inmates and just one jail cell for a failing system.
If they are willing to spend an exponential amount of money on these
inmates, it would make sense to spend it in a wise way which is
currently not happening. The many stories Trippett illustrates in
jails across the nation are alarming to read about and see that not
much is being done to improve them.
I
was confused about the ideas of alternative punishment and how
society believes these punishments would work. I was confused on how
certain states have imposed alternative punishments and to what
extent they have used them. Also, if multiple prisons were “bad
enough to declared unconstitutional” should that not lead to the
investigation of more jails around the country? Once declaring jails
unconstitutional shouldn't they be shut down or modified to help
improve conditions for all.
