The Problems of Violence and Escapes in Maximum Security Prisons, Essay Example

The United States has earned the dubious distinction of having the highest rate of incarceration per capita of any “first world” country (Carlson). In recent decades, the construction and operation of prisons has been handed over to many private corporations, thus turning the incarceration of prisoners into for-profit ventures (Carlson). With the explosion of prison construction, and the relative lack of experience and knowledge of some of the agencies and personnel responsible for operating these prisons, it seems almost inevitable that some security lapses would occur. As the newly-appointed warden of a high-security prison that has experienced several serious security issues in recent times, I would endeavor to determine what were the most significant “weak points” in the prison’s security systems, and focus on strengthening security in those areas. In addition to simply trying to put bandages over existing problems, I would explore other methods of improving security that have worked in other prisons, and would attempt to incorporate some of these proven methods into my own prison. Along with improving security, I would focus my attention on alleviating prison violence.

Though prison escapes are certainly very serious, and any successful efforts to eliminate them would be welcome, my first priority as the new prison warden would be to attempt to lower the levels of violence within the prison, both concerning prisoner-on-prisoner violence and violent attacks on prison guards and other personnel. There are a number of factors that contribute to prison violence, such as overcrowding, potential mistreatment of inmates by prison personnel, and other problems inherent to the system itself. One of the most significant contributing factors to inmate-on-inmate violence, however, is gang activity (Carlson).

It seems simple to understand the idea of “strength in numbers,” and inmates will often gravitate to various groups within the prison as a means of ensuring their own safety. The presence of gangs in the outside world is reflected within the confines of the prison system as well, and efforts to curb gang activity have been shown to have a positive effect on the rates of violence within prisons. There are several ways in which gang activity can be alleviated, such as isolating known gang members from each other, or instituting programs that serve to help inmates renounce their affiliation with gangs. Participation in such programs can bring a different set of risks to inmates, but in total, such programs have been shown to achieve some significant success (Carlson).

Beyond maximum-security prisons are the so-called “Supermax” prisons, where those inmates who are deemed too dangerous to be housed in general populations can be placed. These facilities typically house prisoners individually, rather than having them share cells. There are many who object to these types of prisons, asserting that they violate an inmate’s civil rights, but there is no question that their levels of security make them virtually escape-proof. As the new warden, I would make it clear to every inmate in my facility that violence of any kind will likely result in an inmate being transferred to a Supermax facility. Though there are some questions about recidivism rates among prisoners who had been housed in Supermax facilities, there are some studies that have shown that the mere threat of transfer to A Supermax prison can help to curb violence (Pizzaro &Narag).

There are other ways to curb violence in prisons; not all methods have to involve negative reinforcement. In recent decades, the idea of rehabilitation of inmates has been pushed aside in favor of punishment. As the new warden, however, I would be willing to experiment with positive programs that allowed inmates to do more than simply stare at the walls all day. To whatever degree my budget would allow, I would attempt to institute educational and literacy programs, art therapy and music therapy programs, and programs designed to help prepare inmates for the time when they are released, and must again function in the outside world(Pizzaro &Narag). Though some people might think of these programs as being too “soft” on inmates, I would still be willing to give such programs a try in the hopes that they would have a positive effect on inmates and the levels of prison violence.

Regarding the issue of escapes, there are any number of ways in which prisoners can escape. In 1997, an extensive system of hand-dug tunnels was discovered underneath a prison in Oregon (fortunately, these tunnels were discovered before they could be used as a means of escape) (AP). The most significant numbers of prison escapes take place under far less dramatic circumstances; the majority of escapes happen during work-release programs. Referring again to the Oregon prison system, there were nearly 1400 escapes in 1988. After the work-release system was abolished, the number of escapes dropped to 139 the following year (AP). Though I would be hesitant to eliminate all work-release programs, they would be the first area on which I would focus my attention.

It is clear that prison violence and inmate escapes are serious issues, and none come with any easy answers. There are advances in technology, such as biometric systems, that help to alleviate some issues pertaining to human error (Anon.). On the other hand, there are also time-tested methods that have worked in the past, and will continue to work in the future. As the new warden of the prison, I would make it a priority to understand the particular weaknesses of my facility, as each individual prison likely has its own unique problems. By applying a system of both positive and negative reinforcement techniques, I believe that it would be possible to significantly lower the instances of violence and escapes in my facility.

Bibliography

Anonymous. (n.d.). Prison doctors to use biometric security. Biometric Technology Today,12(9),

Associated Press. (1997, June 24). Prison system doing better preventing escapes. The Columbian (Vancouver, WA), p. B 7.

Carlson, P. (2001). Prison interventions: evolving strategies to control prison threat groups.Corrections Management Quarterly,

Pizzaro, J, &Narag, R. (n.d.). Supermax prisons : what we know, what we do not know, and where we are going. The Prison Journal, 88(23),