Tag: prison

Russian Prison Body Art

On January 24, 2019

Although tattooing in prison is a worldwide phenomenon, perhaps nowhere was it more important than Russia, or to be more accurate, the Soviet Union.

In ancient Greece and Rome, tattoos were used to mark criminals. This was also done in 19th century Russia, against the will of the prisoners. However, over time they evolved to be an in-group marking, and one of honor at that.

The important of the tattooing peaked in the Soviet era, in the 1950s, where the consequences for having body art that was considered unearned were severe, up to and including death. Examples of meanings (from Wikipedia):

Cross – The traditional “thieves’ cross” is usually tattooed on the chest. This was very common.
Ships – With full sails it can indicate someone that has fled from custody, a gulnoy or gulat, or that a wearer is a nomadic thief who travels to steal.
Dragons – Indicate a “shark” or someone who has stolen state or collectively owned property.^[

Although the heyday of Russian/Soviet prison tattooing and art is past, its influence lives on today and is a part of pop culture in the country.

A Former Inmate’s Popular YouTube Channel

By Emre Umar

On August 15, 2018

In Emre Umar's Healthcare Blog

An interesting look at prison via the thoughts of someone who spent time in federal prison for a bank robbery. Big Herc is a former inmate with a popular YouTube channel where he speaks about his experiences in prison and also tries to keep people from ever ending up there like he did.

In this episode, he discusses the opiate crisis in a correctional facility through the lens of the inmate.

Prison in the Movies: The Shawshank Redemption

By Emre Umar

On December 13, 2017

In Emre Umar's Healthcare Blog

An all-time great “if it’s on, I’m watching it” movie, the Shawshank Redemption was not a massive success at the box office. Based on a novella by Stephen King, it made a modest $58 million upon release. But it became such a highly regarded film once it found a larger audience via cable and home video that it’s now ranked first all-time on the IMDB 250, their list of greatest films.

The conditions in the fictional Shawshank, if truly indicative of the time period, are considered far below current correctional standards. But they most likely color people’s impressions of what incarceration continues to be like today. The prison where the movie was filmed, Ohio State Reformatory, was built in the late 19th century and was ordered closed in 1986 due to its overcrowded, often inhumane living conditions. It actually remained in operation until 1990, when its replacement facility was finally completed. It is still used today for movie, TV, and music video shoots.

Many people believe the movie’s enduring popularity is because of its compelling narrative of maintaining hope in even the darkest of circumstances. Andy never gives up his fight even though most people around him believe he is foolish for doing so. The perseverance he had to (SPOILER ALERT) slowly chip away at a wall to allow his escape required great mental fortitude (and some luck). Andy rebels against a system designed to remove any will and freedom of action, and in the end he is rewarded.

Prison on Tv: Oz

On September 16, 2016

In Emre Umar's Healthcare Blog

As far as prison television shows go, Oz is certainly one of the most dramatic and dark. It features sexual assault, violence, corruption, abuse of power and intensely dramatic scenes of insanity and random killings.

Shows like these can paint prison life in a much darker light than it exists in reality. It seems as though almost every episode of Oz featured a new death of a character, often in a brutal way, huge outbursts of violence, and horrid instances of sexual assault.

On Correctional Medical Care’s website, we’ve written about the prevalence of violence in prison. In short, prisons across the United States do indeed have issues with spouts of seemingly random violent attacks. There are stabbings, coordinated group attacks and gang violence, all occurring almost universally in maximum security prisons across the nation.

But shows like Oz do, still, take liberties with the truth when it comes to depicting prison on television. The levels of violence are not nearly at the level that Oz portrayed during its run. As I stated above, Oz featured regular stabbings, beatings, sexual assaults and corruption. In reality, none of these are regular occurrences.

According to a member of PrisonTalk.com who spent time in a maximum security facility, the actions seen in Oz are, for the most part, overblown.

“Oz is glamorized. It is also over the top. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of the things happen in prison. Not as often as in the show. It is a lot more ‘boring’ than the show actually.”

Most of the realism from shows like Oz actually come from the positive aspects of prison–the programming and therapeutic classes that are offered to many prisoners including pet therapy, GED classes (and sometimes higher education) and even theatre groups. All of these exist inside of prisons to help inmates cope with their stay in prison.

While incarceration will more than likely not be an enjoyable experience for an inmate, watching TV shows like Oz can paint an inaccurate–and terrifying–picture of what prison life is really like. Real prisons do have violence, do have planned assaults, and do have their own problems; prison life isn’t designed to be easygoing and carefree, but depicting life as an inmate as plagued with constant random beatings and sexual assaults is a far cry from reality.

Prison on TV: Prison Break

On August 2, 2016

In Emre Umar's Healthcare Blog

It doesn’t take a particularly long time to scour the web for stories of escapes from prison. There’s the famous story of the men who (may or may not have actually) escaped from infamous Alcatraz island prison by patching together a makeshift liferaft from rain jackets. Notorious Mexican drug cartel kingpin “El Chapo” Guzman escaped from prison not once, but twice, through both a shower tunnel and a laundry cart. And then there is, of course, the famous case of Lincoln Burrows, who escaped from Fox River State Penitentiary by tunneling his way out, avoiding execution entirely.

If you’re not overly familiar with the name Lincoln Burrows, his escape, or Fox River State Penitentiary, that may be because they’re all fictional, having been portrayed on the Fox hit “Prison Break.”

As far as prison television shows go, Prison Break is an interesting one, given that large portions of the show take place outside of a prison. Despite this, it’s still worth examining to determine how realistic the scenarios presented on the show are, from incarceration to breaking out of a prison.

The escape presented on the Fox drama wasn’t necessarily completely unrealistic–tunneling out of prison is a method that has been used in cases such as the El Chapo escape above and numerous others in similar vein. However prison escapes as a whole are fairly uncommon, and the events leading up to the escape pulled by Burrows aren’t as realistic as viewers may have assumed.

In modern times, it’s harder to break out of prison than it ever has been in the past. It doesn’t take much to understand why: as we advance as a society, so do our technologies. With the advent of closed-circuit monitoring and a better understanding of how escapes have happened in the past, prison escapes have been becoming less and less common as time goes on. According to Slate, the roughly 2,500 successful escapes from prison in 2008 are about one sixth as common as they were in 1993, even with a considerably larger prison population.

Even before the escape, though, some dubious actions take place that bring into question how realistic Prison Break is. To start, Lincoln Burrows is able to escape thanks to his brother, Michael Scofield, who is imprisoned with him. While there are no laws or stringently followed rules surrounding imprisoning siblings together, Burrows’ standing as a death-row inmate brought up on charges of killing the Vice-President may have merited isolation from anyone with whom he could conspire to escape.

Upon his arrival, Michael is able to help get his brother out of solitary confinement on death row and into the team of inmates who perform maintenance on things that include repairs–which would allow Burrows access to tools and potential alone time he could (and eventually would) use to facilitate his escape. Removing a prisoner from solitary confinement, particularly one who is facing execution, to give him rights to work around the prison is a bit of a stretch.

However, as with most prison-based television shows, there are doses of reality. The prison experience is often marred by systemic and difficult to control bouts of violence. Inconsistencies, including the frequency of conjugal visits and the bouts of inexplicable luck that the brothers on Prison Break face have been pointed out in the past (not to mention the tattoo that Michael sports, which would have cost in the realm of $20,000 and could not be done quickly). While Prison Break may not be a perfectly accurate television show about prison life, it does give an interesting look behind bars, as it was filmed in a real-life (now closed) correctional facility.

Prison on TV: Orange is the New Black

On July 19, 2016

In Emre Umar's Healthcare Blog

In October of 2013, Netflix announced that its original program “Orange is the New Black” was a “tremendous success,” and that it would conclude the year as the most watched Netflix original series ever. As of February of this year, Orange is the New Black retained its title as the most watched Netflix original to date. Surely, the high viewership numbers are due in part to the overwhelmingly positive ratings that the series has enjoyed throughout its run. But there is also a piece of the puzzle that piques our interest in a different way–many of us want to know what life is really like inside of a prison.

Orange is the New Black is, ostensibly, based on a true story. Piper Chapman, the character portrayed by Taylor Schilling on the dramedy is based off of real-life money laundering suspect Piper Kerman, who was sentenced to 15 months in prison. The Netflix series uses Kerman’s story, documented in her memoir “Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison”

But how far beyond the similarities in the title and the main character’s name does Orange is the New Black really reflect what it’s like to be imprisoned?

Correctional Medical Care has written previously regarding the life of a prison inmate. Although the piece focused mainly on male prisoners, a pertinent point of the blog post pointed out one story in particular that outlined prison life as “bland and boring.” With this taken into consideration, one would assume that creators of a television series that aims to mirror real life would be forced to take certain liberties in order to craft a show that wasn’t both boring and bland.

That’s why what you’ll see on a show like Orange is the New Black is a mix of fairly accurate happenings with some that are as off-the-wall as you may expect from a comedy show.

Some of what the show gets wrong is fairly obvious, even to someone who has never been in a prison. Piper, the main character, ultimately finds herself sharing a prison with Alex, the same girl that testified against her in court, ultimately leading to her being imprisoned. This would create obvious conflict between the two, and except in very, very exceptional circumstances, would be avoided in real prison.

One fact that the television show points out, but perhaps touches on less than a real life prison situation would, is the racial divide. In an interview with NPR, Kerman claimed that the racial barriers within the prison were very real, at the very least until prisoners had been incarcerated for an extended period.

Another unfortunate aspect of women’s prisons are the abuse and neglect that they suffer, something that isn’t as directly dealt with in the show. The Guardian has reported various human-rights violations, including withholding menstrual pads and systematic physical, verbal and emotional abuse wrought throughout prisons. While these are obviously not universal truths–and I would very much hope they’d be as few and far between as possible–abuse in women’s prisons is far too common to be ignored or glossed over. If you’re looking for a picture of some of what a women’s prison is like, consider reading the Cracked article written by someone whose situation closely mirrors that of Kerman (or Chapman).

Television shows, simply put, cannot always mirror real life scenarios. For various reasons, the same can be said even more firmly about shows like Orange is the New Black. While the hit Netflix dramedy does key in on some aspects of prison life accurately, the obvious liberties taken (for good reason) do tend to shy away from real prison life.

Why Can’t Felons Vote?

On June 22, 2016

In Emre Umar's Healthcare Blog

Emre-Umar

The backbone of America–and American democracy, more specifically–is the empowerment of voters. When people get out and vote, their voices are heard, their choices are reflected, and the more popular candidate is elected (typically). Giving the people in the nation the ability to elect their own leader is the essence of a government for the people, by the people.

There are, of course, restrictions. To be eligible to vote in the United States of America, you need to be at least 18 years of age on or before election day. You must also be a United States citizen, and a legal resident of the state in which you’re casting your presidential ballot.

And, if you’re a resident of any state other than Vermont and Maryland, you must have a clean rap sheet. That means that, if you’ve been convicted of a felony in 48 of the 50 states, you’re at risk of losing your eligibility to chose the leader of the nation you call home. Essentially, your political voice is taken away, locked behind the same bars that you’ve been confined to for your apparent misdeeds.

The details regarding how long the ban on voting lasts differ state to state. For example, 14 states, plus Washington DC allow for felons to vote once they have served their time and have been released. Four states, California, Colorado, Connecticut, and New York, restore voting rights after release, plus any period of parole the former inmate may have been assigned. Twenty others–the most common form of the law prohibiting felons from voting–restrict access during probation, prison and parole periods.

Perhaps most interestingly are the 10 states that allow for the possibility of a permanent ban from voting. These are sometimes used in cases of violent or repeat-offenders. Other times, as is the case in Kentucky, for example, a convicted felon loses his right to vote permanently, but can, upon his release, appeal to the governor for reinstatement. In Florida, there is a mandatory five year waiting period before application to regain voting rights.

These laws have raised a few questions, particularly among legal scholars. Advocates for the legal ban of felons from voting claim it’s simple reasoning: if they don’t have the judgement ability to follow the law, they don’t have the judgement ability to vote.

Roger Clegg, president of the conservative advocacy group Center for Equal Opportunity, was quoted by TIME as having claimed “If you aren’t willing to follow the law, you can’t claim the right to make the law for everyone else.”

While some question the Constitutionality of banning felons (even ones who committed the act in the distant past) the Supreme Court ruling in Richardson v. Ramirez should put that to rest. The ruling allowed for the disenfranchisement of voter rights in the case of felonies, ultimately leaving it up to the states to individually determine their own laws on the matter. And, as I mentioned above, they have done just that.

So in a nation in which we’re encouraged by slogans like Rock the Vote, Your Voice Your Vote and even Vote or Die, roughly 5.3 million Americans will be denied that privilege come this November.

Obama’s Pardons Could Indicate Progress

On May 16, 2016

In Emre Umar's Healthcare Blog

In a move closely aligned with the government’s mission to reconfigure the treatment and punishments of those guilty of drug-related crimes, President Obama recently commuted the sentence of 58 prison inmates across the country. Including the recently commuted and those he commuted in May, President Obama has now seen the release of 306 prisoners who had been incarcerated on drug-related crimes since he took office in 2004.

This move comes on the heels of what has been an increasing pressure put on the government–both federal and state–to pull back the reins on the War on Drugs.

The famed War on Drugs has been, in the eyes of many, a failure. The US spends just over $51 billion to fight drug crimes within the states each year according to the Drug Policy Alliance. In 2014, there were almost 1.3 million arrests for simple possession. Often, these people are convicted and spend time in jail. But Obama’s administration has helped to push the federal drug policy towards a reform–not incarceration–based system.

Though there is little debate among educated researchers on the harmful effects of drugs like cocaine or heroin, Obama’s new policy has vowed to focus more strongly on treating drug addicts not as felons in need of imprisonment, but mental-health sufferers in need of rehabilitation.

The Huffington Post did a piece touching on a specific system of reform program that seems to be seen popping up around the country. These programs aim to effectively eliminate prison sentences for nonviolent drug offenders (drug offenders make up roughly 50 percent of the US’s prison population, according to statistics released by the Federal Bureau of Prisons). Instead, those who would formerly have been thrown into jail cells for their addictions are instead given the opportunity to be referred to a case manager. From there, the case manager works with the addict to better him or herself over time through any means necessary.

More and more treatment methods of this kind are beginning to appear around the country after the successes seen in the initial trials.

As Obama’s time in the White House is nearing a close, the President seems intent on leaving behind a legacy more pointed towards a relaxed stance on drug crime. He has pushed for policies regarding justice reform for non-violent drug dealers during his tenure in office, something that has seemingly fallen by the wayside in the midst of the 2016 President election season.

So what does this mean for prisons in the future? Right now, it’s hard to say exactly what the future of drug-related incarceration will look like. Though the Obama administration has consistently pushed the idea of rehabilitation, not all of those in positions of political power agree.

One aspect that President Obama attacked in particular was the idea of mandatory drug sentencing that stems from days of inequality and prevalent racism. Though some disagree with his stance, the fact remains that President Obama and his administration are working adamantly towards pushing America into a more forward-thinking, rehabilitation-first mindset.

The Problems with Mental Illness in Prisons

On April 20, 2016

In Emre Umar's Healthcare Blog

While justice systems now vow to keep the mentally ill out of prisons, there was a time in the not-so-distant past when being diagnosed with a mental illness earned you a ticket to the penitentiary.

Though there were always opponents to the incarceration of mentally ill patients, the practice was common in colonial America.

A Brief History

Luckily for those who do suffer from various mental health issues, there exists reform. The now-famous activist Dorothea Dix visited prisons across the country that housed the mentally insane, reporting back on the abuses and unfair treatment they endured.

In a report written to the Massachusetts state legislature, she wrote in part “I proceed, Gentlemen, briefly to call your attention to the present state of Insane Persons confined within this Commonwealth, in cages, stalls, pens! Chained, naked, beaten with rods, and lashed into obedience.” Dix is credited with helping to usher in the idea of mental asylums across America.

After locking up those who were considered to be mentally ill during the late 18th and early 19th century was determined to be inhumane, thanks to those like Dix, the rate of mentally ill inmates dropped substantially.

Now, decades later, they’re on the rise again.

The Mentally Ill in Prison Today

According to the Treatment Advocacy Center, in 2012 there were 356,268 incarcerated mentally ill people across the United States. While correctional facilities and healthcare providers do their best to provide ample treatment to the mentally ill inmates that are currently serving time, more problems regarding the incarcerations present themselves.

The Treatment Advocacy Center cites a short list of main problems regarding the incarceration of the mentally ill, including behavioral problems in prison, overcrowding, abuse, insufficient treatment and the tendency for the mentally ill to repeatedly find themselves incarcerated.

Behavior Problems

While the prison system is far from a pleasant place to find oneself, when stricken with mental illness, life behind bars is made all the more difficult. Although facilities are designed specifically to prevent suicides by utilizing cameras and regular check-ins by guards, depressed inmates do occasionally find a means to end their lives within the walls of a prison. An estimated 77 percent of the suicides that occurred inside of a jail system in Washington were committed by mentally ill patients.

Those who aren’t depressed, but find themselves suffering from hallucinations, panic attacks or manic episodes can also spell trouble for prisons, as these patients are often better suited for a mental hospital than confinement amongst inmates of a prison.

Overcrowding and Readmission

There is a tendency among the mentally ill, often called the “revolving door effect,” or “revolving door syndrome” to find themselves readmitted to psychiatric hospitals again and again and again, often shortly after being released. This effect can and does also apply to the mentally ill in prison.

With an incredible 2.2 million prisoners across the United States (that’s almost 1 percent of the US population), overcrowded is already a substantial issue. While the Netherlands has repeatedly closed prisons due to a lack of prisoners to fill the cells, the United States often finds itself more and more inundated with prisoners as time goes on. With the revolving door of mentally ill patients helping to usher those same prisoners back into the system, overpopulation of prisons becomes all too common.

Abuse

While corrections officers do their best to keep the violence inside of prison in check, factors like overcrowding can prevent prison guards from stifling all of the abuse. Often, the beatings and sexual assaults that do occur inside of prisons, are at the expense of the mentally ill. According to a survey cited by the Treatment Advocacy Center, one in 12 mentally ill inmates has reported to have been a victim of some form of abuse at the hands of a fellow prisoner.

Insufficient or Refused Treatment

Prison healthcare systems are properly equipped and staffed with knowledgeable and caring health professionals, but unfortunately, this isn’t always enough. In most states, prisoners reserve the right to refuse to take medication prescribed to them by healthcare professionals. These refusals can be overridden in life-and-death cases, such as a patient refusing kidney dialysis, but this is uncommon among prisoners suffering from mental illness alone.

These issues make up only a portion of the problem with the incarceration of the mentally ill. While activists of the past like Dorothea Dix have influenced positive movement in the treatment of those with mental illness, there are still improvements to be made today.