Question

What was the impact on prisoner’s rights following the 1871 case of ruffin v. commonwealth, which ruled that prisoners were "slaves of the state"?

a. inmates lost all citizenship rights, including the right to complain about living conditions
b. inmates lost all citizenship rights but retained the right to complain about living conditions.
c. inmates regained all citizenship rights and were allowed to complain about living conditions.
d. inmates regained all citizenship rights but lost the ability to complain about living conditions.

Answer 1

The 1871 case of Ruffin v. Commonwealth ruled that prisoners were 'slaves of the state,' which drastically curtailed their rights, including the ability to legally complain about living conditions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The impact on prisoner's rights following the 1871 case of Ruffin v. Commonwealth was significant. According to this ruling, prisoners were considered "slaves of the state," which implied a severe limitation on their rights. Option A is incorrect as inmates did not lose all citizenship rights. Option B is incorrect as well because although their rights were severely curtailed, they were not completely stripped of the ability to challenge living conditions.

Option C is incorrect, as inmates did not regain all citizenship rights. The correct answer is Option D because while prisoners did not regain all citizenship rights, it made it very clear that an inmate could not utilize legal means to improve living conditions, essentially losing the ability to complain about them or seek redress.