Criminal Justice Case Studies: Corrections, Week 4

The Case of the Prison in Crisis You are an assistant warden of a medium-security prison located about two hours outside of a large city. Most of the inmates in the prison have committed criminal offenses such as theft, fraud, arson, drug manufacturing and sales, and aggravated assault. About six months ago, officials ordered the closure of a long-standing prison in the city due to corruption, criminal activity, and inhumane conditions. As a result, many of the inmates were transferred to your prison. These inmates have been convicted of more violent and serious criminal offenses such as sexual assault, kidnapping, distributing child pornography, and second-degree murder. The existing inmates have found it difficult to share space with the new inmates, given the violent and disturbing nature of their crimes. In addition, the prison is now significantly overcrowded, which has led to an increase in mental health issues, including suicide, and the spread of infectious diseases. To make matters worse, a family member of one of the inmates contacted an investigative journalist about the prison conditions, and she is planning to publish an article about those conditions in a few days

Explain the best practices you would implement, in the short-term, to address the issues and challenges described in the case study. (250–300 words)
Analyze ethical and legal issues/standards you would take into consideration before implementing your plan. (250 words)
Explain at least three significant policy changes you would recommend to reduce overcrowding and improve prison conditions in the long-term. (250 words