Critical Evaluation of the Functions of and Concerns around Prisons

Critical Evaluation of the Functions of and Concerns around Prisons

The image most individuals have of prison comes from how they are depicted in the media and reports. Prisons are often presented as violent institutions that are dangerous for the staff and inmates (Coyle, 2005). It is important to consider the origins and history behind prisons in order to understand what the prison's key purpose was and how that has developed through the years. Prison after the nineteenth century had a more rehabilitative approach to the inmates that were incarcerated. Before this, however, prisons were primarily used to hold a prisoner until it was decided how he or she would be dealt with by those above them in the law, such as executing them or having them pay compensation for the crimes they committed (Wilson, 2014).

The key function of prisons in society is to hold people remanded in custody by the courts, hold sentenced offenders, maintain proper conditions for those that are in custody, prepare inmates for release and attempt to rehabilitate offenders (Davies, et al., 2015). This means that prisons have a mix of people who are already serving long and short sentences, as well as people waiting for trial in order to receive a sentence. As well as rehabilitating offenders prisons can be viewed as a form of punishment for offenders. The prison also acts as a place where dangerous individuals are kept in order to make society a safer place for the community.

Over the years prison reform has attempted to ensure that prisoners are taken care of adequately within the prison. There have been some developments to make prisons more accommodating like prison schemes that help inmates earn some qualifications and overcome drug and alcohol addictions. Despite these schemes being introduced to many prisons, according to (Dick Whitfield, 1991) there has not been much prison reform. Whitfield described entering the prison as a step back in time (Dick Whitfield, 1991) and suggested that the structures of prisons have not changed much over time. The concept of control and security have remained in prisons since their creation and prisoners are still expected to follow a strict set of rules. Although inmates have access to healthy food, proper healthcare, and daily exercise, overcrowding rates mean that the conditions prisoners often live in are poor. Cells designed for one inmate are often occupied by two or sometimes three prisoners which means the inmates do not get any time alone, have a lack of privacy and are often claustrophobic for the inmate. It also means that they are often forced to share toilets, and showers and in some cases, during lockdowns, they are required to eat three meals a day in these confined spaces (Coyle, 2005). This can lead to prisoners developing health issues due to a lack in space for them to move around in as well as developing mental health issues. In 1989, The Home Office rebuilt Feltham prison to create better-living conditions for the prisoners and to create a closer relationship with the staff and inmates.

Prison as a rehabilitating program has been unsuccessful. A study conducted in 2018 found that adults that serve a sentence of less than 12 months were found to re-offend at a rate of 64.6% compared to adults that served a sentence of more than 12 months, where the reoffending rate was 29.9% (London, 2018). This suggests that people serving a short sentence do not see prison as a deterrent to crime because of how short their sentence is. They can complete the time required in prison and then return to society and continue committing crimes. The offender may also come in contact with prisoners that have committed similar crimes but on more serious levels. They could use this connection when they leave prison to meet people that would enable them to commit further crimes that would result in their imprisonment. Due to the duration of shorter prison sentences, the individual may not be given any rehabilitating help. This means they may be placed in prison for the purpose of punishment rather than rehabilitation. The rate of reoffending amongst juvenile offenders has decreased to 38.4%. (Justice, 2019) The reason for this decrease could be that more schemes have been created in order to help young children from underprivileged backgrounds keep away from a life of crime. The creation of the Anti-Social Behaviour Order has been used as a deterrent of crime for young people as well as more police focus on at-risk youths (Sadler, 2008). This would place more focus on young people and ensure that they are staying in school and living in safe environments. Underprivileged children are vulnerable to resulting to a life of crime because they may lack the economic resources to have a good education or help provide for their family, so ensuring that they are given equal opportunities could help reduce the number of juvenile offenders. This would be an effective form of rehabilitation as opposed to prison because it would support young peo