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Ethical Treatment of Prisoners

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Prisoner Treatment

Ethical Treatment of Prisoners
Kathy Dauber
SOC 120 Introduction to Ethics & Social Responsibility
Instructor: Milagros Baez
November 25, 2013

The following paper is about the ethical treatment of prisoners. It will discuss the ethical and moral issues that surround those that are incarcerated and what happens behind the scenes, when they need medical attention and other aspect that happen while in jail. Even those that are incarcerated need to have the proper care from a physician or medical staff, so that their needs can be met even if they have done something wrong.

Ethical Treatment of Prisoners Medical Facilities
When it comes to prison medical facilities, there usually are not enough in prisons to accommodate the inmates. It has been estimated that 95% of inmates received by the federal prison systems need immediate medical care for preexisting conditions (Alexander, 1972). Those that are larger prisons have their own hospital facilities while smaller prisons and jails use community hospitals. Jails have a more critical problem. The American Medical Association did a survey that showed 65.5% had only first-aid facilities and 78% had no formal arrangements with physicians in the community for the medical care of those in the jails. This same study also found that 80% of the medicines given in jails were given by non-medical personal (AMA, 1972). It is viewed that the inmates are not required or should receive medical treatment that is needed. The Eighth Amendment requires that prison officials provide a system of ready access to adequate medical care. Prisoners must have the ability to ask for care on a regular basis. Prison officials show deliberate indifference to serious medical needs if prisoners are unable to make their medical problems known to the medical staff, if sick calls are not conducted regularly and professionally, or if the staff is not competent to examine the prisoners, diagnose illnesses, and then treat or refer the patient (Johnson-El v. Schoemehl, 878 F.2d 1043, 1055 (8th Cir. 1989).

Solitary Confinement and Mental Illness
Solitary confinement is a way that prison officials manage those inmates that are difficult or dangerous. They use this as a punishment which can land the prisoner for days, months, or even years at a time. Prisoners are locked up for 23-24 hours a day in a very small cell that usually has a steel door. There is minimal interaction which can be psychological harmful to any prisoner. It can cause anxiety, depression, paranoia, and other problems. The human body is not designed to spend that much time alone. Those with serious mental illness in solitary confinement, having unstructured days, stress and lack of social interaction, can have their symptoms become more pronounced and cause outbursts. Prisons have more mentally ill inmates and not having the right professionals to care and help them, they have bizarre, annoying, or dangerous behavior. This leads to disciplinary infractions while in general population causing the prison official to put them in solitary. Because of their mental illness, continued misconduct can and often does lead to indefinite solitary confinement. Having anyone in a small cell for any length of time could and usually does cause an inmate mental trauma. It is a form of torture and should not be allowed even in the most extreme cases. Even though inmates have done crimes to be incarcerated, being treated inhumanly is not right. It is not ethically right to inflict mental harm or violate human rights.

Conclusion

Even though those that are incarcerated are there for a reason that does not mean that they are to be used or abused by those in power. Some suffer from illnesses that cause their behavior. Prison officials should not abuse their power and find a humane way to deal with the inmates.

References
Johnson-El v. Schoemehl, 878 F.2d 1043, 1055 (8th Cir. 1989)
Metzner, Jeffrey L.: Fellner, Jamie Solitary Confinement and Mental Illness in US Prisons: A Challenge for Medical Ethics Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Volume: 38 Issue 1 Pages: 104-108 Published: 2010
Sisson, P. (1976)The place of medicine in the American prison: ethical issues in the treatment of offenders. Journal Of Medical Ethics, 2(4). 173.

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