Human Rights for Prisoners
The prisons in developing regions such as Africa are viewed as the worst rehabilitation systems in the world due to overcrowding, violence, and a host of other issues. The institutions do not uphold human rights based on their deficient conditions and practices. However, many rehabilitation systems are under crisis all over the globe (Cavadino, Cavadino & Dignan, 2005). The number of inmates has risen to devastating levels in the developing nations and the United States. The countries need to develop secure prisons that uphold human rights to ensure that the justice system acts as an effective weapon in fighting crime (Mutua, 2013). Respect and professionalism will support the reduction of crime rates depending on how the systems treat the convicts. The interpretation of human dignity in developed countries such as England and the U.S plays an essential role in the adjudication of people’s freedoms.
Corporal Punishment
Physical discipline bears its advantages and disadvantages. The emphasis on its adverse impacts played a crucial role in its eradication. The punishment was considered as a useful measure of controlling disruption in the community, particularly in the historical ages. Back then people were respectful, and peace prevailed in many regions (Worrall, 2014). The ban on physical punishment has allowed criminals to repeat their illegal actions without the fear of a severe beating. The aspect has resulted in a rampant rise in criminal activities that can only be controlled with the return of corporal discipline (Cavadino, Cavadino & Dignan, 2005). If I were to choose between imprisonment and a severe beating, I would go for the beating instead of spending several years in prison. Incarceration takes away part of an individual’s life, unlike corporal punishment that is a one-time painful occurrence that will be registered in an offender’s mind.
England and New Zealand
The cultural and historical elements of New Zealand provide a unique manner of reprimanding those who dishonor the legal and social values of the community. According to Cavadino, Cavadino & Dignan (2005), the rate of imprisonment in the country is high almost reaching that of the United States. The massive levels of incarceration have led to overcrowding in the jails. New Zealand faces pressure from external factors to improve their criminal justice system. They should construct modern and new facilities that will reduce the sentences of minor offenders and impose stringent regulations for repeat or major criminals. The justice system in England is no better since it is plagued with confusing policies that arise from competing philosophies from the Labor and Conservative Governments. They emphasize on rehabilitation to stabilize the rate of incarcerated persons (Dammer & Albanese, 2013).
The United States versus Australia
Australia’s punishment is similar to that of the United States. The system has three philosophical arguments that correspond to those in the American domain. The primary elements of concern include federalism that allows the individual to exercise considerable power over his or her punishment (Cavadino, Cavadino & Dignan, 2005). Secondly, the systems in both countries have an over-representation of the minority groups in the prisons, that is, the Aborigines, Blacks, and Latinos. There is also a strong movement towards privatizing the criminal justice departments in the countries (Dammer & Albanese, 2013). The measures have led to higher levels of imprisonment and an overwhelming request from humanitarian initiatives to exercise rehabilitation and parole.
Punishment versus Government
Finland and Sweden are categorized as Nordic Nations. Other countries in the same group include Iceland, Denmark, and Norway. The regions have a stable culture of welfare as well as the focus to provide a suitable social network for the civilians. Sweden is well-known for its non-violence and the love for harmony. The nation has not been to battle since 1814. The government utilizes most of its funds to offer benefits for those who live within its borders (Dammer & Albanese, 2013). The individuals pay for the benefits through high taxes and accepting powerful and bureaucratic leadership. Sweden exhibits one of the lowest crime rates in the European continent. The justice system in the country is more lenient to offenders than the one in the United States. Finland also provides welfare benefits to its citizens and leniency to the criminals. The nation upholds restoration and rehabilitation of a person into the community as a contributing unit just as the progressive movements in America (Cavadino, Cavadino & Dignan, 2005).
Challenges of Reform
Currently, the Eastern and Central countries in Europe are on the verge of political and economic instability. The two aspects limit the internal security in the nations and the chances of implementing reforms in the prison systems (Mutua, 2013). The countries have also broken their ties with other regions losing the opportunities of receiving international aid. The other nations can lend a hand to the suffering countries such as Ukraine and Moldova through the European Union (Cavadino, Cavadino & Dignan, 2005). The organization acts as a partnership where the member states have pooled their elements of sovereignty into various policy domains and harmonized the laws that can cover a vast range of political, social, and economic issues. The EU has already proven its effectiveness in solving major problems such as the resurgence in Russia, terrorism threat, Greek debt, etc.
Patterns of Penalty
At one point, the youth was treated as the adults and subjected to harsh conditions, capital punishment, and torture. However, the discipline did not apply to the younger members of the progressive societies. In some incidences, it was possible for them to be subjected to death for disobeying their elders. Fortunately, the laws governing young offenders have now been grouped in a separate system and philosophy (Worrall, 2014). Within the domain of comparative youth justice, one finds different approaches such as the justice model, neo-correctionalist, minimum intervention, welfare, and restorative justice theory. The models pay attention to the harm inflicted on the victims. They also evaluate the situation based on the perspectives of the young offenders. The United States has a different system for punishing the youth called the neo-liberal approach that provides a more personalized technique of assisting the youngsters involved in juvenile offending. The Scottish and English systems do not provide a customized approach for the youth like the U.S. Instead they simply modify the penal policies of the adults to construct the youngsters’ juvenile laws (Cavadino, Cavadino & Dignan, 2005).
Africa and Restorative Justice
The Restorative criminal system in Africa has acquired a significant profile throughout the transitional process of justice. The countries can seek to legitimize the approach, but they allow the practice to be interpreted in a particular style that is relevant to the customs of the grass root societies (Cavadino, Cavadino & Dignan, 2005). The retributive systems created in the colonial days that were inherited after the nations’ obtained independence are in crisis. The restorative structure views the traditional mechanisms as crucial elements in addressing fundamental issues affecting the region (Mutua, 2013). Hence, the justice systems are focused on bringing back the pre-colonial concepts of punishment and crime as considerable processes of dealing with offenses committed during conflicts.
Trends in Corrections
The common theme that is evident in the transforming corrections system is privatization. The trend has arisen at a time when the prisons are facing a breakdown in operations and legislations. Privatization entails contracting certain services such as incarceration responsibilities, transportation, healthcare, etc. The phenomenon is not new. It has been widely utilized in the United States especially in the Southern regions (Worrall, 2014). The prisoners who comprised of mostly the Black men were sold to private contractors who gave them food, clothing, and housing in return. The systems relieved the expenses of supervision and care while providing job conditions that served as punishments. There is also an increased awareness across different countries that have high levels of incarceration to enforce parole, restoration, and rehabilitation to reduce the number of inmates in the cells. Humanitarians advocate for leniency towards the criminals not to interfere with their fundamental rights (Cavadino, Cavadino & Dignan, 2005).
Current Topics
Different legislators are deliberating on the abolition of the death punishment for heinous crimes such as murder, robbery with violence, terrorism, or violent rape. The capital discipline has been under attack for many centuries as it appears to interfere with a person’s right to live. Reformers argue that no legal institution should have the allowance of taking away an individual’s life regardless of the offense committed. The criminal justice system is also turning to technology to solve most of its judicial matters (Cavadino, Cavadino & Dignan, 2005). The aspect has enabled them to address various crimes and relieve the individuals who were wrongly accused by the state of offenses they did not commit. Perhaps the most popular topic concerning imprisonment is mass incarceration that has pinpointed the alarming numbers of inmates in countries such as the United States and Australia. Incarceration has become a normal part of life for the disadvantaged people in the nations (Mutua, 2013).
Reflection
The overview and concrete analysis of the criminal justice systems are crucial in identifying areas that the law enforcers should improve to promote national security while observing the basic freedoms of prisoners (Mutua, 2013). Before taking up the discipline, my knowledge concerning the justice domains was limited to what I watched on TV and heard from people. The media had this fascinating way of twisting tales to provide a gruesome image of the criminal system. Further analysis has shown that indeed some of the elements I had heard earlier were true concerning the lack of observance of prisoners’ rights and mass incarceration of the minorities. However, the governments are striving to reform the prisons to administer justice and fairness. The extensive knowledge obtained from the learning experiences provides a detailed understanding of the criminal systems in different parts of the world and how they affect the development and growth of the regions (Cavadino, Cavadino & Dignan, 2005).
References
Cavadino, M., Cavadino, M., & Dignan, J. (2005). Penal systems: A comparative approach. New York: Sage.
Dammer, H., & Albanese, J. (2013). Comparative criminal justice systems. London: Cengage Learning.
Mutua, M. (2013). Human rights: A political and cultural critique. Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Worrall, A. (2014). Punishment in the community: The future of criminal justice. New York: Routledge.
