The impact of gangs and gang violence
Gang members are always engaged in a higher level of serious and violent crime. Besides physical injuries and death, gang members have a psychological impact on victims too. Most prisoners in correctional facilities in the United States have been affected by gang violence or have been generally victimized by violence caused by gang members. A gang involves a group of friends that have a well-defined leadership and internal organization that claim control over a territory in the prison. Gang violence is the crimes and violent ways that these gangs commit. Gang violence has psychological impact including long-term post-traumatic stress disorders. Those people that have been victimized by gang violence can experience this. Gang violence causes injuries and sometimes can cause death. The violence caused by gangs can stifle recreational progress. Gang violence affects the value of the prison and its security deteriorated due to violent crimes such as shootings and robberies. Gang violence can cause poverty and thereby causing economic disparities.
The impact of illegal drugs and other contraband in correctional settings
Illegal drugs and contrabands in correctional settings incite gang violence in correctional facilities. These drugs cause physical injury to police officers and some have gone to the extent of killing officers with homemade weapons or contraband goods that are smuggled into the prison. This is unnecessary hazards that circulate in correctional facilities. These contraband and smuggled drugs cause the deterioration of the prison’s reputation. Drugs and other contraband goods put every inmate at risk; their term can be prolonged if the prison is found circulating drugs and contraband goods. The use of drugs inside correctional facilities triggers prison escapes that then puts everyone including private citizens in danger. Prison warders are ordered to shoot escaping prisoners. Majority of deaths and injuries are because of contraband smuggling and drugs. Drugs bought and sold inside the correctional facilities mainly cause corruption and other forms of injustices in the prison (Macmadu & Josiah, 2015).
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The impact of gender and transgender related issues
Transgender people face a certain level of difficulty in correctional facilities this is mainly caused by ignorance, discrimination, and violence from guards and fellow inmates. Transgender may find themselves in male facilities against their will because a correctional facility has not yet been established for this kind of people. This has a huge impact on the correctional facility. Rape cases are the major cases that are reported by transgender population in prisons. Violence may escalate due to romance relationships went wrong. This issue has contributed to the growing number of use of violence and other criminal activities in the prison. Gender issues have been a major issue in correctional facilities, especially among guards. Male guards working in female correctional facilities have been accused of rape cases leading to losing their jobs. This has been a critical discussion in departments of correctional facilities. Transgender people in prisons have led to prison violence due to romantic relationships.
The impact of medical and mental health issues within the correctional population
Mental health issues within the correctional population have swelled up in recent years. Depression is one of the causes that leads to mental health in prisons. A big percentage of prisoners in correctional facilities have not been found guilty of anything, they await trial. This has affected them negatively since most of them face depression and their mental health is affected. However, the department of correctional facilities is offered a treatment program in the prisons. This has increased government expenditure in ensuring that prisoners with mental health are offered with professional health, this, in turn, increases taxes and citizens are required to pay more taxes to facilitate this kind of programs. The mental health jails have a culture of punishment in the facility that by punishing prisoners, they go against the psychological rules that offer positive rewards to mental health patients rather than punishing for wrong behaviors (Reingle Gonzalez & Connell, 2014).
References
Macmadu, A., & Josiah, R. (2015, November 2). Correctional Health Is Community Health. Issues in Science and Technology . Retrieved from https://issues.org/correctional-health-is-community-health/
Reingle Gonzalez, J. M., & Connell, N. M. (2014). Mental Health of Prisoners: Identifying Barriers to Mental Health Treatment and Medication Continuity. American Journal of Public Health , 104 (12), 2328-2333. doi:10.2105/ajph.2014.302043
