Prison Management sexual harassment
The intake officer should ensure that the inmate is assessed to ensure that he or safe and others are not subjected to any harm. The law requires all prisons to establish a zero-tolerance for sexual abuse of all inmates (Kaufman, 2008). A screening should be conducted during intake to assure their safety from harm or from doing harm to the other inmates. In case the officer views that there is a risk to the inmate, then immediate action should be taken. Maybe, the action ought to consider the supervising of all the inmates to ensure there is a reduced risk for the inmates.
The issue at hand shows that the inmate is just 19 years old but will be staying in the same room with older individuals. Consequently, the individual also has a small body structure, which means that he may not be able to defend himself when he is attacked or undergoing sexual harassment. There is also an already risk as the inmate has already been subjected to verbal harassment. The inmate may go through more harassment from his roommates; such incidences will warrant action from the prison management to guarantee his safety (Kaufman, 2008). The inmate should not be placed in the general population cell due to his body structure and the risk of harm that is likely to face him. The inmate should be placed in a room that has people of the same age. Consequently, the officer should organize another officer to keep checking the progress of the inmate. He should be recorded as a special case with supervision conducted to ensure his safety while in jail. Moreover, the officer should also encourage him to report any harassment incidents that he might face while in jail.
Prison reentry programs
Prison reentry programs focus on ensuring that the incarcerated persons integrate effectively with their communities when they are released. For success, it is important to start early before the inmates are released because it will help them to appreciate themselves as important assets to the community (Case Western Reserve University, 2014). The only way to make sure that the inmates have a safe and successful return to the community is to make sure they have skills and preparation. A successful return usually means that the individuals are not likely to return to their criminal ways. Sometime, the released prisoners may not succeed in returning to the community and may succumb to their previous behavior.
Prevalence of mental health issues in jail may affect the efforts to have successful reentry into the community. The transition from jail to the community usually requires the inmates to navigate some social service systems. These include public assistance, public mental health, as well as, substance abuse services. These inmates usually lose everything that they owned if they were in for a long time and their immediate needs will include food, shelter, and jobs. However, this may not be possible due to issues pertaining to mental health issues (Case Western Reserve University, 2014). Even if the ex-prisoner has someone guiding them or advocating for their needs, there is still a challenge with going back to the community. The mental health issues mean that the community may not accept the ex-inmate as a reformed member of the society. The community may not accept the release of the inmate thinking that he or she wants to go back to his past life. The mental health issue escalates the problem of acceptance especially if the inmate went to prison without having the condition but leaves with it.
References
Case Western Reserve University. (2014). Released inmates need programs to meet basic, mental health needs, study shows. Retrieved Jun. 24 2018 from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140106103737.htm
Kaufman, P. (2008). Prison rape: Research explores prevalence, prevention. NIJ Journal, 259, 1-6.