Prison
A prison, often referred to as a correctional facility, is a place where individuals are sent to serve out a sentence as a penalty for crimes they have been convicted of. Prisons are places of confinement where personal freedoms no longer exist. You have to conform to the rules of the prison system as well as the inside rules of that particular facility.
Going to prison is an extremely difficult situation for those facing it. While many inmates do eventually learn to survive in their environment it is difficult to adjust. All prisons run a daily routine including meal times, work times, schooling, counseling, physical recreation, and free time. Inmates learn this schedule very quickly.
Being segregated from the outside world is a huge adjustment. The inmates aren’t the only ones who suffer. Their families also are left without them financially and emotionally. While there are visitations set up in most prison facilities, the days and times are limited.
Inmates have to comply with requirements of their sentence while in prison. This varies by inmate, but there are basic classes and schooling each must attend. Those without a high school education are required to complete their GED. If an inmate was sentenced for sex crimes or crimes of violence, they will have to complete classes to help rehabilitate them in those areas.
Prisons are not meant to be fun. They are meant to a place for individuals to serve their debt to society, to get assistance with their issues that led to the crime, and learn valuable coping skills and education to be able to be a successfully member of society again upon their release.
For the safety of other inmates and the guards, prisons go to great lengths to ensure security. There is often very few staff compared to the number of inmates. It is important to watch for suspicious activity to prevent riots and escape attempts. Prisoners have to wear jumpsuits of a particular color so they are easily spotted. All prisons have high fences with razor sharp wires to prevent escapes. They also have security doors and camera everywhere with a master control area. This area is where the employees watch all the surveillance cameras in the prison. Many prisons also have guard towers and guards who walk the perimeter of the facility throughout the day and night.
The number of prisons in the United States today is growing at an unbelievable rate. Private prisons are being built everywhere, as an investment and profitable business. Sadly, more money is put into prisons being built than into intervention programs to prevent individuals from ending up going to a correctional facility.
