Inmates Case

For many decades prisoners that were incarcerated were at the mercy of Corrections staff. They had no rights and were seen as blight on society. Wardens ran their facilities as they saw fit and they were not held accountable for the conditions which existed in their facilities. Over time, however, changes were implemented to accommodate inmate's needs and to preserve their basic human rights. We all have feelings of what is right and what is wrong; it is those same feelings, which help to guide us towards doing what we believe to be ethically and morally correct. For the inmate, a sentence may combine utilitarian beliefs with retribution. For example, an inmate sentenced to prison for several years is sent there as punishment for their crime and also as a form of retribution for the victim and their families. At the same time, educational programs inside the prison reflect the utilitarian goal of rehabilitation. Utilitarianism is the belief that moral rules should be choices made by a society to promote the happiness of its members. Utilitarianism has a foundation for decision making, whether it is moral or ethical. The ethical treatment of inmates has been a topic of ongoing concern and debate for years. With the prison population continually on the rise, this task has become harder for prison officials. What are prisoner's ethical rights and furthermore; what are the ethical responsibilities of prison officials?

Although inmates will loose certain rights associated with their freedom, they still maintain the right to safe and humane conditions while incarcerated. What this means is that they have a right to safety, food, clothing, housing and medical/psychiatric care regardless of how heinous their crime may have been. Some light was shed on prison conditions in Florida in 1976 when the now famous Costello vs. Wainwright lawsuit was filed. The case addressed issues of overcrowding, sanitation, food and health care in prisons, was initiated by Inmate Michael V.Costello who was housed at Florida Reception and Medical Center at Lake Butler, FL. It would be 21 years before the case is settled. Because of this lawsuit, standards were put in place to ensure inmates retained their constitutional rights and prisons were subject to inspections. Because of utilitarian and ethical dilemmas, prison officials have the responsibility of proper staffing of not only correctional staff but also food service workers, on call doctors, practitioners, nurses and psychiatrists, who can address and properly assess the medical needs, treatments and tests needed to provide care to each inmate as individuals confined within the prison system. These staff members must all ensure that inmate's rights to religion and education are also addressed. Thus prison officials must also hire and have available religious staff and educational staff.

Inmates reside in different facilities that vary by security level, especially in security measures, administration of inmates, type of housing, and weapons and tactics used by corrections officers.

Inmates that are classified as a minimum/medium custody level may sleep in dormitories on bunk beds with lockers to store their possessions. They may have communal showers, toilets and sinks. Dormitories are locked at night with one or more correctional officers supervising.

In a maximum security prison all inmates have individual cells with sliding doors controlled from a secure remote control station. Often inmates are confined in their cells 23 hours per day, but in some institutions, prisoners are allowed out of their cells for most of the day. When out of their cells, prisoners remain in the cellblock or in an exterior cage. This is usually referred to as recreational time. Movement out of the cellblock or "pod" is tightly restricted using restraints and escorts by correctional officers.

Most dormitories have day rooms where inmates may watch television, play cards or dominoes or in some facilities, use a payphone to call home. Many citizens feel that this is going too far. Inmates are in prison for punishment not recreation and to socialize. However, prison officials use these privileges as a way to control idle time and also as a levering tool to control inmate behavior. Most inmates will stop disruptive behavior if they could have their phone privileges revoked. This is considered to be a serious form of punishment for the average inmate because if his/her phone privileges are suspended they loose touch with their children, spouses and other family members. Phone conversations allow the inmate to keep up with what is going on in the "outside" world.

Inmates are served meals three times a day in the "chow hall". Inmates do not have a right to gourmet food, but the 8th Amendment does prevent prisons and jails from serving food without sufficient nutritional value to keep people healthy - or food that will affirmatively make people sick. Inmates are usually served 2500 to 3000 calories daily and are on rotating menus. There are some inmates who may be placed on a special diet depending on their need at the time. Some inmates with chronic illnesses such as hypertension may be placed on a low sodium diet, while an inmate with