Prisoners with Special Needs free essay sample

A special need inmate has a physical or mental disability that limits their capacity to function in the normal inmate population. The United States is made up of individuals of all walks of life. The prisoners held in American prisons are no different. The United States prison system does not discriminated among its prisoners. These prisoners may have physical or mental disabilities however, if they committed a crime and are sentenced to spend time in prison then that is where they go. The fact is these inmates have special needs and are not special. They have been incarcerated for a reason. The most common special needs prisoners are mentally ill inmates. Mental disabilities are subdivided into three general categories, developmental disabilities, learning disabilities, and mental illness (Silka Hauser, 1997). Developmental disabilities are referred to as mentally retarded. Intelligence is measured by IQ, someone with developmental disabilities has an According to Silka and Hauser (1997) â€Å"IQ of less than 100. We will write a custom essay sample on Prisoners with Special Needs or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Mild mental retardation has an IQ of 51-69, moderate mental retardation is an IQ of 35-50, severe is an IQ 20-35, and profound is 20 and below† (p. Levels of severity, Table 1). Mentally ill inmates are classified into two categories, emotional disturbances, and personality disorders. Some mental disorders commonly found in prison are paranoia, depression, hypochondria, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorders. It is the job of corrections officers to get these individuals medical treatment (Silka Hauser, 1997). A lack of family relationships, education, and employment related skills can further criminal activity. Federal and state levels have a hard time finding the funds to treat the mentally ill who have been incarcerated. Many times mentally ill inmates go undiagnosed or their needs are not met because corrections officers do not know how to handle them. If these offenders are not properly cared for their physical and mental state will deteriorate. This causes them to be much more of a burden on society and the prison system financially (National center for biotechnology information, u. s. national library of medicine, 2013). The aging population of inmates accounts for 20% of the entire prison population. Inmates are required to serve 85% of their sentence before they can be released. Life sentences are used for often than before (CJi Interactive, University of Phoenix, 2011). Discretion of the judge has been taken away because of mandatory sentencing. Without mandatory sentencing the judge could his discretion and sentence these aging offenders to another sentence other than incarceration (Seiter, p, 223, 2011). The cost to care for an elderly inmate is three times more than the average inmate or $60,000 a year. Policies are needed specifically geared toward the elderly to help care for them (CJi Interactive, University of Phoenix, 2011). Juveniles 18 and younger are committing more violent crimes. For this reason Legislation is being sought after to try juveniles as adults. These offenders have been sentenced as an adult and are held in adult prisons but, are developmentally immature. An issue to consider is, segregation of the juvenile, staff specifically trained, and educational programs available. Also treatment programs must be available and designed for the youth (CJi Interactive, University of Phoenix, 2011). Drug offenders account for many offenders in prison. These offenders have a history of drug use and abuse. Many of the offenders have a history of drug use and abuse, have physical addictions, or drug related illnesses. The need for drugs and drug use is a contributor of crime and needs to be treated while incarcerated. Issues to consider when moving an offender into a facility is there should be a variety of drug treatment programs available, specialized treatment for drug related illnesses, and mental health treatment (CJi Interactive, University of Phoenix, 2011). The Monroe Correctional Complex offers a Sexual Offender Treatment Program. Of the offenders that complete this program seven percent return to prison. It is estimated that 95 % of sentenced sex offenders in prison return to the community. Treatment for offenders is one element to an all-inclusive attempt to expand community safety. According to Department of Corrections Washington State (2012), â€Å"The Monroe Correctional Complex believes treatment for sex offenders is a key component of its Reentry Initiative. The Reentry Initiative is designed to help offenders begin to receive the treatments, education, and job training they need in prison so they can return to society making choices that will keep them out of prison† (para. 1, 2, 3). According to Department of Corrections Washington State (2012), â€Å"The Monroe Correctional Complex has three main goals: 1. Help offenders learn to reduce and manage risk. 2. Provide information to help the department and its community partners monitor and manage offenders more effectively. â€Å"Group therapy’s goals are to help offenders: Take responsibility for assaultive behavior Learn how to understand their patterns (cycles) of criminal behavior Learn relapse prevention and other management skills to reduce risk of reoffense Learn the attitudes, thinking skills and behaviors needed to safely reside in the community Prepare to learn new skills and knowledge† According to Department of Corrections Washington State (2012), â€Å"Additional classes and sessions address sexual deviancy, life skills and other topics. Offenders vary widely in their motivation and commitment to change. Treatment is likely to be successful to the extent that the offender is able to: Recognize and understand the factors that contributed to his or her offense(s). Monitor themselves and their environment to detect changes indicating that their risk to reoffend is increasing. Develop the skills necessary to intervene, manage and reduce risky behavior Remain willing and able to apply monitoring and intervention skills in a timely and effective manner, including seeking outside assistance when necessary† (para. 9, 10, 11) In conclusion, The Monroe Correctional Complex sex offender program has been successful. Only seven percent of offenders who have completed the program return to prison. There is a waiting list and criteria to qualify for the programming and are taken on a case-by-case basis. More of these types of programs need to be used to reduce the recidivism.