Law enforcement is, without a doubt, one of the most virtuous occupations. However, the apparent contradictory battle between the rescuer mindset, designed to protect the rights of all people, be they innocent or guilty, and implementing fundamental beliefs has made the job tremendously more difficult. While police officers and departments have the legal defenses of due diligence, rationality, and proper training in the judicial system, many fail to comply with the requirements.
One of the most vivid examples of failing to train is the City of Canton v. Harris case. According to the case, while in custody, Geraldine Harris experienced health problems, and no police officer called for medical help, resulting in further hospitalization (Case: City of Canton v. Harris, n.d.). Consequently, in 1989 the Supreme ruled that the actions of the local government and poor training resulted in intentional disregard of the constitutional rights (Case: City of Canton v. Harris, n.d.). As a result, the significance of this case is a massive reminder of the importance of police officers’ proper training. In this respect, the new Supreme standard was later introduced that indicated the instances where parties can be liable for constitutional violations (Case: City of Canton v. Harris, n.d.). As has been mentioned, the aim of the agency employees is to show complete integrity, whether it is the case with an innocent citizen or a culprit.
Hence, the dedication to a thorough training program significantly impacts the institution’s successes and failures in protecting against constitutional rights violations and court cases. The significance of the given case contributes to the overall awareness of the issue and the introduction of new measures. In this case, the Supreme Court introduced the new standards that clarify when parties can be prosecuted for constitutional violations due to a failure to train.
Failure-to-train cases are not as unusual as they might seem. The incidents involving police officers’ abuse of power and unfair treatment due to poor training are pretty frequent, resulting in court cases. In this respect, inadequate training leads not only to the distorted administering of justice when the rights of people who pose little to no threat to society are violated but the overall worsening of the mental and physical health of these individuals.
The examples of such cases when physical and mental health resulted from failure to train are provided further. In the first case, Saher shares his story of being an inmate in the Bexar County jail over the course of almost two years. The experience of Saher exemplifies how inmates with mental conditions are frequently mistreated, mainly if they are religious minorities or immigrants. According to the story of Saher, a police officer named Mr. H. was violent toward the inmates, who not only abused his power and used it as an excuse to yell at men but also almost drove Saher to suicide (Saher’s story: A young man’s suffering in Bexar, n.d.). Another story, shared by Pauline Latu, illuminates the harsh conditions and attitudes toward pregnant inmates. According to Latu, even when pregnant, she was shackled and had to wear a chain around her stomach (Shain, 2012). Pauline was shackled to her bed even after hospitalization due to a dangerous condition. Latu was a pregnant woman charged with embezzlement and still received harsh treatment.
Hence, such a violation of constitutional rights due to a failure to train police officers presents a concerning matter. As can be seen from the discussed cases, many people’s rights can be violated regardless of their charges. Moreover, in some cases, inmates might be violated even on the basis of their religion, mental health, and ethnicity. Thus, such matters are of vital importance, urging for action.
References
Case: City of Canton v. Harris. (n.d.). Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse. Web.
Saher’s story: A young man’s suffering in Bexar. (n.d.). Texas Jail Project. Web.
Shain, K. (2012). Unchain my heart: The shackling of pregnant women in prison needs to stop. Rewire News Group. Web.