Debunking The Myth Of American Corrections

The Myth of American Corrections

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The Myth of American Corrections

Article Summary and design

Debunking the myth of American correction is an article which discusses various myths which are related to the correction system ij America. Myths are generally stories which are established to embellish the truth. They may be related to people, organizations, and nations among many other things. There are cases where these myths turn out to be true but sometimes they are very much different from the truth. Myths at times tend to lose the initial meaning of certain aspects, therefore making the whole society to be misled.

The article aims at identifying and analyzing some of the greatest myths and misinterpretation that exist in the field of correction. People have different though about what happens inside the doors of the prisons, the kind of resources provides as well as the treatment (Nyhan & Reifler 2015). The article defines all these myths in different categories, and at the same time provides facts on the related issues. This is basically to help the readers understand various things that happen in the correction system. There are those which match the myths and the misconceptions while others do not.

Some of the myths discussed in detail include the quality of living conditions, the convicts, the correctional officers as well as the effectiveness of the correctional sanctions. These groups also include other related issues which are as well discussed in detail. The author tries as much as he can to bring out the truth of what really happens. This information is very important in changing the perception of people towards the corrective system. The information provided also helps people to understand what needs to be done in order to improve the general condition of the prison environment. This is simple to prevent much suffering for the prisoners.

Reflection on the Myths

Among the four myths, the one I find most interesting is the myth related to correctional officers. These officers are believed to be brutal, incompetence and indifference to human suffering. People see them like people who care less about the welfare of the prisoners. But the fact is at times the law permits them to use force whenever the life of other inmates or properties is at risk. Force is also required when dealing with stubborn prisoners, in order to maintain law and order. This generally means that the officers, just like other people are very much caring and use of force is usually their last resort (Nyhan & Reifler 2015).

What I learnt is that what the society perceivers is very much different from what happens in the correction systems. Everything done inside the bars is usually for the benefit of other people within the sale. It may appear to be torture but at times it turns out to be the only option. At the same time there are other issues which prisoners experience, like lack of healthcare facilities. There are a number of people inside the prisons who are not provided with the kind of medication they need on time. Hygiene is also a major challenge which prisoners face among many other things.

In improving the situation in the correction system, it is important for the government to create laws which would govern all practices taking place in the prison. This will help in ensuring that the prisoners are provided with what they need, and also treated well by the correctional officers. The society’s misconception can also be improved by having the mass educated ion the importance of doing much research before coming up with assumptions (Nyhan & Reifler 2015). Much assumption has highly contributed to painting the image of criminal correction system in a bad way, one of the practices that should be highly discouraged.

References

Nyhan, B., & Reifler, J. (2015). Does correcting myths about the flu vaccine work? An experimental evaluation of the effects of corrective information. Vaccine, 33(3), 459-464.