Euthanization vs. Life Imprisonment and Cruel & Unusual Punishment

So, here's the arguement of the century:

Do we euthanize inmates who are chronic violent offenders or do we leave them in prison for the rest of their lives?

Working at the prison in the medical capacity I have a certain level of compassion for inmates, it's expected of me by the inmates and by the general public. Not a problem for me, I am able to be compassionate without getting compromised. A talent I'm glad the Great Architect has given me.

We recently had an inmate who was very close to his topping out date, meaning he had served his sentence and was soon to be released back into the public. Whatever nightmares he feared most about the outside tormented him until he cracked. He was placed in a holding cell, a cell that is stripped of any item that the inmate could use to hurt himself, where he would be under 24 hour suicide watch until the Psych staff felt he could leave. At one point he became so agitated that he began hitting his head on the floor of the cell and the only way medical staff can get to the inmate is through security staff that has the only keys to open the door. No medical staff is allowed in this cell without security staff present at all times; it's a safety issue. By the time any staff had gotten to him he was bloody, nose hemorrhaging, bruising to his forehead, and possible damage in his brain, that's how hard he was slamming his head into the floor. Needless to say, after a long fight between doctors and nurses, a Psychiatrist agreed to an order for chemical restraints. This is very extreme and does not ever happen in a prison except under very strict guidlines due to the legal ramifications. This was a very extreme and very rare occurance.

After this occasion I began thinking again about our little Mister in the Behavioural Health Unit who felt the extreme need to try to cut his eye out during pill call. After reading his history and our head-banging inmate's activity I began to ask myself why the Psychiatrists weren't monitoring their medications better. Perhaps they were; I am not the doctor. I know that both of these inmates have been in prison for many years so there should have been plenty of chances to adjust their medications accordingly and "get it right" in order for them to function in society, correct? So why were they still having episodes of extreme, violent behaviour that is harmful to themselves and possibly to others? Perhaps there is no explanation, perhaps they just can't be "fixed" and so, because we are a society of "feelers" and very guilt-ridden for having thoughts of "culling", we just lock them up in a prison ward and forget all about them. Easy for the public, out of sight,out of mind.

Now for the employee who has to see this inmate day-in and day-out and watch as they try to function in everyday life inside the same four walls doing the same repetitive activities for the rest of their lives, most of whom have most of a lifetime ahead of them. Now, imagine them in their cells, looking in the mirror every day and every night, or lying on their bunks with nothing else to think or do but conjure ways to hurt themselves, plotting for the next opportunity when they can get their hands on the next razor, or pills from another inmate so they can do themselves in like the voices are telling them to do non-stop every second they are conscious. There are no programs or activities to distract them, they aren't forced to participate in a group therapy session unless they get in trouble by not following the rules of the Unit and so again, they are "invisible" until the day they hurt themselves. The only other option for these inmates with this level of disturbia is keeping them in a constant vegitative state, which again, brings up legal and ethical issues.

The general public cries out about "cruel and unusual punishment" when it comes to inmates and how they are treated in prison or how inmates are put to death. In my opinion, there is nothing more cruel and unusual then leaving someone in a prison where they are tortured every day by people and things that only they can see that continually demand sacrifice from it's victim forever and ever unending for eternity. That's what it feels like to them.

In cases this extreme, is it really so cruel to offer euthanization to the individual? Who are we to authorize whether it is in this person's best interest to stay alive and continue to be tortured for as long as they live without ever having control of their own lives? Where does that type of logic make us a compassionate society that love each other and want to help make this world a better place to live. It's just so much easier for our peace of mind to throw these people away and forget about them, let other people deal with them, then deal with the difficult decision that is our responsibility as a whole to keep this world healthy for the rest.