Criminal Justice

The history of correctional institutions is well documented. Correctional institutions (jails and prisons) house individuals who are awaiting trial and serving both short- and long-term sentences. Correctional officers are responsible for the monitoring, treatment, and supervision of individuals who have been found guilty by a court of law. This assignment should be 2-3 pages.

For this assignment, we will have you look at Chicago’s most violent prison. View the prison documentary at either https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNEhUsTteiA or https://youtu.be/WEkRZm6VJpU. After viewing the video, download and use the Assignment 3 template to answer the following questions:

Describe the main methods Sergeant Baldwin and his staff use to maintain order and safety in the prison. Take a position on the effectiveness, risks, pros and cons, and ethics of these methods.
Choose one (1) of the inmates profiled in this video–Terry Dibble, Simkayta Winfield, Jerico Jones, or Gregory Crowder–and discuss their situation. Explain how they ended up at Statefield, the main issues they described facing, and the methods they use to cope with their time in prison.
Discuss the effect you feel the presence of the active armed guards has on the violence level and overall safety within this prison.
Describe the issue of isolation in Statesville presented in this video and the effects connections and contact with outside visitors can have on the prisoners’ mental status.
Identify at least two (2) issues that gay inmates here uniquely face. Identify at least one (1) method of protecting gay inmates against each of these identified issues.
Take a position on how you believe conditions at Statefield could be improved. Include at least two (2) specific actions that could be taken to improve conditions (e.g., security and safety, abuse and use of force, isolation, poor food quality, etc.). Provide a rationale for your position.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

Summarize the current ethical issues faced by criminal justice professionals and the future of the criminal justice system.
Outline the major characteristics and purposes of prisons, including prisoners’ rights and prison society.