Discuss the changes in design and treatment that go along with super-maximum-security prisons. Elaborate on the benefits and drawbacks of such a system.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The byword of the maximum-security prison is "security." Correctional workers are made aware that each inmate may be a dangerous criminal or violent individual, and as a result, the utmost security must be maintained. Super-maximum prisons are used to house the most predatory criminals. Some prisons lock inmates in their cells 22-24 hours a day, never allowing them out unless shackled. Inside the cells, all furniture is unmovable and made of cement, and all potential weapons including soap dishes, toilet seats, and handles have been removed. Cells are angled so that inmates can neither see each other nor the outside and they cut down on communication and deny the inmate a sense of location in order to prevent escapes. Critics believe that they infringe directly on the rights of inmates and deprive them of basic human rights such as human contact. Research done by Daniel Mears found that supermax prisons may enhance quality of life in a few ways. They increase privacy, reduce danger, and provide some creature comforts. Staff report less stress and fear because they have to contend with fewer disruptive inmates. However, Mears has also found that supermax prisons may have unintended negative consequences of mental illness and psychological disturbances on the part of the inmates and put too much control in the hands of the prison staff that ultimately damages staff-inmate relationships. Furthermore, inmates may have trouble readjusting upon release. One study found that supermax incarceration may increase violent recidivism.