Saturday, November 9, 2019

Fire Incident Happen In World Trade Center Environmental Sciences Essay

1.0 IntroductionHigh-rise edifice has become big portion of people and assets exposed, particularly for the big figure of high-rise edifices presently building in Asia and Middle East. Harmonizing to Hall.J.R. , ( 2005 ) reference about tower block edifice has lower hazard of fire per unit floor country. So this thought has brought and changed human perceptual experience advanced about building engineering. Mention to US NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, the edifices which have height more than 23m defined as tower block edifice. When constructing construct higher and higher, fire safety demand to be concern because it will impact the deliverance mission and fire combat operation. Evacuation procedure is of import assist people escape from edifice.2.0 Issue StatementIn recent old ages, fire onslaught in high rise edifice has become the common issue which cause many civilian deceases and injured. Civilians who stayed in high rise edifice were unable to get away because they located at high d egree from the land. On behalf the fire incident happen, fright besides has caused the job which makes them unable to get away. Although fire exigency issue are provided, it is excessively slow for civilian staying in the top floors of the edifice to get away. The opportunity of them to get away is low. Another job is trouble for fire combatants to make the upper floors. For illustration, the highest fire truck ladder can merely extends to the eight floors. In order to snuff out fire above that point, fire combatants must mount up many of stepss along with fire hosieries and other heavy equipment. High-rise edifices are designed to be safe. When come to many civilian stay at tall edifice, exigency response is become more hard to evacuate civilians out of the edifice. What tallness is considered tower block? Refer to paragraph 3.3.28.7 of the Life Safety CodeA ® , 2006 edition, defines a high-rise edifice as a edifice more than 75 pess ( 23 metres ) in tallness which measured from the lowest degree land floor entree to the floor of the highest of the edifice. Earlier to 1999, the National Fire Incident Reporting System ( NFIRS ) coded edifice tallness in scopes which considered as tower block such as 7-12 narratives, 13-24 narratives, 25-49 narratives, and 50 narratives or more. Get downing in 1999, NFIRS Version 5.0 permits the exact tallness to be recorded. It is besides possible to separate between height above land and entire tallness. In maintaining with the Life Safety Code definition, a tallness above land of seven or more narratives is used to specify tower block from 1999 on. There are many instances related to fire incident. For illustration, the incident go on on Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City wholly collapsed merely over one hr after fires raged in them upon the clang of two aeroplanes into them on 11 September 2001. This entire incident caused 2795 dead. Harmonizing to Craven.J. , ( 2001 ) The causes of edifices prostration was due to terrible weakening of the supporting strength of the towers ‘ steel-based supporting construction under impact from terrorist planes and utmost heat. Besides, the high-rise flat fire in Shanghai on15 November 2010 has become attending for people around the universe. This incident has taken 53 people life and injured 70 casualties. This incident was caused by the flicker during welding work. ( YeinJee ‘s Asiatic Journal, 2010 ) Furthermore, there is another fire incident happen in Busan on October 2010. Based on the study, there are no casualties were reported as most occupants were dis persed after the fire broke out. Fire combatants rescued 31 occupants, four of casualties were sent to the infirmary for intervention. Based on the probe, people suspect the cause happen from the fire started at the refuse room on the 4th floor which is extremely flammable wall stuff and strong air currents seemingly fuelled the fire. Based on incidents highlighted, the fire safety design needs to be considered more critically for all the high rise edifice. ( Koreabridge, 2010 )3.0 Research HypothesisThis research survey focused on two key countries which are the demand of fire safety shelter design needed in high rise edifice and to measure the consciousness of residents about fire safe shelter. Fire safe shelter is designed as safety floor which can let residents to remain for emptying. Harmonizing to Snyder.L. , ( 2009 ) mentioned about the shelter in topographic point is designed to let residents to withdraw to a safe country which can protect against heat and fume. That country can be used to help the orderly mercantile establishment of residents, hold residents until first respondents can deliver them, or keep residents until the menace is eliminated. Ever more, refuge countries provided bipartisan communicating systems to reach with first respondents. Recently, there are several Asiatic states such as China and Singapore has developed as many sky scrapers. During the designing procedure, tall edifices must be provided with refuge floors every 20 to 25 floors. These are normally mechanical floors ( no usually occupied infinite ) with at least 50 % of the floor country configured as an country of safety ( 2-hr separations to equipment infinites, no fuel burden, infinite to keep all residents of the floors between refuge floors at 0.3 M2 or 3 ft2per individual ) . They are required to be unfastened on two opposite sides so that fume will non roll up. Refuge floors provide a protected infinite for residents to rest or to expect aid, or to traverse between staircases. ( Code of Practice for the Provision of Means of Escape in Case of Fire, Part II, Section 21 Refuge Floors, Hong Kong Building Authority, 1996 ) Refer to Meacham.B. , ( 2006 ) mentioned about demands for refuge floors are comparatively new and are presently found in merely a few edifices. No existent emptyings have occurred but there is some experience from drills that indicates there may be a job when people reach a refuge floor and make up one's mind to wait at that place instead than go oning the emptying. Indeed, the consciousness of residents who stayed at high rise edifice should be considered. Each resident who stays in tower block should responsible to cognize where the safety topographic point is. Owner of the edifice should supply fire safety program and information which can steer residents to get away during fire incident. Fires Safety Drill should be organize by the fire section which can assist people more understand on what state of affairs and to protect themselves. During the drill procedure, occupants gather on the refuge floor such that extra geting residents can non come in. This is a drill procedure where the residents know they are non in danger and that they will be returning to their floor after the drill. Presently, the World Financial Center building in Shanghai incorporates refuge floors and besides uses two observation lifts running on the exterior of the ace columns on diagonal corners of the edifice. These lifts were originally designed to supply express serv ice merely to the observation deck on the top floor. These observation lifts were modified to halt at each of the safety floors to be used for occupant emersion in fires. Alternatively of people need to go from 25 floors to land floor, the better manner is utilizing the closest safety floor even if it was above your place.4.0 AimThe purpose of this research is to entree the demand for fire safety means in high rise edifices.5.0 Aims1 ) To detect how best to better fire safety by utilizing fire safe shelter. 2 ) To suggest solution on how to incorporate the fire safety design in high rise edifice.6.0 ScopeThis research discussed the design of shelters to protect against fire onslaught. The design of such shelters requires attending to jobs such as the figure of residents remaining or working in such edifice and besides the weight of the edifice which affected the design of shelter. The used of this fire safety system can take to better protection in order to cut down hazard of danger from residents. Besides, the counter measured for high rise edifice fire besides needs to be considered to cover with big hazard as follows, 1. Fire safe shelter design in tower block edifice 2. Emptying7.0 MethodologyIn order to accomplish the aims that have been stated, the research was carried out in measure by stairss. First of all, place the aims and range needed for this research. Secondly is followed by carry oning literature reappraisal about issue on fire incident happen in high rise edifice and the map of fire safety shelter presently use in the tower block edifice. This procedure helped in better apprehension on the research subject and integrated the cognition to the proposed topic. Besides, professional interviews with the designer and applied scientist besides conducted related to the fire safety shelter in safety design.8.0 Literature Review8.1 Issues ( Case Study ) Fire incident happen in World Trade Center in New York City Fire incident happen in high-rise flat in Shanghai Degree centigrades: UsersAcerDownloadsworld-trade-center-2nd-attack2-9-11-01.jpg Degree centigrades: UsersAcerDownloads11 ( 1 ) .jpg Beginning from Energy Matters ( 2012 ) Beginning from China stillness ( 2010 ) Figure 1 Figure 2 Harmonizing to figure 1, this fire incident was happened on 11 September 2001 in New York City. The United States has faced the cruelest terrorist onslaught in history. Thousands of citizens have been killed and many more injured. This incident has shocked and overwhelmed by the monolithic loss in lives and belongings. Everyone of the citizen in there feels driven to make something to react to the calamity happened. This twin tower of WTC has approximately 417 and 415 metres height. Along with the 110 floors Twin Towers were destroyed or severely damaged, including WTC edifices 3 through 7 and St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. The North Tower, South Tower, the Marriott Hotel ( 3 WTC ) and 7 WTC were wholly destroyed. The U.S. Customs House ( 6 World Trade Center ) , 4 World Trade Center, 5 World Trade Center, and both prosaic Bridgess linking edifices were badly damaged. The Deutsche Bank Building on 130 Liberty Street was partly damaged and demolished subsequently. The two edifices of the World Financial Center besides suffered harm. The incident happened due to the impact of plane clang. A high monolithic detonation created highly high temperature which has weakened the strength of steel beads and increased warp. Mention to Craven.J. , ( 2001 ) has mentioned about the twin towers had redundant design which means if one edifice fail, another edifice carries burden. This twin towers had entire 244 columns each around the cardinal nucleus. Although there are some column damaged, but others could stay support. Due to the go oning fire combustion, the fire spread from one portion to another portion which has weakened floors and began to fall in. The crashed floor increased the impulse which has caused the edifice could non prolong the weight and collapsed wholly. Although the deliverance mission was conducted, but the accomplishments and engineering during current twelvemonth was stilled non in advanced, so the emptying mission was failed and many citizens were killed due to enable to get away. Figure 2 has showed another fire incident happened in Shanghai. This incident happened on 15 November 2010 at Jing An territory under redevelopment. This calamity has taken 49 people life. Harmonizing to Shanghai News ( 2010 ) has discussed about the fire happened was caused by unaccredited welders improperly runing their equipment and enkindled fire to the staging and light plastic webs which is extremely flammable. The fire started firing at the roof and continued spread the fire to plastic webs around the edifice. Based on the issues have been discussed, fire safety is critical of import to guarantee residents who stayed in tower block edifice are protected. In order to minimise the hazard, fire safe shelter is strongly recommended to plan in tower block edifice. This design may alter to better state of affairs when fire happen.8.2 Refuge floor ( Fire safe shelter )Refuge floor is a particular design recommended to put in in tower block edifice to protect residents for temporarily gather and delay for evacuate in instance of fire. Based on research inquiry, refugee floor is explained in general. Refuge floors should be installed in all edifices which exceed 25 floors in tallness. Mention to Hong Kong fire section, all refuge floors should follow with the demands as specified in the â€Å" Provision of Means of Escape in Case of Fire 1996 † published by the Building Department. In order to put in refuge floor, demands should purely follow. First is no occupied adjustment or nearby mechanical works room, except fire service H2O armored combat vehicles and affiliated fire service installing works room, at the same degree as the safety floor. Second, the country for safety should non be less than 50 % of the entire gross floor country of the safety floor and height non less than 2300mm. Third, the minimal dimension of the country for safety should be at least 50 % greater than the breadth of the widest stairway go throughing through the refuge floor. Fourth, the country for safety should be separated from the balance of the edifice in conformity with the demands in the Code of Practice for Fire Resisting Construction published by the Buildings Department. Continue by, the country for safety should be open-sided above safe parapet tallness on at least two opposite sides to supply equal cross airing: the unfastened sides should follow with the demands in the Cod e of Practice for Fire Resisting Construction. Next, any stairway passing through a refuge floor should be discontinued at such degree so that the issue path is diverted to go through over portion of the refuge country before it is continued to go out downwards. Furthermore, every portion of the country for safety should be provided with unreal illuming supplying a horizontal luminosity at floor degree of non less than 30 lx and backed up by an exigency illuming system supplying a horizontal luminosity at floor degree of non less than 2 lx. The design of the exigency illuming system should follow with the Code of Practice for Minimum Fire Service Installations and Equipment. Furthermore, a refuge floor should be provided with such fire service installing and equipment as may be required by the Director of Fire Services. Other than that, a safety floor ( other than a roof ) should be served by a fireman ‘s lift. The lift doors should non open onto the refuge floor in normal ope ration and should be locked at all times until automatically released on propulsion of the fireman ‘s switch and eventually is the notices and directional marks should be provided at each floor. ( Fire Services Department, 2012 )8.3 EmptyingPresently, the fire and life safety systems installed in high-rise edifices including automatic fire sprinkler protection, are designed to command a fire and hence lessen the demand to evacuate all residents. In a typical scenario, the residents of the fire floor and the floors instantly above and below it should instantly utilize the issue stairs to fall to a floor degree that is at least several floors below the fire floor, and await farther direction from safety functionaries. Harmonizing to National Safety Council reference about successful and efficient emptying depends on complete preplanning, organisation, and supervising. Planing should carry on based on basic rule. First is constructing emptying organisation. Second is emptying pol icy and programs. Third is sensing and coverage based on fire or jeopardy. Follow by emptying plan coordination is about motion and emptying. Next is communicate to direct motion and emptying and last is review and rating.9.0 DiscussionAfter the literature reappraisal has been conducted, fire safety is strongly recommended to better in order to cut down hazard of decease and hurt. Height has caused the job when the tower block edifice caught fire due to natural catastrophe or human carelessness. Fire safe shelter has been introduced to guarantee the residents can remain from fire onslaught and the possibility to get away from the incident in the shortest clip. Based on this circumstance, the developer should see on the fire safety system in a high rise edifice. Due to the tallness of a high rise edifice, it causes the residents unable to get away straight from the edifice which means they will necessitate the aid from the fire brigade for emptying. Before they can get away from the incident, the design of fire safety shelter known as refuge floor can supply a safe country to the residents. Emptying program should work with refuge floor in order to evacuate the residents out of edifice in a shortest clip. Beside, the consciousness on the fire safety system should earnestly concentrate to all the residents of high rise edifice to guarantee they gain the cognition which can protect them in instance of fire.10.0 DecisionFrom this research, tallness is the issue which need to concentrate and see on the developing a tower block edifice. When fire incident happen, first thing the residents need to make is make n't panic. They should follow direction move to the safety floor and delay for evacuate mission. Therefore, an effectual fire safety system is of import to do certain an equal and effectual communicate system to all the floors. Residents may hold better protection to cut down the hazard to zero.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Xenophobia Essays - Emotions, Fear, Anti-Islam, Islamophobia

Xenophobia Essays - Emotions, Fear, Anti-Islam, Islamophobia Samantha Jacobs Cara Copolla English 101 December 9, 2015 Xenophobia Everyone has a fear of something, this could range anywhere from being scared of the dark, to fear of heights. People are not born with fears; something significant had to have happened for them to become fearful of such thing. Fear is what helps protect our country, without being scared of getting hurt, we cannot protect ourselves. Xenophobia is an intense or irrational fear of people from other countries. Depending on the actions taken because of this phobia will affect if it has a good or bad outcome. If this fear is used for good, then it can help keep this country safe and put security back into the eyes of the American citizens. Maggie Baker says Xenophobia is neither the fear of Xeni, nor of Xena. Rather, it's more about knee-jerk mistrust, dislike, and hatred for people who aren't part of your group Although this may be true, it must be taken into consideration of why that fear was built. Looking at the news it is easy to see that foreigners target America. The biggest historical event that happened was the 2001 terrorist attack on the twin towers. An Islam got onto a plane as the captain and flew the plane directly into the left tower, while this happened another plane was heading towards the white house where thankfully the passengers on the plane understood what was happening and managed to crash the plane before it got to the White House. As this all happened there was live video and as Carla Raisler said I was in OCharleys having a birthday dinner with my daughter and I remember seeing on every television screen the twin towers collapsing and smoke everywhere. As I saw this happening all I could think was how we need to capture the people who did this to us. We are the United States of America and it is our job to provide security, 2,996 Americans lost their lives that day and we need to make sure that it never happens again. In order to provide security we were able to learn from former incidents, such as 9/11, we now have high security at airports and every bag, and person is thoroughly checked. This is not Americans being rude and having hatred for one specific group of people. This is America making sure that what happened all those years ago will never happens again. In the last 15 years there have been over 45 different terrorist attacks in the United States, some have caused more deaths than others but either way that number should not be as high as it is. In 2009 A Muslim psychiatrist killed13 unarmed soldiers while 39 were injured. In 2013 Foreign-born Muslims describing themselves as 'very religious' detonate two bombs packed with ball bearings at the Boston Marathon, killing 3 people and causing 264 more to lose limbs. Just recently on December 2, 2015 a Muslim goes to a Christmas party with his wife and kills 13 people. When situations like these happen on a daily basis how are we as Americans not supposed to be scared? We should not judge a book by its cover, with that being said, we as Americans should not discriminate towards others with certain backgrounds. Not everyone is a bad person and as Theodore Roosevelt said In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people. This is what everyone needs to understand, Xenophobia may be

Monday, November 4, 2019

Answer questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 17

Answer questions - Essay Example As a result of different environmental conditions between Earth and Mars like absence of plate tectonics in Mars, the Olympus Mons cooled forming slopes that were 21km high. This is due to over a million years of cooling. There are several volcanoes on earth that match the characteristic of the Olympus Mons although they are not as big. A good example is the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii. This is the greatest volcano on the planet Earth despite being oversized almost three times by the Olympus Mons. Mauna Loa is also classified as a shield volcano and its 9km in height and 120km across. However, a volcano the size of Olympus Mons cannot be found on Earth because of unsuitable condition for such formations. Radiometric dating is the process of analyzing the radioactive elements in a rock so as to determine its age (Weins, 2002). This dating method is based on the knowledge of radioactive decay whereby an unstable element (parent) breaks down by giving of electrons, neutron or protons to form a new daughter isotope (same element but with different atomic mass). Each particular unstable element takes a predictable amount of time to decay from a parent to a daughter element called half-life (Weins, 2002). The knowledge of the half-lives of different element can enable scientist to determine the age of a rock. This dating technique is most suitable for igneous (volcanic) rock with radioactive elements whose half-lives are known. The presence of different radioactive isotopes in the rock has brought forth the existence of many radiometric techniques each depending on the isotope in question. A scientist can opt to analysis abundant unstable elements found in rocks. Elements like Lutetium-176, Uranium-238, Uranium-235, Rubium-87, Potassium-40, and Carbon-14 are preferred because of their instability, abundance, and known half-life (Dickin, 2005). This method calculates the age of rocks between 100,000 years to above 3.6billion

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Reflection of learning experiences in elmentary ,middle ,high school, Essay

Reflection of learning experiences in elmentary ,middle ,high school, and college attended - Essay Example At first, it was unbearable for me but with time, I adjusted to the strange and dynamic environment. The most memorable moments in elementary school involve the use of cubes. The teacher distributed cubes to all the students to perform simple routines. To me this was an amazing phenomenon although by then it was it was very complex. This was meant to develop the cognitive aspect. However, accomplishing the task was more important at that very moment rather than understanding psychological development and the learning concepts. In addition to that, we had the opportunity to go to the playground. We played different games and sung happily, as we waited for the delicious food that I have not forgotten the smell even today. I am very sure that it was during these times that the aspect of individuality was implanted into me because I would interact freely with others and learned to say no or yes. My social aspect of life was also developed at this point in time. The world of science became so real to me. I enjoyed and envied the much that my science teacher new. They would just teach chemistry and physics without necessarily referring to their books. I thought I was not smart and that my teachers were geniuses, but I letter on came to learn that experience was their main weapon. The next level was so adventurous that I realized I was lying to myself when I thought I would make the best doctor in the world. It was at this point that learning took another dimension and I realized my potentials not as a doctor but as a Lawyer. I was greatly inspired by the way, the teachers were narrating events that happened many years ago with exact dates, gave me the desire to make the best barrister in the world. During the debates, I would make sure I argue my point as a lawyer. The outside learning events were so fascinating that I wished at one point that such period should be

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Presentation+finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Presentation+finance - Essay Example rder to get vital information since one of our objectives of our research was to report truly and fairly on the financial affairs and the performance of the business. Therefore out of all the possibilities we had, we landed an evergreen bar and restaurant a newly established and independently owned business in town. First we wanted to know how the business was financed and how it continues to be financed. But to get an answer to this, we asked for the balance sheet and our main aim was the financial structure in the capital structure of the firm. We found from the financial structure that most of the firm is owned by ‘owner’ unlike outsiders. By â€Å"owners† it means the ordinary shareholders formed 85% of the financial structure. The other 15% represented ownership from preference shareholders. Then on whether the firm uses bank facilities like bank overdraft, we found from the balance sheet that at one point in time the firm used the facility. But we had to obtain confirmation from the bank whether the overdraft was given. This was confirmed to know whether the restaurant sells its products and services at recommended prices. b) We compared this prices with what other similar restaurants are offering. We found out that the firms sells their products and services at slightly higher prices and enquiry were told that evergreen bar and restaurant enjoys and enviable goodwill in the area. But goodwill as an asset cannot be measured reliably and therefore we ha to compare the number of customer who visit the restaurant vis–a-vis other restaurants. They exceed the other restaurants and therefore enjoy relative goodwill. We also used the questionnaire method of collecting information to establish whether the customer were satisfied with both he services given whether the price they paid for the goods and services was worth. Our team also wanted to establish whether all daily sales were promptly and accurately recorded and also whether all purchases we

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Logistics Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Logistics Management - Essay Example Logistics management includes channel management, material management, distribution management and supply chain management. Manufacturing and distribution organizations generally use several modes of transportation in the field of domestic and international logistics management. There are four major modes of transports that are being adopted and implemented by the organizations. Transportation is considered as the important link of domestic or international logistics systems. Vehicles that are used in logistics management should have specific necessary properties. Transportation can be defined as the shipment of goods or services from a point of origin to point of consumption through air, road, rail and sea modes. Logistics and freight transportation is important to the economy of a country. Billions of dollars worth of services or goods is being moved by train, truck, barge or ship at any given point of time through international freight transportation process. Transportation in log istics management concerns the movement of goods or services from a source, such as factory, plant or workshop to a particular destination, such as retail stores, customers or warehouses. This transportation or shipments of goods or services can take place via air, water, road, rail, pipeline or cable routes using boats, trucks, trains or plains. The essay will discuss about four different modes of transportation, such as air, water, road and rail. In addition to this, the essay will determine the legal consideration, financial aspects and government actions that are associated with these four different modes of transportation. Discussion Cargo handling is the major objective of a manufacturing and distributing organization in its logistics management process. Cargo handling includes shipment and delivery of goods and services. This cargo handling process is generally done through four major means of transport, such as waterways, roadways, airways and railways. Roadways Logistics Lo gistic trucks are used in roadways logistics management process. Roadways logistics generally play a key role in the cargo handling process even in sub urban, area, small towns and rural areas. Organizations generally use large number of logistics trucks having different shipment capacities. Global business environment has become highly competitive as several manufacturing and distributing organizations are implementing unique operation strategies in logistics management process. Earlier, the organizations were focusing on only high revenue generation and profit maximization. Now-a-days, several leading organizations are focusing on sustainable strategy development process in order to avoid several external and internal issues and challenges, such as environmental issues, legal issues and workplace conflicts. Organizations used to keep logistics trucks with different shipment capabilities in order to supply the shipments of different size. The organizations use trucks with different shipment size based on the amount of orders of several business clients and customers. The operating cost associated with the trucks in the logistics management depends upon the distance of places, size of shipments, size of trucks and amount of equipments used in trucks. Now-a-days, the organizations are using fuel efficient trucks in order to reduce the level of fuel consumption and carbon emission. Fuel consumption and carbon emission are closely interrelated. Hugh consumption of fossil fuel can increase the carbon emission level. Air pollution and several critical human diseases are the major consequences of

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Cost Effectiveness In Prison Management Criminology Essay

Cost Effectiveness In Prison Management Criminology Essay It is unclear what characterizes an offender as elderly. The age of 65 as a marker between middle age and old age was based off of social legislation during the late 19th and early 20th centuries for purposes of determining eligibility for social, retirement or other benefits.19 Many offenders are considered by correctional authorities to be a part of the older prison population, despite being aged 15 years or more below societal perceptions of ages traditionally affiliated with being old. States have applied different factors to gauge the true age of elderly inmates as a result of their continuous exposure to the prison environment. Such factors include the stress and anxiety associated with living in an isolated environment, the degree of mental and physical impairment, and the higher risk of victimization due to the offenders advanced Elderly Inmates: A Growing Trend US- Graying Prison, Canada- Japan- HK- Argument against incarcerating the elderly offender Cost of Incarceration Basic Needs and Programs In the US, the courts have ruled that inmates have rights that are essentially dominated by the basic needs of all inmates. Sufficient nutrition, medical care, and safety are a few of the rights determined by the courts to ensure that basic needs are met. Programs have also been initiated for non-basic needs, for example, educational and training program, work programs and therapy and counseling programs. The programs that meet the basic and non-basic needs of older inmates are essentially the same as for younger inmates. However, there is a difference between what is required to meet the basic and nonbasic needs of younger versus older inmates. The discrepancies exist between and inmates needs which result in specialized programs (Wheeler, 1999). To cope with the needs of an increasing older prison population, states corrections departments have been taking steps ranging from developing targeted programs and activities for elderly inmates to providing specialized geriatric care. In a 2001 survey by the U.S. Criminal Justice Institute, approximately 15 of the 44 participating states and territories indicated that they provided supervised recreational programs specifically designed for older and elderly inmates. And other states have established educational programs on wellness and aging issues as part of an overall preventive care program. Ohios hocking correctional facility offers a 50+ and Aging program, which is designed to address the physical, psychological and social needs of older inmates. Such activities as chair aerobics, adult basic education and GED classes are provided as part of the program, as well as specialized recreational options, including bingo, shuffleboard, horseshoes and a walking program. Pennsylvania h as also provided inmate health care education programs, and has even offered a healthy heart food line, featuring low fat, high fiber foods for inmates (Abner, 2006). Accordingly, opponents are convinced that these specialized programs will needlessly consume the limited corrections and tax payers monies. Health Care Needs Another important factor to consider with respect to the incarceration of elderly offenders is the cost of health care. In a survey of the U.S. Department of Corrections in all fifty states, twenty-seven of the thirty-one institutions that responded identified medical needs and related factors as the most important or significant variable attributed to the cost of aging inmates (Wheeler, Connelly, Wheeler, 1994). Most states estimate that healthcare for an elderly prisoner costs roughly two to three times that for a younger prisoner. In some states, like North Carolina, the average annual cost of healthcare for prisoners 50 and older is four times higher than the cost for prisoners younger than 50. Moreover, while only 11% of North Carolinas prisoners are age 50 and older, the $25 million it costs the state each year to provide healthcare to these aging prisoners constitutes nearly 30% of the states total correctional healthcare budget (American Civil Liberties Union, 2012). In Flor ida, prisoners age 50 and older accounted for a disproportionate share of all medical contacts. While 11% of the total prison population was in this age range, these prisoners constituted 38% of all medical contacts for hypertension, 44% for diabetes, 21% for asthma, and 36% for general medicine (ACLU, 2012). As inmates age and the number of chronic illnesses increases, so does an individuals chance of needing hospitalization and geriatric care. Health problems such as strokes, Alzheimers disease, and other form of dementia that increase with age (Atchley, 1994). These illnesses even require specially trained personnel and twenty-four hour care, the type of care offered in nursing homes. Opponents believe just a few of the health care-related costs that currently and will continue in the future to face correction officials and society if we demand incarceration of elderly offenders and do not allow for alternative methods of sentencing. Housing Needs As the age of older offenders increases, whether from aging within prison or entering prison at an older age, their physical, social, and health care needs change. Therefore, modifications must be made with respect to the prison itself. Clearly, most prisons that exist today were not constructed or designed with the needs of older offenders in mind (Wheeler, 1999). Prison are going to have to be designed or renovated to provide elderly-friendly environments that will meet the physical, psychological, and social needs of older offenders. In the years to come, many of Japans 74 prisons will end up looking like Onomichi, an aging prison about 400 miles south-west of Tokyo that first started catering to older prisoners 20 years ago. A handrail runs the length of the corridor, and makeshift wheelchair ramps are kept at the entrance to the communal baths. There is a portable mattress on hand in case anyone feels faint, along with a wheelchair and, placed discreetly behind a desk, boxes of incontinence pads (McCurry, 2008). In the U.S., at the same time, specialized houing for elderly inmates appears to be another trend. At least 16 states provide separate housing facility for older prisoners (Abner, 2006). These examples indicate that with the aging population, there is a growing demand for barrier-free or elderly-friendly physical environments. Thus, opponents believe that the scare resources will be consumed. Safe Guarding the Older Offender Housing older inmates with the general prison population can place them in an environment that put their safety in danger. Older offenders are outnumbered and more vulnerable to attack. They are viewed as prey by younger, more aggressive inmates (Wheeler, 1999). According to a 2004 National Intelligence Council report (Abner, 2006), the lack of personal protection for elderly inmates, who may be frail and therefore vulnerable to the threats of assault by younger predatory inmates, contributes to the emotional stress and physical deterioration they routinely experience, especially among those who may be already vulnerable owing to chronic or terminal illness and who have few options for change in their environment. Providing housing that will meet the basic needs of older incarcerated inmates or simply providing for their safety is not cost-effective. Therefore, the opponents argue that alternative methods to incarceration should be considered. Training Staff Currently, corrections staff are trained much as prisons have been designed, with young, violent offenders in mind. Older offenders present an entirely different population, with different needs that require special training (wheeler, 1999). Very often, correctional and healthcare staff lack appropriate training and technical expertise and have not been properly trained to treat age-related illnesses, such as hearing loss, vision problems, arthritis, hypertension, and dementia (ACLU, 2012). Therefore, opponents view it is not cost effective to train future and retrain present prison staff to handle a relatively small percentage of incarcerated older offenders. There are less expensive and more effective ways of dealing with these problems. Argument for incarcerating the elderly offender Elderly Inmates Often Are Violent Offenders Studies of elderly offender have tended to categorize older inmates in a number of different ways, such as first time incarcerated and multiply incarcerated (Soderstrom, 1999). Teller and Howell state that first-time incarcerated offenders generally tend to have current sentences resulting from crimes committed against others, often in a spontaneous fashion, and thus do not view themselves as criminals. Conversely, multiply incarcerated offenders typically are locked up for premeditated crimes and do in fact view themselves as criminals (as cited in Soderstrom, 1999). Even the percent of violent crimes among elderly offenders are rather small. In the US, this age group constitutes 5.5 percent of all those arrested. Approximately fifteen percent of those elders arrested involve serious felonies, including murder, sex offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, or drug trafficking (Ronald Jenifer, 2006). Although these percentages are rather small, they do indicate that an identifiable amount of serious crime is being committed by senior citizens, and sometimes these crimes are of a violent nature. Thus, the need to incarcerate some elderly offenders is arguable, given the seriousness of the criminal activity exhibited by at least a proportion of this older criminal subpopulation. Right to Appropriate medical Treatment Already Established The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the rights of inmates to have their medical needs met in Estelle v. Gamble (1976). In this case, the Court stated that deliberate indifference to the serious medical needs of prisoners constitutes the unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain proscribed by the Eighth Amendment. Kratcoski Pownall advocated that whether economically practical or not, it clearly has been established through case law that correctional systems must provide a vast array of health care services, including medical, dental, nutritional, acute, and long term care (as cited in Soderstorm, 1999). Therefore, this is not about the cost effectiveness but the responsibility to ensure that the human rights of all inmates are protected. Specialized Programming and Treatment Already Exists for Elderly Inmates Correctional systems increasingly appear to be responding appropriately to the specialized needs of older offenders (Soderstorm, 1999). In the US, the Federal Bureau of Prisons led the way in implementing geriatric care units for elderly inmates, particularly with its creation of a medical unit for male inmates. This specialized unit had 57.6 percent inmates in the 51 or older category according to 1986 figures. Since the late 1970s, the Federal Bureau of Prisons has designated correctional goals to implement these ideal geriatric unit components. Typical programs in such a geriatric facility have included stress management, health wise, drug facts, and positive mental attitude (Kratcoki Pownall, 1989). Thus, it seems that whether economically practical or not, the Federal prison system has accepted the inevitable need to provide extended and specialized services to the elderly inmate. Problems with Age-Segregated Facilities There are a number of arguments against the use of age-segregated facilities, which would be the most costly of methods to handle elderly inmates. Because of the small number of geriatiric inmates that would truly be in need of age-segregated conditions of confinement, the creation of geriatric courts ande other types of age-segregation treatment in the criminal justice system would stereotype all elderly offenders as being feeble and incapable of withstanding regular incarceration conditions (Cavan, 1987). Furthermore, considerable evidence suggests that older inmates actually provide a stabilizing effect on the general inmate population (Rubenstein, 1984). In fact, McCleery (1961) described the inmate hierarchy as being based on seniority. It appears the older inmates serve as unofficial sources of information necessary for successful prison adjustment by younger offenders who tend to be unfamiliar with or unprepared for the rigors of prison life. It has even been suggested that older inmates are respected by younger inmates for their accumulated wisdom regarding the workings of daily prison life, which alleged allows them to manipulate the correctional system to their advantages (Wiltz, 1973). Furthermore, Kratcoski and Pownall (1989) pointed out most federal elderly inmates had been previously incarcerated, so they certainly were not naÃÆ'Â ¯ve about prison life. Therefore, not all elderly really require incarcerated into age-segregated or move toward a separate geriatric justice system.