Ethical Issues in Correctional Facilities
Correctional facilities face a myriad of ethical issues ranging from ethical questions to administrative problems. Concerns over the treatment of inmates at the facilities takes precedence over other matters, with outsiders often questioning the conditions inmates endure. Azemi (2019) observes that people living outside these correctional facilities have limited access, and, thus, information. Consequently, their criticism is based on the insufficient knowledge they have over the ethical and administrative issues in the centers. Some of the issues raised include the use of capital punishment, the use of alternative or non-traditional sanctions, and the privatization of correctional facilities (Azemi, 2019). These issues present significant challenges and affect the reputation of prison administrations.
The treatment of inmates and the degree and form of punishment remains controversial. Correctional facilities, specifically prisons, form part of what is called ‘total institutions.’ The tag derives from the degree to which prisons control all aspects of people’s lives. White et al. (2014) argue that total institutions strip away people’s identity by institutional practices, including radical loss of freedom, removal from a social network, eliminating the right to privacy, and ownership of property, among other deprivations. Removal of the rights conflict with the stipulations of the fourth amendment, but a more critical question is the ethical dilemma surrounding the manner of enforcement of institutional regulations. As Azemi (2019) posits, outsiders without adequate knowledge of the on-goings at the facility may question prisoners’ treatment. Whether their claims are legitimate or not remains debatable, but inmate treatment, including the severity of punishment, is a critical ethical issue in correctional facilities.
Inadequate healthcare is another crucial matter ethical correction officers have to handle. Prisons have faced accusations of cutting healthcare funding and other amenities upon which many inmates’ wellbeing depends (Mahoney, 2015). Consequently, inmates with chronic illnesses see their survival chances dim. A study in the USA in 2014 revealed that many of the prisoners with chronic diseases in the country failed to receive proper treatment (Mahoney, 2015). Deliberate failure to provide the appropriate standard of care to a person in prison is inhumane and unconstitutional (Lee, 2014). Lee documents the revelations of a former Arizona nurse who claims the prison administration has sentenced some prisoners to death by refusing to provide them with proper healthcare forms. According to Margaret Leininger, care is a universal trait and can be offered irrespective of the setting (Christensen 2014). The provision of standard healthcare to prisoners is, therefore, a burning ethical issue for correctional officers.
Correctional facilities require critical administrative skills that help the officers to solve specific ethical questions they might face. Due to the uncertainty of what happens within the walls of prisons and other correctional institutions, people may question the humaneness of the treatment officers accord inmates. While one may brush off accusations of maltreatment, questions over the most appropriate forms of punishment remain prominent. Capital punishment is an emotive topic that continues to attract diverse opinions over its suitability; thus, correctional officers sometimes bear the blame for a system they did not construct. Health provision is another issue which the officers struggle to contain as claims of negligence linger over the administration. While determining the motive for providing substandard healthcare may be difficult, Leininger posits that failing to provide an acceptable standard of care to an incarcerated individual is inhumane. Correctional institutions may be intended to rehabilitate wayward individuals, but they are fraught with ethical concerns.
References
Azemi, Ferid. (2019). Ethical and Social Justice Issues: The Case Of Correctional Institutions.
Christensen, S. (2014). Enhancing Nurses’ Ability to Care Within the Culture of Incarceration. Journal Of Transcultural Nursing, 25(3), 223-231. doi:10.1177/1043659613515276
Mahoney, S. (2015). The Challenges of Correctional Nursing. Magnificat: a journal of undergraduate nonfiction.
Lee, B. (2014, November 10). Corizon nurse blows whistle on patient health care. AZ Family, p. 1.
White, K. L., Jordens, C. F., & Kerridge, I. (2014). Contextualising professional ethics: The impact of the prison context on the practices and norms of health care practitioners. Journal of bioethical inquiry, 11(3), 333-345.