Journal assignment week 2

Journal assignment week 2

Federico C. Quiones
Keiser University

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Journal assignment week 2
If you were the sheriff of a local jail, what are some of the most serious issues you
would be facing in the United States today? Your jail is meeting the minimum program
requirements. If you could implement more programs, which program do you think would
be the most important to implement in your jail, and why? According to Siegel & Bartollas,
some of the biggest challenges that jails face today, are overcrowding, inmate violence, staff
corruption, suicide risk contraband and the lack of programs offered for jail inmates due to
inadequate facilities, financial reasons, or lack of staff (Siegel & Bartollas, 2016). These issues
would be the most likely to arise while administrating a jail. If I could implement a program to
improve that jail, I would start with a vocational and rehabilitation programs for inmates that are
deserving and are most likely to be incarcerated the longest, for example: transient inmates,
inmates awaiting trial would be excluded until convicted. These programs would benefit greatly
to reduce inmate recidivism and also help ease the overcrowding problem, as well, it will
reciprocally reduce the collective violence of inmates.
What if you were a jail administrator implementing a new suicide watch program?
What preventative methods would you be sure to include in your new program and why?
According to Siegel & Bartollas, the lack of staffing in jails prevents adequate supervision for
inmates that are suicidal (Siegel & Bartollas, 2016). As an administrator, the first preventive
method would be to seek a medical professional, such as a phycologist to help inmates suffering
with this suicidal behavior and other mental illnesses, secondly; establish a treatment or triage
area in which the medical professionals can identify possible suicidal inmates therefore keeping
a closer watch of them. This area would also serve as a treatment and rehabilitation area for this
types of inmates. Lastly, it is integral that the staff is also trained in how to identify, report, help

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and deal with suicidal inmates, which can be beneficial as the right or wrong words can
de/escalate or escalate a suicidal attempt. Within this last part, an increase in staff and training
would be required and if possible within the budged, assist the staff with more surveillance tools,
such as cameras, and/or reforming the jail to accommodate a better surveillance and control
access points for inmates and staff. (Siegel & Bartollas, 2016)
Sexual assaults occur in all prisons. Why is it difficult to stop sexual assaults in
prisons? Can they be controlled? Why is it difficult to control sexual assaults? What is done
to inmates that commit sexual assaults? It is difficult to stop sexual assault in prisons due to
various reasons, mainly due to inmates being reluctant to report rape or any type of sexual
assault as it might show a sign of weakness while in prison. Also, the physical structure of some
prisons such as double ceiling and dormitories which make it difficult to protect vulnerable
inmates (Siegel & Bartollas, 2016). The inmate culture which discourages whoever wants to give
testimony against a predator (Siegel & Bartollas, 2016); and the physical size of the prison in
which worsen the overcrowding situation while at the same time due to the physical size of the
prison and configuration some areas are indefensible which helps predators to more easily prey
on more vulnerable inmates. Inmates that are found to have committed any type of sexual assault
are investigated and prosecuted accordingly with their crimes (Siegel & Bartollas, 2016).
Should men's and women's prisons have different programs for the inmates? Why
or why not? If you could choose only one program to run in a male prison and one in a
female prison, what would they be and why? In my opinion, as todays society is more
acceptant for diversity and equality in the work place and society, that being said in regards to
gender (including LGBT), religion, race, ethnicity or disability, Programs should be generally the
same for both or all genders with the exception of programs that denote a specific gender issue

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such as pregnancy programs and so on. In my experience any gender can perform as well as the
other in the workplace, I have seen female heavy wheel mechanics in the Army as well as female
helicopter mechanics who learnt and performed man jobs exceptionally. I am in the view that
by standardizing and equally distributing such programs to both male and female prisons would
be beneficial as it will help any inmate to have more options in each program. As far as choosing
over a female and male program separately, I would choose the same program for both, a good
vocational and rehabilitative program combined, in which any inmate eligible can be helped in
stages to rehabilitate as well as conduct a degree of vocational chores to motivate that inmate
along the way. In sense of an 8 step program in which they have to achieve goals both personal
and administrative, before they can move to the next stage, but also combining or introducing the
vocational work related part in the program.
What is Habeas Corpus? What would happen if Habeas Corpus was abolished? Do
you think that would be fair to inmates or do you think it is an important writ that inmates
should always be allowed to apply for? If so, why? Habeas Corpus: The writ is a legal device
to challenge the detention of a person taken into custody. An individual in custody may demand
an evidentiary hearing before a judge to examine the legality of the detention. The writ is purely
procedural: it guarantees only the right to a hearing. It has no bearing on the substance of the
issue or charge (Ireland, Hails, & Rush, 2011). This writ has been written into the U.S.
Constitution under Article 3, Section 9 and it expresses that the writ of habeas corpus shall not
be suspended, unless when in a case of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it
(Ireland, Hails, & Rush, 2011). I believe this writ to be of upmost importance, as it creates a
balance in the justice system, and provides the opportunity for any detained person that might
have been prosecuted in any unfair procedure such as, unwilling confessions or coerced evidence

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used against him. This balance can be better explained by Marbury v. Madison 1803 (Cornell
Law, 2016), in which provides balance between the judicial, executive and government form. A
good example in which both habeas corpus and the branch balance of power can be seen in
Boumediene v. Bush, 2008 (Cornell Law, 2016) in which the Supreme Court decided 5-4 that
the abuse of one or more of one branch exercised over inmates in Guantanamo Bay Prison in
Cuba and that inmates indeed had a right to habeas corpus regardless of who owns that territory
or not, stating that; "The Nations basic charter cannot be contracted away like this. The
Constitution grants Congress and the President the power to acquire, dispose of, and govern
territory, not the power to decide when and where its terms apply. To hold that the political
branches may switch the Constitution on or off at will would lead to a regime in which they, not
this Court, say ''what the law is."- Boumediene v. Bush, 2008 (Cornell Law, 2016).

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References

Cornell Law, 2016. Boumediene v. Bush (06-1195), 2011. Retrieved from:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/cert/06-1195
Cornell Law, 2016. Marbury v. Madison, 1803. Retrieved from:
https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/5/137
Ireland, C., Hails, J., & Rush, G. E. (2011). The dictionary of criminal justice. New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill
Siegel, L. J., & Bartollas, C. (2016). Corrections today. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.