In the present day, courts and civil society have noted the need to recognize the prisoners do have right and they need to be upheld. Notably, the courts also recognize that the prisoners’ rights are also limited and they forfeited unlimited right when they committed a crime. Both the courts and civil society reorganize that the limitation of rights also serves as punitive correction and punishment to the imprisoned persons (Schaefer, 2017). The correctional officer has to enforce such rights in their day to day activities within the operation of the correctional facilities. With this in mind, the essay will address the mandatory right provided to the prisoners and how correctional officer incorporates such rights in their day to day activities in the correctional facilities.
The primary right that the prisoners have id the right to a clean living environment and good nutrition while they serve their prison time. It is the burden of the correctional officers to ensure that the inmates are provided with appropriate nutrition, clean water, and sanitation. Further, it would be inappropriate for the prison to provide cleaning services to the inmate (Denney, 2017). Therefore, the correctional officers need to organize the prisoners to perform such duties. The right to free speech I one of the mandatory rights bestowed to the imprisoned persons. As per the first amendment, the Congress shall not pass any legislation that seeks to abridge the freedom of speech of persons. Since 1970, the courts extended the right to the imprisoned persons. The courts require that the corrections officers justify the restriction of the said freedom (Stojkovic & Lovell, 1992). Therefore, correctional officers need to desist from activities such as mail censorship.
The right and freedom that the imprisoned persons have is the right to freedom of religion. As per the first amendment, it provides all persons with the freedom of worship as long as it does not infringe on others or cause harm (Schaefer, 2017). With noted administrative personnel in correctional faculties need to provide for the persons to practice their faith. This extends to the provision of times and facilitation of such practices within the legal contextual of such freedom. Finally, the correctional officers should not act in a discriminatory manner based on religion. Prisoners also do have a right to during disciplinary proceedings in prison. The fourth and fifth amendment emphasize on the right to all for due process. A court ruling in the case of Wolff v. McDonnell (1974) provided that all inmate be provided with a due process to guarantee the right. The corrections officers need to notify the inmate on changes in their hearings; the right call upon a witness to testify on his behalf, right to present a defense and a right to an impartial arbiter (Denney, 2017).
The fourteenth amendment provided for universal, equal protection and security for all citizen. This goes without saying that such right also applies to inmates. The correction officers need to provide a protective environment to all inmates within the correctional facility (Denney, 2017). The inmates are nee to accorded protection from discrimination abuse and torture within the prison. Further, more attention needs to be provided to inmates who feel their lives are in danger. Based on the fourth being an amendment, persons are guaranteed the right and freedom from unreasonable search and scrutiny. Despite a court ruling in the case Hudson v. Palmer (1984), denying the prisoners the right to privacy and prison administrative personnel needed to have unlimited access to the prisoner’s cells and personal belongings on the premise of security, such right needs not to be abused by the correctional officers (Schaefer, 2017). The correctional officer needs to make use of such right on when there is a justifiable reason to infringe on such privacy. Even though inmate forfeit the right to privacy, as human they deserve to be accorded some form of privacy.
Inmates also have a right to visitation and access to legal consultation. The constitution provides that inmates be accorded an opportunity to receive visitors, including conjugal visits. Prison personnel needs to provide for visitation for the inmates by friends and relatives. Notably, such visitation needs to be restricted to avoid passage of contrabands. Further, the correctional officer needs to provide for facilitation of visitation by the inmate’s legal representation. Such right goes in tandem with the universal right to legal representation (Stojkovic & Lovell, 1992). Finally, the correctional officers need to update the inmates on changes in court appearance dates and provide for facilitation for the inmate to appear in court.
Based on the rights identified in the paper, the burden mainly falls on the correctional officers to enforce such right on prisoners. Finally, the rights need to be engrained in the day to day activities to the prisoners.
