Inmate Civil Rights:

A Review of Prisoner Rights

When a citizen of the United States commits a crime bad enough to warrant prison time they become subject to the corrections system and their rules and regulations. In a civilized society we recognize that treatment of our inmates must remain humane. This however, does not give the corrections system total unregulated authority over the inmates nor does it allow them to strip the prisoners of certain basic rights. The Supreme Court has granted several rights be granted to inmates. In discussing the rights of inmates the following topics are significant.

1. Legal Rights of Disabled Prisoners
2. Prison Transfers
3. Disciplinary Sanctions and Punishment
4. Mail in Prison
5. Medical Care for Prisoners

Congress defined the legal rights of disabled people by establishing §504 of the Rehabilitation Act in 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. The Rehabilitation Act...