Prison Break perception of super max prisons
Prison Break series produces a good depiction of the supermax prisons. Even though some of the facts shown on the TV show represent the true nature of the supermax prisons, most of the facts are not the real image of a supermax facility. The TV show has however brought a lot of information to the people about the super max prisons in the United States and what happens within the walls of the prisons.
The prison used in the first season of the TV show was named Fox River State Penitentiary which was a maximum security facility. Even though the facility assumed the role of a maximum security facility, the prison did not meet the requirements of a super max prison.
The prison, however, assumed all the facilities and conditions that were at Joliet Correctional Centre. In this prison, the film assumed that the prisoners convicted of extreme cases of murder needed to be separated from the general population. According to the film, Lincoln Burrows was a death row inmate convicted of the murder of the brother to the Vice-President.
Real Super max prison facilities
Super-maximum security facilities are the most secure prisons in the United States. The facilities provide conditions for the prisoners in such a way that they cannot have any other ways of escaping from the prisons. The facilities are mostly known to house the worst criminals who are considered dangerous and a threat to both national and international security. Supermax prisons provide inmates with 23 hour a day confinement in a cell for a long period. In most cases, inmates have minimal contact with the other inmates and staff members. The prisons thus tend to house inmates who are extremely dangerous to the society and require punishment rather than reformation.
Characteristics
Solitary confinement – In the supermax prisons, there is minimal contact with outsiders besides the solitary confinement that separated prisoners to punish them and protect the prisoners from harming one another. Prisoners in a supermax facility have all type of characters thus showing that they can become dangerous for the lives of other people in the country. The measures taken are meant to ensure that the prisoners are highly protected and there are no chances of them escaping from the prisons.
There are no activities for prisoners – the supermax facilities do not provide the inmates with any recreational activities that can be considered as healthy to the prisoners confined in a bid to create the punishment harsh. The lack of activities prevents the prisoners from getting in contact with others in a bid to ensure that there is little coordination for cases such as escapes. The facility is thus considered as the worst in the US prisons and no convicts wish to be jailed in such facilities.
Presence of a powerful administration – the administration in the supermax facilities is considered as powerful when it comes to punishing the prisoners. All the authority they hold does not require authorization form an external source. The administrators and correctional officers ensure that there is a high rate of correction of the prisoners. The ability to command power by the administration is meant to ensure that the prisoners are well punished and there is little interference from external parties.
Prisoners tend to serve long term sentences – In the supermax facilities, prisoners tend to serve long term sentences which are meant to ensure that the prisoners are kept away from the public for a long time.
The supermax prisons generally allow prisoners out of their cells for only 1 hour – the prisoners are not allowed outside their cells for most periods of their days due to the perception of them being extremely dangerous. Keeping the prisoners in confinement for long hours ensures that there is limited communication and increased security. Additionally, the prisoners are under a 24-hour CCTV surveillance to ensure that every move they make is noted and the authorities know the right precautions to take.
Conclusion
The Prison Break TV show has worked at ensuring that most of the features of a supermax facility are represented in the film. Most of the features of the Fox River State Penitentiary do not show a true representation of a super-maximum security prison. All the features discussed above are not illustrated in the film. The only similarity that can be drawn from the Fox TV show Prison Break is the presence of a powerful administration.
