Security In Prison Essay

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Over 2.1 million inmates occupy the cells of prisons in the United States of America (Highest). Since the mid-1800’s, the prison population has almost doubled in size and still continues to grow. The amount of time spent in prison by an individual has also raised from 1993 (Espejo 21). Routines, crimes, and security contain similar structures in all prisons, but some involve worse circumstances and criminals; here is a look into the life of a prisoner. In prison, the types of securities vary drastically. Minimum security, the lowest level of security, houses the non-violent criminals. While in minimum security quarters, the inmates share bedrooms and bathrooms. Armed guards do not walk around in minimum security quarters. Having only one roommate, …show more content…

Although the schedules do not vary within the same type of security, they change drastically throughout the different types of security. Within minimum security, prisoners become a lot less monitored and their schedules display that. Six in the morning, all the prison guards scream and bang on walls to wake the prisoners up. When prisoners get out of bed in the morning they have a head count. Headcounts get taken at least 3 times a day in all types of securities. Breakfast is eaten by all the prisoners and then the minimum security prisoners head off to work. Prisoners get paid as low as 12 cents a day or as high as $6.55, and many of the prisoners who have legal expenses get half of the pay taken away from them. Many compare the work of a prisoner to the work of a slave. The maximum or super maximum prisoners spend almost their entire day locked away in their prison cells. One hour a day is all the maximum prisoners get outside and supermax prisoners only get that once a week (Hinton 26-28). Prisoners get about 30 minutes to eat for each meal. Special programs are available about an hour at night for minimum security prisoners. Eleven o’clock hits and all the prisoner's head off to bed and get ready to begin their same routine once again the next day (24 hours).

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