Explain the concept of prisoner rights and their importance in the treatment of inmates.

Explanation should include

• the provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1871
• the importance of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Cooper v. Pate (1964)
• the prisoners’ rights movement and how it affected changes in prison conditions and treatment of inmates (i.e., Eighth Amendment)
• the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) of 2003
• the need for security in prisons and jails and how it restricts the rights of prisoners
• how search and seizure laws are applied by the police vs. by correctional officers inside a prison/jail
• the difference between an inmate right and an amenity provided to an inmate (e.g., basic health care vs. access to a GED program).

Process/Skill Questions:

• What is the relationship between prisoners’ rights and the minimum standards for the local jails and lockups?
• How is search and seizure law different within a prison/jail or a school?
• What is the effect of the Eighth Amendment on prisoners in America’s jails and prisons?