CMY3705 EXAM PACK 2021.

CMY3705 EXAM PACK 2021. CMY3705 - Victimology. Discuss the plight of offenders in the prison system as victims within a correctional context (25 marks) 1. Introduction The most vulnerable individuals whom are most vulnerable and experience unique problems in the correctional setting are female prisoners, male inmates, older inmates and juvenile prisoners. It has proven quite problematic ensuring that the latter mentioned detained prisoners are neither victimised nor exploited. 2. Definition of Key Concepts Prisoner - a person who is deprived of liberty against his or her will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or by forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to those on trial or serving a prison sentence in a prison. 3. Female Prisoners Sexual abuse of female prisoners can be operated by factors such as allowing unsupervised access of male staff to female facilities, insufficient disciplinary action against guards who engage in sexual misconducted, and allowing practices that are inherently cruel and degrading and are open to abuse, for example, allowing male staff to conduct carnal “searches” of clothed female prisoners. Such issues can be alleviated by ensuring that female prisoners are supervised only by female staff Mothers in prisons also pose issues as their incarceration is more likely to result in a serious family disruption to the family. In addition, the constant conflict, guilt and frustration due to the separation from their family and being unable to care for their children adds to the strain of their imprisonment Due to female prisons being smaller, there is less economic justification for a wide variety of programmes found in male prisons. Access to services such as treatment, training, recreation, vocational and educational programmes, is more limited to female prisons; this is due to the fact that these prisons have limited space and the number of female prisoners is felt to be too small to warrant the additional cost programmes and facilities 4. Male inmates Certain prisoners are targeted for sexual assault the moment they enter prison; their age appearance, sexual orientation, and other characteristics such as small size physical weakness, shyness and uncertainty mark them as candidates for sexual abuse by inmates. 4.1.Prison male rape For a heterosexual, male rape is the most fearful event, in relation the witnessing or experience thereof, especially if it is their first confrontation with same sex contact. As a heterosexual male victim can respond physically to stimulation, such as getting an erection and/or ejaculate during the sexual act, this will result in the male victim perceiving himself as homosexual or bisexual due to his physiological sexual response; in essence, he will question his own sexual identity and manhood Objects can be used and forced oral sex is also prevalent. Victims are often manipulated into exchanging their bodies for favours and privileges. Some prisoners will form “protective” sexual partnerships to avoid continual victimisation. To escape being abused by many, they choose one partner who might protect them from abuse by others. The motivation to exchange sex for protection often includes fear and stems from coercion. 4.2.The creation of “women (wyfies)” “Women” or “wyfies” are created by destroying men’s claim to “manhood”. “Women” are primarily seen as the sexual property and servants of “men” and are often forcibly taken as wyfies by other inmates in relationships known as “marriages”. Wyfies are not worth very much as they are regarded and treated as sex objects and domestic workers. Prison “marriages” between “men” (husbands) and “women” (wyfies) are usually brought about by an initial forced sexual act. In prison marriage relationships “men” are active; they do “business” in prison and provide for their wyfies materially. They are responsible for the penetration while having sex, while the “women” have to be passive. Wyfies are required to take care of the “home” space (prison cell) and to be sexually available to their partners. Some prisoners consider rape as a form of fun, while in other cases initiation rape also serves a social purpose to create classes of men, such as, a class of subordinate men (wyfies). Once a prisoner is raped, his reputation as a man who has been penetrated is likely to precede him, making him more vulnerable to further assault; male rape survivors in prison question their masculinity 5. The Older Inmate As the general prison population continues to increase, the percentage of elderly inmates will rise at a considerably higher level. The increase may change society’s perception of the prison population and will necessitate a radical overhaul in prison administration. Older inmates pose unique and costly problems for prisons already struggling to manage outdated, overcrowded and under-funded prisons. Correctional systems are already forced to consider issues for the first time relating to geriatric carte, such as providing special diets. Round-the-clock nursing care, altering facilities and restructuring institutional activities Older prisoners not only have different medical needs from their younger counterparts, but also different social needs. Older inmates have a greater need for privacy and have expressed a greater need for access to preventative health care and legal assistance. Older prisoners are often unable to cope with the brisk pace and noise of the typical prison environment. Studies have shown that older prisoners feel unsafe and vulnerable to attack by younger inmates and they express a preference for sharing a cell with people of their own age 6. Juvenile Prisoners The establishment of separate facilities is of prime importance and steps are being taken for the centralised detention of young offenders in separate Youth Correctional Centres with distinctive custodial and development programmes available for the care of young offenders. The Department of Correctional Services follows the internal and national recognised standards and norms for the separation of young offenders, with the following stipulations: Young offenders must be detained separately from adults. Children (under the age of 180 must be detained separately from persons aged 18 years and older. The relevant officials should detain young persons with serious behaviour problems and those posing a risk to others separately for the purposes of behaviour management. Juveniles with disabilities form special needs groups within the larger group of juvenile prisoners and pose a greater challenge regarding their handling. Youths who are emotionally disturbed and who have learning disabilities should have access to special education and related services; issues such as, transience of the population, conflicting organisational goals for security and rehabilitation, shortage of adequately prepared personal and limited interagency coordination inhibits the provision of such services for these juveniles. 7. Conclusion It is evident that the various categories of offenders face unique issues in relation to the susceptibility towards victimisation and that the correctional system experience difficulties to maintain and implement the necessary structures and programs to ensure that their rights are not infringed.