Needs of Special Offenders

Needs of Special Offenders

Suzi Austin

CJA/234

Needs of Special Offenders

Not every person who is convicted of a crime and sentenced to jail or prison is healthy, mentally stable, free of drug addictions, and/or other conditions that require handling that is not the standard. These inmates require more medical care than others. They also may have special housing, dietary, and general day to day care that is more extensive that most inmates normally receive. Complete separation for other inmates is not usually feasible and is not usually done except in cases where the prisoner’s illness is contagious or the inmate is a danger to other inmates because of their mental illness. Because separate facilities is not really an option correctional officials must be creative in finding other ways to provide the special services needed to those who need them without limiting the rights of the other prisoners.

The Groups

There are several groups that need special care or have special needs. Each group has different needs that must be considered during their incarceration. Prisoners with those with active substance abuse or addiction, the mentally ill, and those with special needs, diabetics, the wheelchair bound, blind, deaf, mute, the aged, and with all others who have medical needs that require regular attention from a physician will always require more than the standard level of care. In order to ensure equality among all classes of prisoners, accommodations must be made so that all inmates can participate in the same activities, within some limits.

Effects on the Corrections Systems

Having groups of inmates with special needs is a very complex, time intensive, costly situations. All inmates are given the same basic evaluations for mental and physical health as well as having their mental capacity reviewed. Once an inmate is placed into one of these categories they are pulled for the group of incoming inmates for further evaluation (Selter, 2011). Not only...