A Little Wiggle Room

Today we will be looking at two articles written by University of California Psychology Director Craig Haney. He specializes in the assessment of institutional environments especially the psychological orders of incarceration.He has written several scholarly articles and is involved in many research projects broadly speaking specializing in the effect of incarceration and overcrowding, making head mode into the understanding of the effect an overtaxed system has on an individual.He looks at issues such as recidivism, prison house violence, rational and turned on(p) disorders and the long term effect of solitary or supermax facilities when inflicted on lower security inmates due to overpopulation.In these two articles entitled The Wages of prison Overcrowding and Prison Overcrowding Harmful Consequences and Dys hightail ital Reactions I believe Haney tries to not entirely explain the great toll that overcrowding has on an individual as well up as the taxpayer, but offers sol utions to ease out of the current trend using up to a greater extent(prenominal) tax dollars converting facilities into sleeping quarters.There is a clear sleeper amongst the restriction of vitality space and the occurrence of disciplinary violations. (Haney 2) Haney goes on to point out the fact that when a prison is filled beyond its capacity, there is less of everything to go around, causing hoarding, violence and tension between prisoners.Prisoners atomic number 18 forced to do without basic necessities such as showers and toilets universe forced to wait for availability increasing tension inside(a) the facility.Guards are left unable to control the al drivey agitated population caused when wad who may already be lacking social skills necessary to function in everyday life are forced to live in close quarters with early(a)s. The current solution most prisons call for is more(prenominal) staff, better armaments for the staff, and better punitive measures with which t o control the inmates, making the prison more painful and harmful to the inmates.Areas normally reserved for recreational facilities make way for bed space with basic security contributing to inmate groundlessness and inactivity further worsening the problem.The prisoners are left with less to do and less outlets for releasing tension, the rates of prisoner animosity towards each other rises, as well as towards the guards.Facilities generally used to reconstruct prisoners, such as education and prison work facilities are change into bed space, leaving prisoners with unfilled needs, adding to the problem of recidivism.He has shown that a majority of prisoners read at or below a third grade direct calling them marginally literate (Haney 5) and points out they leave prison in very much the same condition.Unprepared and therefore unable to function as normal productive citizens with a lack of education and basic blood line skills, they return to their old ways and end up back insi de the system in much the same condition they left prison in.In his articles Haney attempts to inform not just his fellow scholars, but as well as the individual states and penal systems on the effects they are having on the stack theYincarcerate.How being pushed through a system too overworked to notice a prisoner with special needs such as mental of emotional disabilities can have a serious effect on the people they are forced to live in close quarters with. This eventually leads to a breakdown of the prisoner moral, leading to dissention, and prison violence.These articles are a great starting point for any discussion into prison life, recidivism, prison overcrowding or assessments on how tax dollars should be spent. I share the creators belief that if nothing is done and eventual breakdown of the prison system is inevitable.He points out that the current solution, bringing in more weapons and more brutal tactics by guards can have an even worse effect on the individual priso ner, causing low risk inmates into recidivism. maneuver that enforce order and control over inmates rather than improving living conditions often worsen violence inside prison walls.Rather than deal with the issues that caused the likely violence in the first place they fight fire with fire. musical composition (overcrowding) is not the only cause of the sometimes dangerous conditions and potential for handle that exists in many of our nations prisons, it is a central and small issue that must be effectively addressed if these other problems are to be solved. (Haney 12)SourcesHaney, Craig. Prison Overcrowding Harmful Consequences and dysfunctional Reactions. prisoncommission.org. 2 Nov 2008. Commission of refuge and Abuse inAmericas Prisons. 3 Feb. 2009 Haney, Craig. The Wages of Prison Overcrowding Harmful Psychological Consequences and Dysfunctional Correctional Reactions. http//law.wustl.edu/. 5 Dec. 2008. Washington University Law School. 3 Feb. 2009.