FLUSH's Founder was pleased to work with Jesse Crosson from the Second Chancer Foundation and FLUSH alumna Ruth Sylvester on writing a brief article! This article focuses on assessing the human rights aspects of WASH in US prisons. This was inspired by our recent article about US Prisons and Alcatraz.
TL:DR - It's not great.
Did you know that the US, despite being one of the world's wealthiest nations, has serious problems with basic human dignity in its prisons? This eye-opening article examines how US prisoners struggle to access basic needs like clean water, working toilets, and private bathroom facilities. Through powerful personal stories from formerly incarcerated people, we learn how prison staff sometimes use access to water and bathrooms as a form of punishment - like turning off water to cells or denying privacy.
These aren't just inconveniences - imagine having to use the bathroom in front of others, including guards of the opposite gender, or being unable to flush a toilet for days. While there are international guidelines saying prisons must provide these basic services with dignity, many US prisons aren't meeting these standards.
Here's the thing - when we deny people basic human dignity, it affects both their physical and mental health. The article shows how these conditions traumatize people and make it harder for them to rebuild their lives after release. The researchers point out that changing this isn't just about fixing broken plumbing - it's about changing how we think about incarcerated people's basic rights. They suggest that even small changes in how we talk about incarcerated people (like saying "person who is incarcerated" instead of "inmate") can help shift perspectives.
It's a powerful reminder that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, deserves to be treated with dignity and have access to basic necessities like clean water and private bathrooms.
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