Supermax prisons are generally designed to house the most misbehaved inmates, and these inmates are generally locked away in solitary confinement for a majority of their stay (Schmalleger & Smykla, 2015). Mears (2015) mentions that supermax prisons are designed for punishment and seclusion, but these inmates can be released from supermax prisons. Two common ways to get released from supermax are through good behavior and being released from a prison term. Most supermax inmates have proven they cannot conduct themselves as model prisoners, but they are given another chance through showing good behavior in adverse conditions. If the prisoners are unable to change their behavior, they may complete their sentence in the supermax prison. Supermax …show more content…
Although the staff may not have to worry about being assaulted as much, they may still develop mental issues by completely separating themselves from the inmates except only in “control” situations (Schmalleger & Smykla, 2015). It would seem that the staff members in supermax prisons could also get a sense of comfort, which could in turn be very dangerous for them. The staff has complete control over the inmates, and this may make them more relaxed in a place where they need not be relaxed. Overall, supermax prisons can have negative effects on staff and inmates, but they also can have positive effects. The main positive effect would be separating these violent inmates from the general population, and potentially removing key leaders from STG groups. This in of itself can help prevent some of the violence that already occurs in prisons.Supermax prisons are designed for violent criminals who cannot function within the general population of standard prisons (Schmalleger & Smykla, 2015). These criminals generally display patterns of violent and anti-social behavior, and they are segregated in order to maintain order. If my state were planning to build a supermax prison, I would implement certain programs in order for the inmates to potentially be