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Essays on history of prisons
Essay on history of prison
Essay on history of prison
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Since the beginnings of society’s division into a hierarchy of man’s importance, the bottom of the social pyramid was always those seen as lacking morals. Whether immoral qualities were synonymous with skin color or occupation, a supposed lack of moral integrity allowed for those higher in stature to impose at times grueling oppression upon the degraded. As society evolved many advances pushed for equality among the masses so that each man or woman was allowed the freedom of bias or judgment. However, no matter how advanced the human race, there is still a hierarchy and at the lowest of its levels lies prisoners. Prisoners in modern times are often seen as morally deficit and depraved monsters that deserve the worst of punishments to repent for their crimes. Consequently, since prisoners occupied the lower levels of society’s class division history suggests that they are to be subject to the oppression of their proclaimed superiors, the unchained population. The use of prisoner’s for medical research has gone from something that has been considered adequate to something that is unacceptable and inhumane.
The use of prisoner’s for medical research is absolutely cold-hearted. To force anyone to be experimented for medical research without his or her informed consent is both illegal and immoral. Medical ethics requires doctors or pharmaceutical companies to conduct their experiments with the informed consent from patients or volunteers, meaning that an individual should be fully informed about the potential harms or benefits experiments would like to bring. There's no point that such a basic moral principle could be tramped, this should be applied equally to both general public and prisoners, for the latter group although being depr...
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...oners are unfairly lured into something that they may not want to do. Because prisoners are so easily accessible the benefits of research can be great and be better controlled. This is very tempting to government and companies that see huge potential profits in prison research. This can lead to laws being by-passed and, as has happened in the past, prisoners can very well be treated as experimental animals.
All in all, using prisoners as research subjects is one of the most immoral and unethical issues of our time. This issue began in the 1940s and when opposition to these actions began in the 1960s, new regulations came into place making this issue somewhat more, but not at all completely, acceptable. The use of prisoners in medical research is about exploitation and profit and this heinous activity contributes to the corruption of health care in our country.
These are, however, similar to how Josef Mengele experimented on captives without their consent. Many did think it was right, but it is now thought taking cells without consent is morally wrong. Scientists are much better at this now. It is important to understand how far the world has come medically. Works Cited "Immortal" Law and Order.
Southam’s practice, beginning with the Code’s number 1 rule, “The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential.” Other rules under the Nuremberg Code were broken as well, however all of these egregious behaviors of researchers, more so than just Southam, have influenced the tight research protocols in place today. As Dr. Hardy shared information on research protocols, she consistently referred back to a strict system of regulations that, at times, may seem a little extreme. The alternative, a system permitting researchers like Southam, would be a far harder bullet to bite. In the end, I am glad these systems are in place to try to ensure a trust between patients and
The “pains of imprisonment” can be divided into five main conditions that attack the inmate’s personality and his feeling of self-worth. The deprivations are as follows: The deprivation of liberty, of goods and services, of heterosexual relationships, autonomy and of security.
The 1970s in the United States was a time of incredible change, doubt, as well as reform. The many issues happening throughout the country helped to lead to the discomfort in many prisoners that eventually lead to their e...
Metzner, J. L., & Fellner, J. (2010). Solitary Confinement and Mental Illness in U.S. Prisons: A Challenge for Medical Ethics. The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 38(1), 104-108.
Potential grave consequences that can result from irresponsible, or criminal, medical experiments. While we must be vigilant to protect innocent victims from such experimentation we cannot let that stifle our duty to continue making advances in healthcare and improving the lives of patients.
In the essay "Prison "Reform" in America," Roger T. Pray points out the much attention that has been devoted to research to help prevent crimes. Showing criminals the errors of their ways not by brutal punishment, but by locking them up in the attempt to reform them. Robert Pray, who is a prison psychologist, is currently a researcher with the Utah Dept. of Corrections. He has seen what has become of our prison system and easily shows us that there is really no such thing as "Prison Reform"
While some would argue that the small number of executed prisoners is not worth the legal trouble of forcing them to donate their organs their opposition would respond “That’s a fairly statistical approach that may be appropriate if we weren’t talking about lives. Even if the case were that only a single donor can save a single life it would still be worth it.” Overall this issue is under much scrutiny for the fact that it’s controversial for both the medical staff involved and the legal repercussions for those advocating for this procedure to be enacted. While ethical considerations should obviously be addressed, one must keep in mind the moral state of mind the convicted murderers have themselves. When one holds no regard for life, why put so much emphasis on their body’s state after they
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. Everyone knows that you can’t help someone unless they want to help themselves. When the prison system was first established, the possibilities in rehabilitation were nothing like they are today. They could make prisoners go to daily consueling, have small groups, write in journals, plant flowers…maybe even go to yoga classes or have meditation time so that they could become one with their inner spirits and realize the error of their ways.
...inical professor at the University of Colorado. Unless the country develops a decent mental health care system, this issue will continue (Qtd. In “Prison Health Care, 3). More than 2 million inmates in U.S. prisons suffer from mental illness, addiction, infectious, or chronic diseases like HIV/AIDS and diabetes (“Prison Health Care”, 1). About a quarter suffer from severe depression and a fifth from psychosis (2). The majority of prisoners have no health problems at the time they became incarcerated; once imprisoned, they acquired a mental disorder (1). In 1976, the Supreme Court ruled that prisoners have the right to free health care due to the Eighth Amendment (4). Yet, prisons fail to provide health care of decent quality. Some prisons do not even have licensed physicians (5). Most doctors do not wish to work in a prison, therefore resources become substandard.
For instance, dying in prison, The Open University, (2009) Brings with it social inequalities with limited or no access to palliative care, although basic medical needs are met. No family surrounding them. For many, the option to leave the prison will be declined for safety reasons, but for the few that can leave to die often refuse to do so. The feeling of safety and familiarity that their prison cell brings them opposed to the outside world which views them negatively. Therefore, this indicates the power over prisoners resulting in a social disadvantage and inequality, removing away their rights in death.
Another problem with prisons are the terrible conditions and poor medical supervision that is provided. Diseases can be spread easily in highly populated prisons so it is highly recommended that prison facilities are clean and hold prisoners to their made capacity. These conditions can even affect prisoners long-term. Some prisoners have shown to have psychological problems because of the conditions they experienced in prisons. Prisons are created to reform prisoners, not harm them. Health care in prisons has been a problem for many years. It got so serious at one point, that in 1972, a Health Advisory Committee was set up to commend the matters affecting the health of prisoners. This committee gave prisons standards to follow, but prisons
...ns constitute a structural network of supervision, in which individuals may not only be subjected to power, but also play a role in employing and exercising power. Moreover, individuals internalize such and act accordingly. As such, there has been a greater possibility for intervention in individuals’ lives, not only in terms of illegal actions but also crimes against abnormalities. The aim of contemporary discipline is the transformation of individuals into productive forces of society. The basic functioning of society rests on such. Ultimately, the nineteenth century penal regime- not limited to the judicial system- has been largely successful in exerting disciplinary power. Not only has disciplinary power dispersed outside the walls of prison, but moreover, members of society have remained unaware of its presence, as they conform to and participate in it.
The origin of the word prison comes from the Latin word to seize. It is fair to say that the traditionally use of prison correspond well with the origin of the word; as traditionally prison was a place for holding people whilst they were awaiting trail. Now, centuries on and prisons today is used as a very popular, and severe form of punishment offered to those that have been convicted. With the exception however, of the death penalty and corporal punishment that still takes place in some countries. Being that Prison is a very popular form of punishment used in today's society to tackle crime and punish offenders, this essay will then be examining whether prison works, by drawing on relevant sociological factors. Furthermore, it will be looking at whether punishment could be re-imagined, and if so, what would it entail?
Experimentations on humans, even though essential for scientific progress, pose many ethical questions where we ask ourselves if we should continue disposing human bodies in the name of medicine. We hold the same old concern about a man’s obsession with knowledge where a discovery for the good of the majority might become a justifiable reason for exploiting one human being for the good of all.