...History of Penitentiaries Penitentiaries started in the 18 century in England and wales and have been developing ever since. Jeremy Bentham and John Howard's play an important role of how penitentiaries and prison started. Penitentiaries systems are developing over the years as punishments towards prisoners too. There are different ways of penitentiaries prisons for example; The Auburn and Pennsylvania which both have a distinct process and way of treating their prisoners which I will describe further. The history of penitentiaries started in the eighteenth century, British society started to move away from corporal punishment and toward imprisonment with the hope of reforming the mind and body. These changes ultimately helped to form the way for penitentiaries throughout the world and the rest of Europe. According to Jeremy Bentham there are three different types of prisons. Using John Howard's work as a base he developed three types of penitentiaries prisons. The types of prison were House of Safe Custody, the Penitentiary House, and the Black Prison. Each had a different level of treatment for the prisoners; the House of safe custody didn’t imprison those individuals who had short sentence to serve. Penitentiary house is the next step after the house of safe custody. This one is where temporary imprisonment occurred. After that comes the black prison. “In the Black Prison, to strike terror into the hearts of its inmates, two skeletons were to lie slumped together one...
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...The Purpose and History of Penitentiaries Would you be able to envision what it would be like if we lived in a world where there are no consequences for law and or rules that have been broken? Our current Criminal Justice System is the aftereffect of changes that have occurred over a period of time. Throughout the years, components have been created to uphold rules and regulations and laws as well as punish criminals. Throughout this paper I will discuss the history of punishment and how prisons were developed. The impact and involvement of prison labor overtime and the Pennsylvania and Auburn system. History of Punishment Penology the study of punishment evolved in the 1950s. During this rehabilitation replaced the punishment of offenders and became the main objective. Also during this time the term penology was replaced by the term corrections. Corrections is defined as the supervision and monitoring of offenders, the secure holdings of inmates in prisons, and the treatment of problems such as drug addiction, mental illness and other services (Seiter, 2014, “Chapter 1, The History of Crimes and Corrections, What is Corrections?”). In the eighteen century an Italian theorist founded the classical school of criminology. His first theory of crime causation was linked to appropriate punishments. “Beccaria suggested that the purpose of punishment is utility or the prevention of crime. Included in his principles are that crime is an injury to society, that prevention is more...
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...The Purpose and History of Penitentiaries Vanessa Waller CJA234 March 30, 2014 Professor Jeffrey Newton The Purpose and History of Penitentiaries Development of the penitentiary system came about due to the cruel and unruly way punishment was given to criminal offenders, so more secure ways to house criminals were necessary. Before incarceration became the standard there were various other forms of punishment used in order to curb and deter crime. The Code of Hammurabi, “an eye for an eye,” was believed to be the first law established for dealing with crimes. This retributive punishment led to centuries of cruel and harsh techniques, many of which were just short of torture, for attaining “justice.” However, in time, these methods would be considered inhumane and inadequate in preventing unlawful acts. Eventually, the Walnut Street Jail was founded and would be the first proper American prison institution, with far less severe methods in dealing with offenders. Two different systems came into creation; the Pennsylvania and Auburn systems. But the key consistent factor in these early systems lied in use and profitability of using inmates for prison labor. In the early eras before prisons were fully established punishment for offenders were unsympathetic and brutal. Sentences of deadly, physical force contributed as the common potency for retaliation. Although fines were occasionally offered, they may have well been obligatory since corporal retribution was the norm....
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...Purpose and history of penitentiaries Name Date CJA/234 Introduction to Corrections Instructors Name History of Punishment History of punishment exists since of thousands of years. Though, it is very tough to decide when exactly human civilization started punishment system. There are some records to support the start of punishment system. The earliest legal code may have been that of Ur-Nammu, Founder of third dynasty of Ur at about 2050 BC. In this legal code actually a person will have to pay for something he does wrong. Usually the payment will be done in Silver Mina. Later, In Samarian records there was actually death penalty was given at murder trial. In the “Law of Eshunna” the upper class and lower class were given different punishment. This law use to cover every aspect of social life including marriage, divorce, Loans etc. The punishments were in form of monetary. The code of Hammurabi written around 1750 BC. By this code, abiding principle was Talio which has to do with mutilating the part of the body which has committed crime. In the kingdom, the legal rights and judicial process were available for everyone. But slaves and prisoners of war were not...
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...Crime has existed in the world as long as human beings have walked on it. When there is a crime there must be a form of punishment. A form of punishment must exist when a person commits a crime, he or she must be taught a lesson to prevent the crime from occurring again. To understand how punishment was developed a person must start from the beginning. This essay will discuss the history of punishment, the history of prison development, the comparison of the Pennsylvania system and the Auburn system, and last the impact and involvement of prison labor over time. Before discussing the history of punishment one must know what the” term” punishment means. The “term” punishment can be in numerous ways but each “term” possesses the same meaning. One way of defining punishment is, a penalty inflicted on an offender through judicial procedure (Merriam-Webster, 2012). The use of punishment can be dated back to as early as the 1600s. During that era crime in America was punished based on the English criminal codes (Sieter, 2011). Examples of crimes in the 1600s would be drunkenness, stealing something of minor value, and slander (the utterance of false charges or misrepresentations, which defame and damage another's reputation (Merriam-Webster, 2012)). If a person was found committing any of the crimes previously listed he or she would be known as an offender. An offender would receive his or her punishment at the town whipping post or placed in stocks and pillories. Pillories are said...
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...History of Penitentiaries History of Penitentiaries The history of penitentiaries is not only important but also is interesting in the development of the Unites States of America. This paper will discuss the development of penitentiaries as well as how punishment had changed for inmates from the beginning days of penitentiaries to current day. So grab a drink and possibly a snack, and let’s get to it. The penitentiary was a stepping stone in the evolution of the prison. The penitentiary, however, was the first attempt to use confinement as the punishment itself. In England, one of the first models for the modern prison was intended to provide a place of penance for prostitutes. No matter where most of us live in the world the modern day penitentiary has some philosophy and design history. The penitentiary is a place that posted to be clean and healthy for the inmates. In addition, it a place that ensures the punishment the judge gives to the criminals and other punishment while in the penitentiary. The criminals are able to think about his or her wrongdoing and try to accomplish a change in life while incarcerated. The ideal for penitentiary is to keep the criminals off the streets, so that he or she cannot continue to commit crime in the society. Penitentiary ideal purposes were both secular and spiritual. A penitentiary had purposes to be both secular and spiritual. Instead of a penitentiary being all about physical punishment, it was supposed to be a place of humane...
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...and history of penitentiaries Nakethia Polycarpe Introduction to Corrections/CJA/234February 16, 2015 Professor Jason Driver The purpose and history of penitentiaries The history and purpose of penitentiaries started during the year of 1700’s, I have learned and read that the first prison was created to house criminals or anyone who committed an act of crime. During this era, criminals while in jail were expected to read the bible and to concentrate on the crimes they committed. Penitentiary which means (a prison for people convicted of serious crimes), began to be use to help to describe the facilities used to hold the prisoners serving sentences or the place to work off the crime. The History of Punishment The purpose and history of penitentiaries The history of penitentiaries started in the eighteenth century. The punishment was known to be extremely brutal which included things such as torture beatings, branding and mutilation. American colonies based their development of punishment of the English criminal codes as well as the incorporation of the Puritan’s matching of crime with sin or wrong doing. Also, I have researched that bolections of expected community were dealt with several using corporal and capital punishment to help stop violence and bad behaviors. British society started to move away from corporal punishment and toward imprisonment with the hope of reforming the mind and body. These changes ultimately helped to form the way for penitentiaries throughout...
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...The History of the Penitentiary from 1776-Present Lezlie M. Lucas CJA/234 January 6, 2011 Christopher Dericco The Penitentiary in England and Wales The phrase prison is used when relating to the penitentiaries used to imprison criminal persons. Originating in England and Wales during the eighteenth century was the drive for penitentiaries as an alternative for penal compounds. Set into motion during this period, the British culture began to shift from physical penalty and in the direction of internment with the optimism of alteration of the mentality and essence. These modifications in due course helped to lead the system for penitentiaries for Europe and throughout the world (Ignatieff, 1978). In 1776 the United States was successful in becoming independent from England, and during this time the British did not have any outpost to incarcerate persons devoid of it costing a vast amount of money. According to Ignatieff (1978), “Henry Fielding thought it was necessary to find an intermediate penalty, combining 'correction of the body' and 'correction of the mind’” (Ignatieff, 1978, p. 45-46). An innovative book published in 1777 by John Howard, "The State of Prisons in England and Wales" (Ignatieff, 1978, p. 46) provided crucial information on the condition of penitentiaries and the inmates confined there. Subsequent to reading his book, society’s attention was changed direction regarding the penalizing circumstance in England. Recognized as the founder...
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...Executions were elaborate and shocking affairs, designed to act as a deterrent to those who watched. The 1700s were considered the colonial period and no true legal system existed within the United States at the time until the American Revolution. Many felons were transported to the American colonies where they will serve out their sentences in hard labor. Long-term prison sentences in Houses of Correction (prison) were also more widely imposed toward the end of the century (The British Library, n.d.). Prison is a term describing the facilities used to incarcerate convicted individuals and penitentiary describes the type of building. The debate to inaugurate penitentiaries instead of prisons began in the eighteenth century in England with the idea to replace corporal punishment with imprisonment with the prospects of reforming the mind and body. These transformations of the penitentiaries had a positive result throughout the world and the rest of Europe (Jackson, 1997). The theory started in 1787 when a group of well-known Philadelphians expressed their concerns of the conditions of the American and European prisons. Dr. Benjamin Rush, Father of American Psychiatry, proposed the idea to build a true...
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...The Prison System CJS/200 October 24, 2010 Monty Mathis The Prison System History of the prison system Prisons back in the 16th and 17th centuries were used to punish people who could not pay their taxes, and rent among other things they were called Debtor’s prison these were a form of a work house. A public display of punishment for a convicted criminal such as stock’s even branding. In the 18th century this is when the public started opposing the death penalty except for serious crimes such as murder. From the mid 18th century to be imprisoned meant hard labor for those who committed petty crimes. By 1777 John Howard (namesake of the Howard League) chastises the prison system as being filthy, barbaric, and disorganized. (Howard League, 2006) The Great Penitentiary Rivalry involved the state of Pennsylvania and the state of New York. And, each state believed that the system they had in place was the best system to address the constant issue of overcrowding. Pennsylvania constructed two new prisons; the Western Penitentiary and the Eastern Penitentiary. Their system was based on the concept of silence as a virtue (Gaines & Miller, 2009). In Pennsylvania the inmates were kept separate from one another and the only contact they had was with clergyman and staff. New York’s Newgate Prison, built in 1791, was operated the same as those in Pennsylvania except they were able to eat together – in silence. Although there are different types of systems in place today, both...
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...For my Public Sacred Spaces Assignment, I chose to visit the Eastern State Penitentiary. This Penitentiary was opened from 1829 through 1971. The cost of admission was fourteen dollars per person. I purchased the tickets at full price although there was a slightly lower price when using a student i.d. (I did forget about purchasing with a student i.d.). Since this was my first time visiting during the day (in a previous year I did attend the Terror Behind the Walls attraction), I was a bit nervous. All of the employees I met upon arriving were very welcoming. My tour guide was very welcoming too, but a bit nervous because she was a new tour guide. Before starting the tour, I had the freedom to walk around and browse the museum gift shop. In my group, there were around twenty people that varied in ages from young children to senior citizens. Multiple tours going on during the same time, this gave...
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...Penitentiary Ideal and Models of American Prison CJS/230 April 27, 2014 Penitentiary Ideal and Models of American Prison The Eastern State Penitentiary ideal was supposed to be both a spiritual and non-spiritual place of punishment, mostly created and intended for repentance. The punishment that was delivered was to be considered humane, as opposed to physical, corporal punishment delivered in the jails. (Foster, 2006) The idea of the penitentiary was to create a particular punishment that would be considered a common upon all serious offenders. It was intended to replace the many different types of punishment that was handed down by the Judges when prisoners were sentenced to jail. One goal of the penitentiary was to be a completely different concept than that of a jail, the vision was for the penitentiary to be a clean and humane place where inmates could be housed. Inmates were kept separate and away from each other, in solitary confinement in an effort to help them maintain a clean body and clean spirit. Discipline that was used in the penitentiary was intended to correct the inmate’s behavior by strictly enforcing particular rules. The penitentiary model allowed prisoners to be productive by laboring and making handmade items, such as shoes and leather goods. Prisoners were just not permitted to just sit around all day; similar to what was happening in the jails. Although, the penitentiary was a secular place, it was created with a more spiritual intent. The...
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...History of State and Federal Prisons The history of state prisons start with the concept on which the institution was based upon, the penitentiary. The penitentiary was based on the eighteenth-century legal reforms where scholars searched for a more humane and reform-oriented alternative to death and other physical punishments that seemed inhumane, according to our textbook. (Foster, 2006) In the late 1700’s, principles of isolation, work, and humble attitudes were instilled upon inmates in order to change the nature of confinement. Some penitentiaries incorporated large open spaces with a glass-top ceiling for better lighting and to help cut costs of electricity. This also helped officers to supervise inmates. The early 1900’s and the Great Depression brought forth agricultural prisons, which included gigantic plantations and farms where inmates could work. This idea developed into inmates working in other areas, such as public roads, clearing forests, and other public projects where inmates earned the name of slaves. Maximum security was the norm for the early penitentiaries, which included high walls, guard towers, cell blocks stacked in tiers, and massive concrete and steel construction. Prisoners were controlled with isolation and high levels of intimidation. (Foster, 2006) Federal prisons began in 1930 however, before this date federal prisoners served their time in state and local institutions. There weren’t many federal crimes or federal criminals back...
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...History of state and federal prisons The histories of the state and federal prison systems have some connections which both systems has something distinctive. The State is usually operated by the state governments and consists of prisoners that are considered blue collar criminals and the federal systems are mainly associated with white collar criminals. Both prison systems have security levels which include minimum, low, medium, and high levels of security. History of punishment dates back to the origin of various civilizations. The former colonial criminal edicts were a inquisitive blend of English barbarity, religion, and pragmatism. Ever since the beginning of the world people have devised ways to punish individuals who commit offensive and intolerable acts. The idea of prisons however came later and the use of jails and detention methods was seen as more humanitarian process when compared to formal corporal methods to punish an offensive individual. In 1700 century the former philosophy of prison was presented and was accepted widely. In 1790 first ever prison was constructed in United States named as Walnut Street Jail. As the time went by the framework and processes of prison systems were devised and by 1930 The Federal Bureau of Prison was developed by congress that was headed by President Herbert Hoover .The original impartial United States prison was an old army penitentiary at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and started accommodating offenders in 1895 (Keve,1995). In1880s...
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...(Americanprisonsystem.com, 2009). The penitentiary was a stepping stone in the evolution of the prison. The penitentiary, however, was the first attempt to use confinement as the punishment itself. In England, one of the first models for the modern prison was intended to provide a place of penance for prostitutes. No matter where most of us live in the world the modern day penitentiary has some philosophy and design history. The penitentiary is a place that posted to be clean and healthy for the inmates. In addition, it a place that ensures the punishment the judge gives to the criminals and other punishment while in the penitentiary (Foster, "Chapter 2/The Penitentiary Ideal," 2006). The criminals are able to think about his or her wrongdoing and try to accomplish a change in life while incarcerated. The ideal for penitentiary is to keep the criminals off the streets, so that he or she cannot continue to commit crime in the society. Penitentiary ideal purposes were both secular and spiritual (Foster, "Chapter 2/The Penitentiary Ideal," 2006). A penitentiary had purposes to be both secular and spiritual. Instead of a penitentiary being all about physical punishment, it was supposed to be a place of humane punishment for wrong doers. Instead of prisoners being bunched together, the true penitentiary was meant to have them separated from each other to avoid contamination of the body and spirit. I personally think that a penitentiary should be more like a place...
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