Punishing Many Prisoners for the Actions of One

In my last post, I wrote about the knee-jerk reactions of the legislature and courts when they generalize punishments to large groups of people because of the actions of one, or a few. This occurs through elevated sentences, post-sentence consequences, and restrictions on citizens' Constitutional rights. But as I write this, I am personally experiencing generalized punishment by prison officials. 

Yesterday, a corrections officer was assaulted in another housing unit by a single prisoner. I don't know any of the details of what occurred, other than that this was the same officer who was recently transferred out of our housing unit because he violated prison rules. Apparently, as he was leaving the unit where he was assaulted, some prisoners from our small yard cheered. They found pleasure in his harm. It's not something I would have joined in or condoned, but I get it. This officer goes out of his way to make prisoners' lives miserable. 

An hour after this incident, prison administrators decided to put our housing unit on lockdown. At 3:50PM all 240 of us prisoners were locked in our cells as punishment for the actions of a small group of prisoners. Here it is 9:00AM the next day, and we are still locked down, likely until later today, probably this evening. We are all being punished for the actions of one prisoner and the gleeful response of a few others. 

The duplicity of this oppressive behavior is glaring. Corrections officers routinely make fun of or laugh at prisoners. I have written before about hearing officers mocking mentally ill prisoners. When this occurs, not only are the individual officers not disciplined, but the entire staff are not disciplined for the actions of one person. Apparently unempathetic, mocking behavior is okay for those in power, but it is not for the rest of us. 

I get it. Prison isn't meant to be pleasant. But prison sentences themselves are the punishment. We are not meant to be punished, even oppressed, within that punishment. Societies are judged by how they treat their most vulnerable. If our society decides it is okay to treat unfairly those of us who have lost most of the power over our lives, we have much to fear. Oppressive behavior should never be tolerated, especially among those in power. 

With the commonness of such behavior among those in power, it's no wonder our society has lost its faith in law enforcement and the criminal justice system. People can see the writing on the wall -- abuses of power will not contain themselves within inner city streets or the walls of prisons.