REFLECTION
The legitimacy issue in the article is the three men placed on the death row in Louisiana being placed in the solitary confinement as prison policy requires such individuals to be isolated. Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Eaton, and Mr. Perry have been held in solitary confinement because of being convicted of the first-degree murder and sentenced to death in Louisiana for more than two decades. As per the justice ruling, the article has presented 71 prisoners that pass through the same settings at the state prison at Angola. This triggered the civil right officials and the plaintiffs’ lawyers to file a lawsuit that focused on overturning the prison policy of placed the inmates sentenced to death in isolation.
The prison policy and the conditions that the inmates are subjected to seem potential to undermine the legitimacy of the criminal justice system. The components of procedural justice also are significantly undermined. The aspect of respect, fairness, a voice that make the legitimacy of criminal justice to be vital towards solving problems is lost through prisoners being placed in isolation for decades. The prisoners being isolated for more than 23 hours a day in 8 by 10 feet concrete cells show unfair treatments and lack of respects. Restricting the inmates from interacting with others and enjoying other essential programs open to other inmates show ineffectiveness that significantly undermines the intended purpose of the criminal justice system. The environment of isolation facilities outlined seems to posse other psychological effects that can have a permanent and future life-threatening impact, reflecting the infectiveness of the system.
In the correctional facility, the intent of the legitimacy seems not to be served as required, which has made the public to have a mixed perception on the justice system workability. The issues that portray in the article can help the legitimacy institution to start to look at the inmates’ concerns when they are in isolations. It shows that the inmates in isolation are disadvantaged in all aspects, including having psychological issues that can make them worse persons, and more likely to recidivate upon the release. Therefore, the institutions need to look the issues of legitimacy in the correctional facilities, especially for those isolated and be treated fairly, with respect, and allowed to enjoy participative programs like the entire inmates’ population.