The Sad Reality of Prison

The prison systems in the US have been a brutal, inhumane, and injustice place for our people. Prison was designed for criminals to think about their actions and take accountability for the crimes they have committed but has turned into a toxic place where you are stripped of your rights and family, and have no connection to the real world. When I think of prison I am reminded how people have lost hope and have become depressed over the fact that they won’t see a brighter future for themselves. Yes, people make mistakes and some mistakes are very bad ones. This does not mean an individual gets no say in their life or should be treated terribly while in prison. Prison wardens have not been providing the most beneficial resources for prisoners that in truth each individual should have to begin with. Their inadequate resources for counseling, education, health, and many more but these are a few important ones to start with that are unacceptable.

Let’s take a look at the difficulty of receiving proper health care in prison. Many inmates suffer from different healthcare problems and have no freedom to make decisions on how they want to move forward with their health issues. They tend to suffer from heart disease and diabetes the most which can turn very deadly if not taken care of. From my research I found an article, Health Care Behind Bars: Missed Appointments, No Standards, and High Costs, it states how people missed 11,789 medical appointments and corrections officers claimed that the inmate never wanted to see a doctor. Even if some of that is true it’s about trust because if they knew they would be taken care of maybe they would be more forthcoming and to be attended to properly. More than 20 percent of incarcerated people have an ongoing medical condition and have gone without care.

It is unfortunate that despite not having a real job inmates do work in prison but are working for cents. They have to make copays if possible if they have sufficient funds. Many inmates don’t have the chance to do that because they may spend their own money on other personal things that they need for themselves. Health is so overlooked because it is not a priority there. During COVID-19 a lot of people were even in denial of receiving the vaccine due to the denial of medicare. This is very unfortunate how many people die in prison due to the lack of resources and many other factors. The prisons getting overcrowded is also based on my knowledge, a health violation.

Mental health is also overlooked and devalued. So many people suffer from depression and the treatment and environment of just being in prison has made a negative impact on one’s life. People are bullied, and mistreated by officers, and just stressed and fear of being in there. The safety, well-being, and condition of others are important and should be valued. Suicides have been committed and a lot of people don’t think mental illness is that serious but it is. We need to open up more centers for people struggling with mental issues and can help prevent suicides if possible.

13th the documentary on Netflix, talks about racial inequality and how it drives the high rate of incarceration. Nixon spoke heavily on Law and Order and stated that no one is below or above the law and that they must enforce the law. A war on drugs because a crime issue rather than a health issue. In the documentary, the war on drugs was a war on Black people and throwing them into jail. They had to find a way to still get rid of black people in the US but instead use crime as the cause of getting rid of them and disrupting their communities. Interestingly enough Black people did Crack and cocaine was done in the more suburban areas. Regan would automatically at the time have in place where people caught with crack would have mandatory sentencing and penalties way harsher than cocaine.

In reality, they were the same, and 1 ounce of crack compared to 100 ounces of cocaine was worse. This was another excuse to arrest Black people for doing the same crimes that white people would do except they would receive more time. I find this just unbelievable that this was even happening and clearly shows the injustices in the prison system. The prison system is hard to trust and hardly anyone thinks it will be fair especially when it comes to people of color. It is crazy to me in regards to the fact that white people could get away with so many crimes and receive no punishments nearly equivalent to Black people.

I have been watching the show on Netflix called Orange is the New Black and it gives a good overlay of what is like for people stuck in prison. I would like to bring up how not many programs are in place for inmates to receive an education or do anything beneficial for themselves when they get out of prison. On numerous occasions, inmates in the show asked for more recreational programs, education opportunities, and more health rights. I feel that education should be more in-depth and not just have the bare minimum to get your GED but have the chance to redeem yourself and learn something. Prison should not be all about work and being treated like slaves; a few fun programs would not hurt.

Also in the show sexual assault and harassment were a big one. Correctional officers get away with so much and they only end up scaring these people for life. Inmates are completely stripped of their rights and have no freedom. It is sad to see how detrimental the prison system is and we need more ways to improve. I asked one of my friends to be a part of the interview process to gain insight into what others thought about our prison system. The Q&A will be below so you guys can see others’ opinions.

Question 1:

What are some solutions that can help inmates receive proper care such as health, education, and just general resources while in prison?

Answer 1:

I do think that there is racism that plays a part in who gets care or hospitality. I have heard and seen horror stories of how people of color are treated inside of prison on the news and social media. Some prisoners have even died because of the neglect to be treated or even left dead for days in their cells. For example, I watched the Netflix mini-series When They See Us about the exonerated five when it came out and I remember being horrified at how they treated Korey Wise during his time that he unjustly served in prison.

Question 2:

Do you think race also plays a part in who receives that care or hospitality?

Answer 2:

I think that the first step is to hire better-qualified staff who have completed courses and training and evaluations that are a good fit to work in prisons. The number one solution should be to make sure that these prisoners are treated like humans, even if they have committed serious and horrific crimes. I think that for prisoners to receive the proper care that they need, it has to start with the staff. Also, I feel that some prisoners spend their time trying to educate themselves while they are incarcerated, however, since most inmates only have their high school diploma, I feel that there should also be some kind of courses offered to them while they are in jail. That way, whenever they are out they could go back to school and get their degrees.