Do Prisoners Deserve Better Protection?

Recently a notorious murderer was seriously assaulted by a fellow prison inmate in a UK jail - it seems that even amongst the prison population there is general revulsion for child killers. Needless to say the public's response was less than sympathetic; many probably feel that the "victim" in this case deserves everything he gets and more. But it does raise the question: shouldn't the prison service do more to protect convicts from each other?

One of the stated purposes of incarceration is to protect the public from dangerous criminals. But with a high concentration of these individuals in the confines of a prison, those most at risk from further crimes are other inmates. We should remember that despite their misdeeds, prisoners retain their basic human rights and ordinary citizenship rights, with a few notable exceptions (such as the right to vote). One such basic right is that of bodily integrity, which places the responsibility for protecting prisoners from being assaulted by each other directly at the feet of the prison service. No doubt there are various processes and procedures already in place to support this, but from my point of view they seem inadequate.

You've probably got me pegged as a bleeding heart liberal by now, but let me assure you I fully support the criminal justice system. Let's remember though that in a democracy the various agencies of government (in theory) act according to the will of the people. Therefore it's up to us as ordinary citizens and voters to ensure that our government is doing its job properly, because ultimately we have a collective responsibility for everything it does.

To those who espouse the view that we should simply lock criminals up like animals in a cage, to destroy one another, I ask the following: imagine that through a confluence of circumstances the one ending up in such a situation is a beloved friend or family member. Wouldn't you then demand protection for that individual?

By: Rodney J Smith

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