What Rights Do Prisoners in General Have?
Prisoners obviously do not have all the rights of an ordinary citizen. Besides being confined within certain boundaries, prisoners who were convicted of committing felonies could be deemed ineligible to vote. However, there are some rights that are so universal that they extend to every citizen, including prisoners: • Prohibition of Cruel and Unusual Punishment – though the state and federal governments are authorized to put those who are convicted of committing a crime in prisons, they may not do with them as they please (e.g., prisoners cannot be tormented or neglected). Prison officials must afford prisoners a minimum standard a living. Simply put, this means prison officials must make living conditions habitable for prisoners by providing shelter, food and water, and proper medical care. • Due Process – prisoners must be afforded the chance to participate in the appeals process as well as the parole process. Basically, that means that a prisoner has to be given a chance to apply fo
