9781422280010

Prisons in other countries can be very different from those in the United States. Although convicted and incarcerated, American inmates still retain many of their rights, both as citizens and as human beings. They generally receive three meals a day and a warm, clean place to sleep. They are allowed visitors and have access to gyms, libraries, television, and fresh outdoor air. They receive health and dental care. Most have the opportunity to rehabilitate themselves. And they can be reasonably sure they will not be tortured or murdered—at least not by prison guards. This series examines the many problems facing the American prison system. Among those issues: overcrowding, underfunding, a lack of consistent health care options, recidivism , andmultiple kinds of violence (including riots, guard- on-inmate violence, and sexual assaults, which often go underreported). While concerned Americans have often quite rightly criticized the conditions and abuses in the own nation’s prisons, prisoners in the United States are treated quite well compared to some other countries. Prisoners are well fed and generally have access to at least minimal health care, exercise, visitations, rehabilitation programs, and law libraries, among other services. These things are a given in American prisons, which reflects the country’s stable government and prioritiza- tion of human rights, even among prisoners. For although they are incarcerated, Words to Understand Recidivism: The repeating of or returning to criminal behavior. The recidivism rate is the percentage of released prisoners who go on to commit new crimes. Squalid: Filthy and wretched. Subhuman: Below an acceptable level of treatment for a person. Is the United States Different?

Prison cell block, Alcatraz Island.

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Prison Conditions Around the World