Problem
John is 35 years old. He has been incarcerated off and on for the last 20 years. His criminal record indicates that he has mostly served time for property offenses including burglary, fraud, and vandalism. One day, John is in the dayroom playing cards with some other inmates. He has lost several hands of poker and he now owes another inmate, David, $50.00 in the commissary, which is money John does not have. John gets angry and accuses David of cheating. David jumps across the table and hits John in the face. Two more inmates jump in to assist David. It turns out that John owes them commissary, too. During the fight, John falls backward and hits his head on the concrete floor. Correctional officers break up the fight and they call EMS to take John to the hospital. Doctors determine that John has a traumatic brain injury that will require an operation. John recovers from his injury, but the frontal lobe of his brain sustained permanent damage. After his injury, John frequently violates institutional rules. He often refuses to comply with the orders of correctional officers and staff. In addition, he has been involved in two additional fights since his injury.
Task
i. Do you think John's behavior is linked to his injury? Why or why not?
ii. Do you think John should be punished for his behavior? If so, what type of sanction would you give him? Explain your answer.
iii. As the prison warden, you must maintain the safety and security of your facility. How would you deal with John's behavior?