Effective corrections personnel recognize that inmates, like other U.S. citizens, are people protected by various constitutional rights. Not only do they recognize that inmates have these rights, they are also knowledgeable about those rights they are responsible to protect.
In this assignment, you will have the opportunity to analyze inmates' rights, the cases that afforded inmates those rights, and the impact inmate rights have on correctional administration.
Instructions
After reviewing Chapter 11 of your textbook, the "Summary of Inmate Rights" document, and conducting research on inmates' rights and the corresponding case law, a 3–5 page in which you:
Summarize inmates' rights and the U.S. cases that awarded them those rights.
Explain how inmates' rights impact correctional administration.
Articulate your perspective about whether inmates have too many or too few rights
Sample Solution
Inmates' rights are primarily derived from the 8th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. This has been interpreted to include basic necessities for inmates' safety and well-being, such as adequate food, shelter, clothing and medical care. Other important cases that have granted additional rights to inmates include Estelle v. Gamble (1976) which guaranteed access to necessary medical treatment; Turner v. Safley (1987) which extended freedom of speech and religion; Farmer v. Brennan (1994) which provided protection from sexual assault by guards or other prisoners; Safford Unified School District #1 v Redding (2009) which ensured students’ privacy rights while in school detention centers; Brown v Plata (2011), ordering California prisons to reduce overcrowding due to health concerns caused by inadequate medical care;and Holt vs Hobbs (2015), allowing religious beards despite prison grooming policies forbidding them.