Our prison system is often criticized for offering terrible living conditions, exploitative work conditions and poor medical care.
For those who have little to no interaction with someone serving time in prison or jail, it can be tempting to simply ignore these conditions and chalk it up to well-deserved punishment for the crimes prisoners have committed. But failing to acknowledge the injustices that face prisoners could cause us to overlook abuses that could befall any of us, or any of our loved ones.
Chances are good that you know someone that has served or will serve time in prison. It’s important for us to remember that the people who populate our prisons are not just nameless, faceless individuals who deserve to be removed from society without any regard to their basic human rights. They are our friends and family members, and they are paying the price for their actions.
Failing to stand up for those rights ensures that this “forgotten class” of Americans will not be treated with the most basic level of dignity.
The Rights of Prisoners
While prisoners are stripped of several rights after they enter our prison system, they still retain some of the most fundamental rights.
- Prisoners have freedom of speech.
- Prisoners have the right to practice their religion.
- Prisoners have the right to be free from sexual abuse and sexual assault.
- Prisoners have the right be from “cruel and unusual” punishment, including the right to certain minimal standards of living.
- Prisoners have the right to access their attorney.
- Prisoners have the right to complain about the conditions in their facility.
- Prisoners have the right to adequate medical attention.
- Prisoners have the right be free from discrimination based on their gender, race or creed.
For prisoners, it is not always easy to have their rights observed and protected. For example, if a prisoner complains about the conditions they live in or abuses they’ve been subjected to, their complaints might not be heard by the courts. In matters where it’s the word of a prisoner versus the word of a prison official, prison officials are often given the benefit of the doubt from courts. Thus, a prisoner whose rights aren’t being observed might find that their voice is also left unheard.
Examples of Injustice Facing Prisoners
While prisoners in the United States are granted the rights listed above, there are terrible miscarriages of justice that occur in both state and federal prisons. Some of these abuses are acts of aggression from prison staff or other inmates, while others stem more from issues of neglect. Here are just a few examples:
- Unlawful Prison labor
- Physical violence
- Verbal abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Lack of adequate medical attention.
Advocates for prison reform in the United States have been fighting against the abuses that occur in our system. These advocates understand that how we choose to treat those convicted of a crime says a lot about who we are as people. It speaks to how we feel about redemption, how willing we are to speak out for those who are silenced, and how far we are willing to extend our sympathy to people who have had a dramatically different life experience from our own.
If you (or a loved one) have been arrested in Kentucky or in the Lexington area in particular, call my office at (859) 685-1055 for a free consultation. Our lawyers specialize in helping defendants fight back on assault charges, misdemeanors, domestic violence, property crimes, drug charges and more, call today.