Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Prison System


Elvira Valencia Art 3170 Civic Engagement Action Project Blog No. 2

November 09, 2022


Prison System: Lack of resources



The reason why I choose this picture is that I think is a good picture for us to reflect on and not to be in the same situation, before and after the picture. If you guys notice in the before picture there are no tattoos and after he had gotten a lot.


 


There is so many reason why prisiones get tattoos while serving time in prison it can be gand related, personal history, can be their own skills, specialties words or pictures, and personal exprecion or live they had went thru. I know there is more reason but these are the most important ones in my personal opinion and base on my resources.




"Prisoner are listening to their privilege they have while serving prison"
My opinion is why is that they are just a few in the meeting?
Do only some get those privileges base on their behavior?
The answer is yes!




What are the main problems of the prison system?

Many prisons hold a large number of inmates than they should. For example, the Los Angeles County Prison holds approximately 20,000 prisoners per month which makes overcrowding inevitable. Overcrowding predisposes the inmates to health challenges where respiratory diseases among other infectious diseases spread. Another challenge that is facing prisons is the lack of adequate resources. Many prisoners lack resources like bedding and food which threaten their health. In my opinion, the high prisoner influx into the prison system and the lack of stable prison programs by the management are the root causes of the challenge. Arguably, the leadership should come up with effective measures and policies to govern the distribution of critical resources to all the prisons in an equitable manner.



These are some of the charts that I saw as very interesting to share with society and why are important to have.













Twin Towers in Downtown Los Angeles California








Inside prison


What are some of the significant issues that prisoners face today?

Prisoners face challenges like overcrowding. Currently, many prisons in the United States receive an average of 20,000 inmates every month. As a result, prisoners overcrowd in the cells. Another challenge that is common in prisons is mental illnesses.  Many prisoners suffer from depression and stress due to harsh conditions in the cells. 



What can be done to help the prison system?

One if the measures that can be instigated to help the prison system is the incorporation of metal health programs to test and control mental disorders. There should also be tough policies to regulate the issue of bullying and harassment in prisons that are a root cause of mental disorders. The government should also build more infrastructures to curb the challenge of overcrowding in prisons. The management should also be trained on how to solve some complicated challenges like mental illnesses among the prisoners. 



What does my community think about the prison system?

Primarily, the prison system is a behaviour rectification platform where people who are arrested are corrected through various measures. However, some people view the prison system as a punishment den for criminals in the society. When interacting with some people, I was shocked to note that many people feel that the prison system has not yet attained the right standards for a holistic behavioural correction. 



What are three significant issues within jail management?

Jail management is currently encircled by inefficiency due to the high number of inmates that overwhelm the management.  Additionally, there are limited resources to help the management sustain the right jail standard.  The management also lack the right skills to handle some complicated issues like mental health challenges. 



How is this relevant to me?

The issue relates to me since I long to be a psychologist. I am therefore concerned about the mental health status of prisoners in my society. I have also friends and relatives who went through the prison system and came back to the society depressed. I feel that I should use my civic engagement skills to control such incidences in future.



When I interview people I hear different stories and real one about their own personal life. 


Maria Barajas 

Maria Barajas

When I interview Maria Barajas she said she really feel sad about the prison system because she had also experienced it in the past, with one of his family member's stories. Maria also said that base on family experiences that being inside a prison mainly affects it Mental illness is also caused by violence/harassment within the prison by fellow inmates and prison guards.
















Karen Cruz 
My thoughts about prisons are that they serve the purpose to keep bad and dangerous people inside. But what people outside of prison don’t know about prisons is that the people inside tend to suffer. We have cases of prisoners who have passed away because in the prisons they aren’t treated well and also because of malnutrition. I understand some of the prisoners are seriously dangerous people or have broken a major law but the rest of the prisoners don’t deserve to be mistreated and abused. Also, they should get a good amount of food even if it’s not good. They should get enough food so they can’t be malnourished and end up starving to death. 





Victor Banuelos 

 

Victor Banuelos said that one of the reasons why prisoners have mental illnesses is high in prisons is the lack of proper mental health checks and therapy programs for the inmates. Victor also told he was in the twin towers in downtown Los Angeles and he said he would never want to go back to the place because life in there is very bad. He said the beds are all hard they are allowed to get one blanket and the food in there is very limited. He also mentions that as soon he got there they are 3 groups one was Hispanic/Mexican, white, and African American people, and they all tried to make territory. He wouldn't ever want to go back to the place. 

 


Areli Vargas 







Areli mentions that Prisons are part of the criminal justice system that is primarily supposed to instigate behavior rectification for all inmates. Arguably, prisons seclude the inmates from the general public to instill discipline in various ways in the inmates. However, Areli thinks that many prisons particularly in California fail to meet the primary standard and objectives they should meet. One of the shortcomings of prisons is overcrowding. 

 
















Works Cited

Chang, Cindy. “No touching. No human contact. The hidden toll on jail inmates who
spend months or years alone in a 7x9 foot cell” Los Angeles Times (2016).
Retrieved from:
https://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-ln-jail-solitary20160925-snap-story.html

Grabianowski, ED. “How Prisons Work.” Howstuffwork (2022) Retrieved from:
https://people.howstuffworks.com/prison.htm


JUSTIITMINISTEERIUM. “Overview of prison service in 2017” (2017).
https://www.vangla.ee/en/news-and-numbers/overview-prison-service-2017Quora.


What did you look like before and after prison? (2022). Retrieved from:
https://www.quora.com/What-did-you-look-like-before-and-after-prison


The New York Times Company. “The Health Issue.” (2022). Retrieved from:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/05/16/magazine/health-issueconvicted-prisoners-becomingcaregivers.htmlmtrref=undefined&gwh=AFDD6353A0CC98A3D9A89685064D9B4D&gwt=pay&assetType=PAYWALL







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