Abuse in the Prison System
In 2006, a report by the Commission on Safety and Abuse in American Prisons indicated that abuse continues to play an overbearing role within the current penal system and can take on many different forms. Susceptible inmates are often left at the mercy of other violent offenders or unscrupulous prison staff. Indeed, the role of abuse can even become personal and individuals will even begin harming themselves.
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Physical and Sexual Abuse
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The Commission of Co-Chairs on the Vera Institute of Justice believe that the very nature of incarceration often leads to vulnerable prisoners being systematically abused by their peers. Although this usually occurs in the form of physical violence, sexual abuse in the U.S. prison system is not uncommon, and male rape is a particularly harrowing experience that can result in lasting psychological damage.
Racial Abuse
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Racial abuse is a significant problem in prison life that is catalyzed by gang culture, segregation issues and cultural divides. Bureau of Justice statistics released in 2005 indicated that black and Hispanic males were more likely to be incarcerated than white males and their treatment within the prison system often led to feelings of solitude, isolation and fear.
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Self-Abuse
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The pressures of prison life often lead to inmates abusing themselves. Self-abuse can take on many forms and some prisoners self-harm by carrying out violent attacks on themselves. Self-loathing often becomes a factor in everyday prison life and drug abuse is simply one more self-abusive obstacle that inmates have to face.
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References
- Photo Credit cells in a penitentiary image by Ritu Jethani from Fotolia.com
