Correction Systems Essay Example

A correction system is sometimes referred to as a penal system, and it relates to a combination of agencies that come together to govern an authorities' prison and also community-based programs including the issuance of parole and even the boards that regulate probation. Out the large criminal justice system comprised of courts, police and also prosecution, the correction system forms the most crucial part. The following essay thus seeks to express facts learned on correction systems and a response to them.

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According to George Orwell, "Everyone believes in the atrocities of the enemy and disbelieves in those of his side, without ever bothering to examine the evidence." This quote relates directly to how the correction system works most times. Many times, when a person is charged with a crime, it is human nature to believe that there is a 98% chance that they were involved especially if they are not their close relatives or friends. When a murder weapon is found in possession of a suspect, the case automatically rules itself, and the criminal justice system always fails to investigate further into the matter. This means that even if the suspect charged were framed, then no one would ever the truth (Boylan 562).

There are various codes of conduct and codes that generally regulate how the prisoners are expected to behave while they are serving their time in prison, as the convict code and there are also principles that govern this convict code. Prisoners are left with little to no freedom of expression in prisons because the rules dictate that they should be focused on serving their time and minding their own business. However, the outside world believes that when prisoners are convicted, then they should take that time to ensure that they are rehabilitated, and they have changed their actions in the process.

A saddening factor is the fact that in the early years, tests on various diseases and drug responses were done on prisoners. Whereby a doctor would intentionally inject an inmate or a group of inmates with a disease like cholera and use them as living experiments to test for a cure. As a result, some inmates died in pursuit of finding a cure as some medicine backfired and failed to cure the prisoners. This goes to show the degree of injustice that went on in those prisons and how inmates were no longer treated as human beings. This spilled over to the current day situation in prisons where most prisoners are not treated with any form of human respect, and they are subjected to all sorts of horrendous activities with no one to fight for their rights.

Elmira reformatory is the most successful program that was ever launched towards the development of a humane and just way of helping inmates rehabilitate and recover while they served their time in prison. Being led by warden Zebulon Brockway, Elmira became the first correctional facility that focused on trying to reform the prisoners other than just merely subjecting them to punishment. Zebulon during his time emphasized on the importance of prisoners getting some good education and also learning some good beneficial things while they served their time. Several eras and systems followed after the realization that prisoners could work while in prison and generate income both for themselves and also the prison they were locked into. There was the penitentiary era, industrial prison era, the piece price system, the contract system and even the lease system which helped the prisoners find a purpose while serving their time and, in the process, also helping them find financial security while in prison (Wilson 45).

Conclusion

One cannot help but look at the injustices that are going on in the correction systems on a daily basis. The cases of men being raped in prison have increased immensely, but unfortunately, no one seems to talk about or even try to advocate against it. This leaves people with the question of whether the correction systems are beneficial to the prisoners or do they serve the mere purpose of punishing the prisoners for their crimes. In as much as some correctional facilities are focused on helping the prisoners, most of the facilities are doing nothing to help the inmates.

Works Cited

Boylan, Richard T., and Naci Mocan. "Intended and unintended consequences of prison reform." The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization 30.3 (2014): 558-586.

Wilson, Anna. Successful prisoner reentry: an analysis of the most critical variables. University of Western Australia, 2008.