https://padlet.com/ramratay2024/pv6o9jga7p06hjx6 Human Rights (Mass Incarceration/Systemic prison issues) en-us 2021-11-02 15:14:43 UTC 2024-11-16 02:51:03 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f42e.png ramratay2024 https://padlet.com/ramratay2024/pv6o9jga7p06hjx6/wish/1956175531 The U.S. incarcerates more people compared to every other place in the world. Mass incarceration is historically mostly American and in simple can be defined as vast majorities of people being imprisoned, while targeting minorities (immigrants, communities of color, people with addiction/ mental health issues, people in the LGBTQ+ community, and more). In the past 40 years, the prison population in America has increased by 500%, this increase has very little to do with a rise in crime rates and more to do with policy changes that directly connect to the justice system's racism. We can trace the history of mass incarceration in America through a timeline of events that have supported/ fed into it, such as the three strike law which mandates a 25 year to life sentence after your third felony. Problems in parole and probation, strict rules concerning parole and probation make it hard for people in the system to stay out of the system and also cause many people to be sent back to prison for minor violations for 25+ years. The private prison and profit motive works so private prisons are incentivized financially to ensure and maintain mass incarceration. The Exorbitant Bill, almost half a million people sit in prisons at any given time in wait for a trial because they can't afford to pay the bail to be released to wait for trial, its also proven that the people who are not in jail waiting for trial are less likely to be convicted/ imprisoned than the people who are waiting in jail, which is an example of how classism also affects the prison system. Mass Incarceration is the American prison systems biggest issue, it's targeted towards minorities and people without the same privileges as white Americans born in America who have money, aside from it being unethical and a factor in the cycle of the prison where people who go to jail oftentimes go back because of the difficulties faced upon release, it also doesn't work, mass incarceration has nor effectively lowered crime or crime rates and has not increased public safety in fact, since 2000 mass incarceration has not reduced crime rates whatsoever. Today in America there are 2.3 million people in jail. I chose to place this issue in because Alabama because prisons there suffer the most from overcrowding and horrid living conditions for prisoners, two problems that directly relate to mass incarceration. America's prison system/ mass incarceration can be bettered by offering help to prisoners who suffer from mental health/ addiction issues, making it more accessible for people who are released from prison to find a job and get stability to not end up back in prison, and stopping treating minor crimes as serious accusations (shoplifting one thing should not be cause for someone to be locked up and potentially have their life ruined).

https://www.fairfightinitiative.org/the-history-causes-and-facts-on-mass-incarceration/

What is Mass Incarceration? - Mona Nelson's Struggle for ...
https://justice4mona.com › what-is-mass-incarceration

Mass Incarceration | American Civil Liberties Union

https://www.aclu.org/issues/smart-justice/mass-incarceration

]]> 2021-12-20 02:39:04 UTC https://padlet.com/ramratay2024/pv6o9jga7p06hjx6/wish/1956175531 ramratay2024 https://padlet.com/ramratay2024/pv6o9jga7p06hjx6/wish/1956589793 Prison systems in Africa are widely considered some of the worst; many are in insufficient condition and have practices that are questionable by human rights standards. Prisons in Africa suffer from many problems, mass incarceration being a leading and prominent one. To be incarcerated in African prisons is years of confinement, in small overcrowded dirty areas, with little basic amenities, little food, inadequate hygiene, and sometimes no clothing. That is not to say that all the prisons in the entirety of the continent have these horrible conditions but it is enough so that it raises concern and should be cause for prison reform and awareness of human rights. Ignorance of Africa's prison system from their government and a lack of interest from the public fuels neglect and abuse to those incarcerated. Ignorance being part of the problem, met with little to no funding, deficits in governance and goods have led to overcrowding and abusive conditions. There are governments and organizations who are committed to protecting the imprisoned, Africa just lacks political want and the resources to fully commit.

https://sur.conectas.org/en/prisons-in-africa/

https://gsdrc.org/document-library/supporting-penal-and-prison-reform-in-north-africa-algeria-and-morocco/]]> 2021-12-20 09:15:14 UTC https://padlet.com/ramratay2024/pv6o9jga7p06hjx6/wish/1956589793 ramratay2024 https://padlet.com/ramratay2024/pv6o9jga7p06hjx6/wish/1956612817 While analyzing Africa's prison systems it's important to look at the history behind them. While the modern African prison system is extremely flawed, imprisonment didn't establish in African until well into the late 1800s. Prison is not indigenous to Africa but instead, a European import introduced to Africa during colonial times and was used to employ racial superiority. Africa's first experiences with prisons were when colonial powers showed up and used them as a way of subjugation for indigenous people, economically, politically, and socially. European settlers who were arrested were given better shelter, higher quality food, and clothing, and eventually, the prisons were heavily relied upon for suppressing indigenous people and to reinforce racism. Incarceration was brought to Africa from Europe just as the idea of prisons was and used to ensure that no one would resist colonial authority and to punish those who did. It could be argued that present-day African prisons fail to meet rehabilitation goals due to the abuses that were set centuries beforehand ]]> 2021-12-20 09:34:48 UTC https://padlet.com/ramratay2024/pv6o9jga7p06hjx6/wish/1956612817 ramratay2024 https://padlet.com/ramratay2024/pv6o9jga7p06hjx6/wish/1956669331 The lack of transparency and independent monitoring in Saudi Arabia's prison systems leads to prisoners' rights getting violated daily; these violations are included but are not limited to, unlawful arrest/ detention, medical neglect/ malpractice, and during interrogations, the systematic use of torture. Authorities have largely ignored reports and concerns for the conditions of Saudi prisons. The ignorance and disregard for those behind bars in Saudi prisons are demonstrated constantly, especially in the unwillingness to investigate a series of suspicious deaths and the unresponsiveness from authorities when people in the detention centers decide to go on hunger strike. Surveys from former and current prisoners in Saudi provided by ALQST show physical and psychological torture, harassment, solidarity confinement, and cut-offs from family members, as well as general ill-treatment. Saudi Arabia's biggest problem with its prison system is the cruelty in which they treat its prisoners. Aside from violence prison/ detention center conditions do not meet international standards and largely suffer from overcrowding. The arrest procedures and poor treatment of detainees is also an example of Saudi Arabia's poor prison system. Human activist protesters and centers like ALQWST are working for a more just system and the secrecy in Saudi prisons is still being discovered and becoming public information. 

https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/saudi-arabia/ 

https://www.alqst.org/ar/posts/600

]]> 2021-12-20 10:22:21 UTC https://padlet.com/ramratay2024/pv6o9jga7p06hjx6/wish/1956669331 ramratay2024 https://padlet.com/ramratay2024/pv6o9jga7p06hjx6/wish/1956717344 Norway is a more positive example of what prison life can look like. Norway's main focus is rehabilitation and remedial justice rather than punishment and it's a system that works, only 20% of inmates went back to prison within 5 years and the country maintains one of the world's lowest crime rates. The incarceration rate is extremely low, at about 75 per 100,000 people, and in comparison to most other countries, that's phenomenally low. Norwegian prisons focus on the importance of education and provide courses and programs one might take at a recreational center. Norway has abolished life sentences and inmates' time in prison provides valuable skills that they can use to create stability once their sentence is over. Norway's prison system has benefited the economy by reducing the population of incarcerated prisoners and equipping prisoners with rounded knowledge and labor skills. Norway's empathetic approach to people who don't follow the law is unusual compared to most other parts of the world but, could and probably should be used as an example as to why prison doesn't have ti be a pattern and treating people with human decency gives them the opportunity to grow and better the places around them, and while for some people that case isn't always true Norway's approach has lowered unemployment rates and prepares inmates for life outside of bars.

https://borgenproject.org/norways-prison-system/

https://www.businessinsider.com/why-norways-prison-system-is-so-successful-2014-12]]> 2021-12-20 11:03:11 UTC https://padlet.com/ramratay2024/pv6o9jga7p06hjx6/wish/1956717344 ramratay2024 https://padlet.com/ramratay2024/pv6o9jga7p06hjx6/wish/1956806296 Argentina's biggest province (the jails of Buenos Aires) is currently holding seven thousand the number of people it was built to hold and the population is continuing to grow. In the jails here there is constant violence between inmates and reports of torture. Crime rates in this area continue to grow, more police are being staffed and more people are being arrested (1600 inmates a year) and Argentina prisons cannot keep up. Argentina's biggest issue is funding, it's difficult to get people to realize that money needs to be spent on jails. Without the proper funding, it's also harder to find alternatives for young people to stay out of prison and once they go to prison it's most likely they will re-offend; it's an endless cycle. The underfunding has led to Argentina's overpopulation in prisons, but that's not the only problem, violence is also a big issue. There have been over 12,000 complaints of mistreatment and torture, and confirmation of 300 cases of torture. Meanwhile, the public of Argentina is constantly demanding more arrests and for more police, and with crime rates growing on top of these demands the already overcrowded prisons will continue to fill up and with the same budget which will lead to a shortage in supplies and goods. Incarceration is not currently a pressing issue even for the overcrowded cells but if it continues like this it very well could be soon. Solutions to Argentinas problems would be to adjust their system of imprisonment to reduce crime rates or have donations to expand prisons and create more room; both of these solutions would require cooperation and involvement from the public as well as time, they're not immediate solutions but it is a long term goal.

https://english.elpais.com/elpais/2016/10/05/inenglish/1475668180_820605.html 

https://www.prison-insider.com/countryprofile/prisons-arg-en 

]]> 2021-12-20 12:16:20 UTC https://padlet.com/ramratay2024/pv6o9jga7p06hjx6/wish/1956806296 ramratay2024 https://padlet.com/ramratay2024/pv6o9jga7p06hjx6/wish/1957308357 Russia's prison institutions hold up to 520,000 inmates; the largest number in Europe. The countries prisoners are mostly collective colonies, a system from the 1920s during the Soviet Gulag era that has inmates sleeping in dormitories and working in Russia's production factories. The Russian president along with the head of the prison departement say that the idea is to have a frightening power that they can control and that they want people to be afraid of going there. Living conditions are normal, former inmates have described everything as very moderate and generally okay. Hunger strikers are very popular throughout Russian prisons, as a way to fight back authority figures at the prisons. Guards are allowed to show violence if they deem it necessary and it is very common for them to take away chances at parole. Although the guards can use aggression the law states that inmates are not to be treated "harsh" or in a way that "abashes human dignity". Compared to the other places I've researched globally, Russia is a very solid medium in almost everything. Their systems and laws have been consistent and inmates have a very bland but not horrible or life while living there.

https://apnews.com/article/moscow-russia-lifestyle-government-and-politics-hunger-strikes-f4a5097813642449f7ff678986d9a956

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/russia-politics-navalny-gulag/]]> 2021-12-20 16:32:09 UTC https://padlet.com/ramratay2024/pv6o9jga7p06hjx6/wish/1957308357 ramratay2024 https://padlet.com/ramratay2024/pv6o9jga7p06hjx6/wish/1957363127

]]> 2021-12-20 17:06:07 UTC https://padlet.com/ramratay2024/pv6o9jga7p06hjx6/wish/1957363127 ramratay2024 https://padlet.com/ramratay2024/pv6o9jga7p06hjx6/wish/1957381006 Its common knowledge that India is extremely overpopulated; I wanted to see how their large population affected their prisons. For decades Indian prisons have been overcrowded thousands of people past their initial capacity. Indian prison conditions are described as torturous, where inmates suffer from sexual and physical abuse and denied basic human amenities. India's prison system is broken into three different levels but the system got messy the higher their incarceration grew and their system is more so looked at like a guideline now. India's prisons systems as a whole are extremely flawed and their constant rise in population feeds into poverty/ higher crime rates and prisons will continue to overflow and inmates will continue to barley be met with human decency.

System of prison, its history and types in India

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/prison-overcrowding-in-2019-highest-in-10-years/story-Mm8VGVG0J12zFvqC9rRFZJ.html]]> 2021-12-20 17:18:09 UTC https://padlet.com/ramratay2024/pv6o9jga7p06hjx6/wish/1957381006 ramratay2024 https://padlet.com/ramratay2024/pv6o9jga7p06hjx6/wish/1957418667 Offer more activities! Increase sports, exercise, cultural activity, contact with family/ loved ones. Offer education and ways to insure the stigma of prison won't follow you everywhere and lead to redivisicim. Humnas Rights organization in almsot all parts of the world recognize that prison reform is needed and that prison conditions violatin human rights is far more common than it should be. ]]> 2021-12-20 17:43:31 UTC https://padlet.com/ramratay2024/pv6o9jga7p06hjx6/wish/1957418667