Supermax Prisons: Valuable or Vile?
Institutional Prisons are generally classified as Low, Medium, or High Security depending on the severity level of the offenders they house. An inmate can begin a sentence in a Low Security prison, but through misbehavior end his time in a High Security unit. Likewise, an inmate may work their way down the security ladder with good behavior. But what do you do with the ‘worst of the worst’ inmates that continually cause violence, disruptions, or pose an escape risk even in the High Security prisons? For these inmates, many states have developed super maximum prisons, or Supermax, that house these inmates in solitary confinement for long periods of time. They are supported by many prison administrators as a necessary inmate management tool. Others say they violate the 8th Amendment. Research the Supermax and tell us what you think. As always, support what you think with facts, not opinions.
