(Institute/College/University)
Prison establishment: concerns and issues
Over the last five years, the number of female inmates in US prisons has increased twice as that of the men. In the last decade, the numbers of correctional facilities that house both men and women have also risen. Though there were fears as to the possible repercussions of ‘blending’ male and female inmates in one institution, the changes that were evinced were for the better rather than for the worse. In one instance, noticeable improvements were seen in the conduct of the male inmates. However, some of the inmates have engaged in sexual relations with each other. To address this situation, many of the inmates have been transferred out to higher security facilities (Johnson, 1987).
The tumultuous state of American prisons is a relatively new phenomenon; in the early 1800s, Alexis de Tocqueville observed the remarkable forbearance seen in the US correctional system. However, by the 1970s, social as well as political events ushered in the growth of the prison system in the United States. This expansion resulted in the era of “mass incarceration;” this in turn resulted in devastating and often irreparable consequences for those convicted in this brutal engagement of the government against criminals.
The narrative of coed prisons in the United States began in 1971 with the Attica riots and the women’s penitentiary in Alderson. Needing to relocate 40 women inmates from the facility, the authorities moved them to a newly opened facility in Texas. Withal, instead of becoming generators of violence, the presence of the two genders in the prison facility provided a ‘calming effect’ on each other; hostility and violence, common expectations in a male dominated facility, became exceedingly rare. Sexual violence became lesser in frequency. Simply put, if the prisoners are placed in situations similar to normalcy, these will be better prepared to reenter society when these are released. On the cost efficiency side, taxpayers can get the same rehabilitative and punitive requirements at a lower cost compared to operating separate facilities (Woestendiek, 1986).
The orientation of the US prison system towards the establishment and operation of “reformatories” saw the incarceration of a growing number of juveniles and children getting embedded in the criminal justice system. These institutions became the foundations of ‘indeterminate sentencing’ practices that were implemented in the early 20th century to the 1970s. The period saw the value of correctional facilities and rehabilitation methods challenged by those that held that punishment was the best mode of deterring crime (Riveland, 1999, p. 165).
Current problems in prisons
In some facilities, the male inmates complain that the presence of the female inmates has led to an increase in the stringency of the security measures that were already in place at the prison. Fears from the male inmates soon arose, believing that the female inmates would “set them up” by falsely claiming sexual harassment from the female convicts. However, these fears and assumptions have yet to materialize. Though prison security officials have complained of their higher workload owing to securing both populations in the prisons, these also point to the fact that homosexual attacks in the prison have actually decreased since women inmates have been introduced into the facility (Johnson, 1987).
Nonetheless, if inmates do engage in sexual contact and the female inmate becomes pregnant, then the child is often turned over to the parents or to social services. Nonetheless, should the parents or the family of the child be unable to support the medical expenses, the state will be burdened with the costs for childbearing. Owing to this instance, prison security officials have been extremely stringent on monitoring the male and female inmates in the prison. Nevertheless, this instance has not proven to be a major embarrassment to prison officials running these facilities; rather, it is recognition of the risks innate to running this type of facility.
According to prison authorities, these contacts occurred in secluded areas in the facility, including machine shops and out of view areas in the recreational yard. With these developments, these areas as well as other possible “intimate contact” areas have been placed under heightened security and pregnant inmates have been relocated to medical facilities (Smith, 1988). There are facilities that operate with a minimum amount of uproar. For example, the prison in Eagle River, Alaska, operates a secure tunnel that runs between the two facilities. However, the tunnel is unlocked when the inmates eat together and are engaged in educational and other programs (Woestendiek, 1986).
There were also other problems in operating coed prisons. Even though the women will be located in male dominated facilities, there are fears that the women will be discriminate upon in terms of resources given that much of the resources were dedicated to the male population. In addition to this problem, male and female inmates given the enclosed environment will be inclined to engage in sexual relations with each other. This can present additional medical issues, given the lack of training and equipment these facilities have at present. Here, merely relocating women into male dominated facilities must be thought out extensively; though these facilities seem to develop a sense of equality and normalcy, it cannot be removed that the former risks in operating these facilities will not resurface and gain additional victims (Woestendiek, 1986).
References
Andrew, J (2006) “Prisons, the profit motive and other challenges to accountability” Retrieved 27 July 2016 from <http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1033&context=accfinwp
Johnson, D (1987, June 1) “Women blend in with men in Illinois prison” The New York Times US
Prasopnter, S “Current issues in correctional treatment and effective countermeasures” Retrieved 27 July 2016 from
<http://www.unafei.or.jp/english/pdf/RS_No57/No57_27VE_Prasopnetr.pdf
Riveland, C (1999) Prison management trends, 1975-2025. Crime and Justice Volume 26 pp. 163-203
Woestendiek, J (1986) “Coed prison: perks and problems-Pa. and other states assess the varied results.” Retrieved 27 July 2016 from <http://articles.philly.com/1986-12-03/news/26067866_1_prison-officials-state-correctional-institution-inmates
