Millions of Americans are incarcerated in overcrowded, violent, and inhumane jails and prisons, where they are treated as mere numbers. Since 1991, there have been major prison surges nationwide. Due to this, prisons started to get overcrowded, conditions began to deteriorate, and it made it harder for facilities to be able to provide for that number of people. Unfortunately this causes overcrowding which then can bring up a number of problems in prisons such as lack of privacy, sexual assault, and severe mental health problems.

In the U.S, an estimated 171,600 inmates are incarcerated in one prison. The average prison holds 112,697 people. We can compare a prison cell to the size of an average one person bedroom. The typical prison cell is about six by eight feet. This is usually the size of an average bedroom. The requirement is two people per cell however, in some facilities up to five people are in a cell.

One recurring issue that the inmates face from correctional officers is harassment. One recurring issue that inmates face from correctional officers is harassment. An example of this was of an officer in California who pleaded guilty to abusing an inmate. He grabbed the inmate’s legs, handcuffed his arms behind his back, and broke his jaw. This led him to end up in the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A recent issue that has been brought up in the news, was that male correctional officers have been sexually assaulting women who have already been sexually assaulted in the past. There has been an increase in women entering American prisons, at least half of them having been sexually abused in the past prior to their incarceration. Despite knowing this, these same women end up getting searched by a male correctional officer. This is problematic for many ways . Firstly, a victim of sexual assault likely has PTSD from it and seeing a man come in and try to search them can transport them back to that traumatic experience.

In the last ten years the male incarceration rate has increased by 45%, while that of women has increased by 75% These numbers alone may lead one to think that prisons, especially now, are tailored to women, however that is not the case. In fact, most prisons have fewer programs like literacy or life courses that are only offered to men, not women. Most prisons have rules set in place when they go down to the ‘chow’ hall; however, the consequences for breaking these rules are more severe for women than for men. For a woman the consequence for breaking a rule, like talking while waiting in the “chow” hall, leads to spending time in solitary confinement. On the other hand, if a man is being loud they end off usually with just a warning.

Hygiene is an issue in prisons that many people do not take very seriously. When you first arrive in prison you are provided with a toothbrush, toothpaste, a tiny bar of soap, a shirt and pants, socks, and shoes. If these items are not enough or you have run out you are allowed to go to the commissary and get these items however, you would need money in order to buy them.

One crucial item that some prisons, depending on the state, do not provide are free menstrual supplies. When you look at handbooks of prisons in the US, almost all the states require these items to be given upon request, however some prisoners in some states, like Arkansas State Prison, have reported that the correctional officers will only provide them with one pad per day. If you are a female, you would understand that for some one pad is just not enough for the whole day. Due to this most women end up making their own tampons, which is extremely unsanitary for a number of reasons and a number of health issues can occur from doing this. Some states, like New York State Prison, have two boxes, one labeled tampons, the other labeled pads.

I decided to ask an ex Correctional Officer who did not want to named a few questions, I will refer to them as Officer 1.

Question #1: Where did you work and how long?
Officer 1: I worked in Arkansas County Jail for about five years, roughly. Question #2: What made you want to be a Correctional Officer?

Officer 1: “I wanted to be a Correctional Officer for three main reasons, I wanted to utilize my time and make a difference, Secondly I feel that I have strong leadership skills, and finally I wanted to help rehabilitate people.”

Question #3: What do you feel is the role of a Correctional Officer?
Officer 1: The role varies, in some cases you have to carry out responsibilities but on the other hand you have to make sure that all the rules are being followed. With some inmates I can joke around and understand that they will still obey the rules but, with others I’m seen as the bad guy and they hate me.

Question #4: What is the cruelest thing you’ve seen Correctional Officers do to inmates?
Officer 1: The cruelest thing I actually ever seen in my time working a county Jail, was when a female came in and needed to be searched. She came in and was a previous victim of sexual harassment and found it very uncomfortable. Depending on your situation you may need to be stripped searched, in her case she needed to be. I could tell she was uncomfortable and she requested a female to search her, however, despite my requests she was denied. When the male officer came, she straight up panicked and started crying. He left and a female came in to search her. But, in these cases female correctional officers end up being so rude, they’re almost immoral.

Question #5: Why did you quit your job as a correctional officer?
Officer 1: I ended up quitting because I didn’t really see myself being a CO for long. I was going to school for business as well as working as a CO.

Overall, most inmates are treated extremely poorly in the United States. Many ex-cons have tried their best to come out and talk about this issue but, in most circumstances, they are not taken seriously. Inmates have done bad thighs but that isn’t an excuse for them to be treated as mere numbers.