“It is not the prisoners that need reformation. It is the prisons.”
― Oscar Wilde
Let’s begin by defining what Prison Reform is: an effort to improve the conditions of what inmates go through, provide different aspects of rehabilitation, and it’s able to benefit the criminal justice system. When speaking on terms of the criminal justice system, most of the public witnesses that justice is never on the side of those who are behind bars. Those who are wrongfully imprisoned and those who are being treated unfairly. In society, prisoners do not get enough attention. Society forgot they were still humans and should be treated as such. The conditions these prisoners face in prisons can be inhumane and a violation of their basic rights. The topic of prison reform does not get enough attention in general, and that’s not okay. Prisoners in America have little possibility of being rehabilitated.
In the social climate we live in today, if people speak on issues regarding the prison system, it can be seen as favoring criminals. However, that is not the case with this blog. Prisons are toxic, harsh places. Prisons can be overcrowded, with no space to breathe, and the environment doesn’t help because each day prison guards remind these individuals who they really are: criminals. Adding the reminder that no likes them. Prisons can have a major toll on the mental health of prisoners. The issue on solitary confinement is extremely significant in terms of mental health.
There are more than 1.5 million individuals housed in American prisons. The numbers will continue to increase if the prison system, including the criminal justice system, are not thoroughly changing their approach to bettering the lives of prisoners. Prison reform can be a remedy to the criminal justice system. There are many policies that correlate to prison reform. Prison reform is crucial in ensuring public safety and respecting the rights of prisoners.
These reforms allow the system to provide ways for prisoners to feel like human-beings through programs that’ll help inmates gain knowledge and skills that would help them in the real world after prison. This is easier said than done. It will take a lot of work to push these prisoners to better themselves even though they are in prison, but if society advocates for prison reform there will be changes in the system. In the year of 2017, Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) introduced a bill in the House of Representatives titled the “Prison Reform and Redemption Act” (PRRA). The purpose of this proposed legislation is, “to provide for programs to help reduce the risk that prisoners will recidivate upon release from prison, and for other purposes.” Prisoners do not deserve to be treated as less than in society. Prisoners should be treated for who they truly are: Humans.
El's Sphere 