Introduction
Perhaps one of the most concerning matters facing the female prison population today is the fact that many females in prison still do not have access to the healthcare necessary to ensure their overall health and well-being (Anderson, 2001; Fletcher, 2014; Kravitz, 2010). In order to address the matter, however, it is not only enough to understand what the issue is, but the different components of the issue. The identification of the internal and external stakeholders in the matter is the next step in working to address the problem.
Internal and External Stakeholders
When looking at the situation from a business perspective, internal stakeholders are those who are working within the organization to affect change, while external stakeholders are those who are impacted by the work being done (Freeman, 2010). Prisons, like other social institutions, are, at their core, a business (Pelaez, 2014). The entity provides a service, working to ensure those who have broken the laws of society are removed from society for a period of time as dependent upon the nature of the crime committed. When viewed from such a perspective, it becomes possible to identify both the internal and external stakeholders present within the organization.
In the case of working to address a matter that affects prisoners, such as the availability of healthcare for the female prison population, the internal stakeholders would include prison guards, medical staff, and administrative staff. These individuals are working from within the system in order to affect change within the system itself. While these are not the only individuals working to affect change within the system, these are the only individuals who would be classified as the internal stakeholders as they are the ones working from within the organization itself.
The external stakeholders are those who are impacted by the work being done within the organization (Freeman, 2010). Within the context of a traditional business, this would typically include the customers of the organization, among others (Freeman, 2010). When viewing the matter from the prison perspective, this would include all members of society, as all members of society benefit from the presence of prisons. It would, however, also include those who are using the service from within, specifically, the prisoners. In this, there are two forms of customers, those who benefit from the service provided by the prison system and those who are a part of the system itself. The realm of external stakeholders is not only confined to those who utilize the service provided; it is all those who are impacted by the work of the organization. This includes those who work to lobby for changes within the prison system; individuals who work to affect a higher level of change within the system from the outside.
Influences of the Stakeholders
Stakeholders may influence a situation in either a positive or a negative way, though in the case of bureaucratic organizations, like that of the prison system, perhaps the most common influence is no influence at all. Due to issues like high overcrowding within the prison population, coupled with issues of prisons being understaffed and workers being overworked, certain issues, like that of access to necessary healthcare are overlooked; not because the matter is unimportant, but because there are simply not enough individuals who are able to devote the necessary time and resources to the matter (Anderson, 2001; Fletcher, 2014; Kravitz, 2010). External stakeholders, including journalists, lobbyists, and even the prisoners themselves, are working to influence the availability of healthcare in a positive manner, showing that there is a deficit in this area and working to positively affect change in such areas (Anderson, 2001; Fletcher, 2014; Kravitz, 2010). Due to high prison populations and the increases of privately owned prisons, however, certain internal stakeholders, those who operate such privately owned prisons, are not always concerned with working to address this matter; if not actively preventing the addressing of such a matter, they are not working to change the situation (Pelaez, 2014). This creates a negative influence, as it serves to imply that the matter is not one worthy of addressing.
Stakeholders and the Solution
In order to work to address this matter, it becomes necessary to include stakeholders in the resolution to the matter. To affect change and to ensure that the female prison population is able to gain access to the healthcare necessary, it will be first necessary to speak with the internal stakeholders, determining the exact reasons why such support and services cannot be provided at this time. Once those matters are identified, it will become possible to create custom tailored situations designed to address the matter in specific prisons. External stakeholders will then be used to work to determine how the necessary funding and resources may be received by the given prison, allowing for the provision of those services.
Motivation
In order to motivate both internal and external stakeholders in working to effect a solution, it will be necessary to explain the logic behind the provision of those services. The vast majority of individuals will, at the completion of their sentences, be funneled back in to the general population. If these individuals are sick or ill, they will not be able to become effective members of society once more, thus hurting society as a whole. The provision of such services will serve to resolve this matter. When presented in such a light, this should serve as the motivation necessary to resolve the matter.
Conclusion
Understanding the effects that stakeholders may have when they come together to accept change and work to increase the overall beneficence provided by the prison service is the second step in resolving the problem. The first step was the identification of the problem itself. The identification of the interplay between stakeholders serves to provide the path by which the program may be used to affect change.