Running head: VIOLENT BEHAVIOR RESPONSE

Violent Behavior Response Name CJS/200 December 2, 2011 Teachers Name

VIOLENT BEHAVIOR RESPONSE

Violent Behavior Response Disruptive and violent behavior by inmates during incarceration is a major concern to all the prison staff. Violent behavior among prisoners can affect which prisons they can be sent to or transferred to. Violent behavior between inmates and staff can sometimes lead to prison riots. Violent behavior affects inmates incarceration length because inmates can be charged with new crimes which will add more time to the inmates sentence. Before a person can be placed into a prison, they have to be sentenced by a judge. Once the judge gives a person their sentence someone will evaluate the crime they committed to determine which type of security prison level to send them. Depending on the persons charges, will allow a person to decide which prison will be best for him or her. The courts implied that prisons are dangerous because prisoners are violent (Specter, 2005). Once a criminal arrives at a prison it will be a major adjustment for the person to get used to. Prisons are normally overcrowded, unsanitary, and no privacy, these conditions could lead to a person developing a mental illness and extreme post-traumatic stress disorder (Kupers, 1999). Inmates use aggressive and disruptive behavior to cope with different stressors of being confined in prison. Some inmates that want to be in a gang can commit acts of violence to get accepted in the gang. Other Gang members can commit different acts of violence to move up in a gang. Drug addictions, rape, racism, and more can lead to violence in a prison. Violent behaviors between inmates and staff can sometimes lead to prison riots. Prison riots can be a result of several factors such as unmet inmate needs, violent tendencies of some inmates, and the dehumanizing conditions of prison (Schmalleger, 2011). To prevent abuse, the use of force must be controlled through policies that are enforced to the staff, constant supervision; prison guards need to truthfully report all of the uses of force and people who were

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involved and witnessed, an accurate investigation into all the allegations. If an inmates behavior is dangerous, violent, or disruptive they can be sent to solitary confinement. If an inmate commits a crime while in prison they can have more charges added to their sentence, which the inmate would have to stay in prison longer. I believe that confrontation with authority, termination through negotiation or physical confrontation would be some more strategies to help with responding to violent behaviors. Violent behavior among prisoners can affect their incarceration length because acts of violence among inmates such as assault and murder while in prison, would lead to more charges filled on the inmate and a longer sentence in prison. Therefore, I believe that violent behavior among prisoners can affect their sentence length and if they should go to solitude confinement. In addition, violent behaviors between inmates and staff can sometimes lead to prison riots. To conclude, violent behaviors while in prison can lead to added charges to your sentence and more time spent in prison, which can cause you to have a stressful environment while completing your sentence.

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References Kupers, T. (1999, February 5). Prison Madness: The Mental Crisis Behind Bars and What We Must Do About It. Retrieved from http://www.sauidoo.com/prisonmadness Schmalleger, F. (2011). Prisons Life. Criminal justice today: an introductory text for the twentyfirst century (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Specter, D. (2005, April). The Commision on Safety and abuse in America's Prisons. Retrieved from http://www.prisonlaw.com