...Penitentiary Ideal and Models of American Prison ? CJS/230 June ?, 2012 ? Abstract In this overview the following points will be addressed: based on the ideals of the penitentiary, what it should be like, the principal goal of a penitentiary, the differences between the two prison models, the benefits and the drawbacks of those models, and the model considered to be the winning model. Penitentiary Ideal and Models of American Prison Unlike American prisons and penitentiary’s we see today, they were much different as we look back into our history in the early eras of how prisons, penitentiaries, and inmates were handled. Penitentiary is defined as a prison or place of confinement where persons convicted of felonies serve their term of imprisonment. Based on the ideals of a penitentiary it is supposed to be a place of humane punishments instead of the harsh physical type. Furthermore, it was supposed to be a specific punishment. It was to be clean and sanitary in comparison to jails. The most important focus and principal goal of the penitentiary was to practice corrective discipline by the creation of habits of industry by the enforcement of rules. Inmates were to work consistently and not idle. It seemed like good intentions and motive went into trying to organize this type of system. The two prison models according to Corrections: The Fundamentals, by Burk Foster. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc, Chapter 2 reading...
Words: 783 - Pages: 4
...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....
Words: 1146 - Pages: 5
...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...
Words: 872 - Pages: 4
...during the eighteenth-century were held in public. 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...
Words: 1372 - Pages: 6
...4700 History of Corrections The earliest forms of the American Correctional Systems were similar in many ways with those practiced in England. Up until the 1780s, punishment by imprisonment was unknown in Europe or the European colonies. Punishments for criminal behavior tended to be public events which were designed to shame the person and deter others; these included the ducking stool, the pillory, whipping, branding, mutilations and the stocks (woodfin.org 2013). Corporal punishment was inflicted almost exclusively on the lower classes, since the rich were usually able to pay fines instead. At the time the sentence for many other offences was death. Colonialists never considered the possibility of rehabilitation; their aim was to frighten the offender into law abiding behavior. Unlike today where prisons are viewed as instruments of punishment, this has not always been the case. The common jail dates back hundreds of years, but was used solely as a means of detention, a temporary place for the prisoner until acquitted, fined, or subjected to corporal punishment (Schamalleger, F. 2010). Pennsylvania was determined to be different from other colonies. Founder William Penn brought his Quaker values to the new colony, relying on imprisonment with hard labor and fines as the treatment for most crimes, while death remained the penalty only for murder. In 1790 Philadelphia’s Walnut Street Jail became the first prison by the Pennsylvania Quakers. In the Penitentiary Era...
Words: 3118 - Pages: 13
...Purpose and History Amirah Shepard CJA/234 June 9, 2014 Shawna Olachea Purpose and History American culture has always placed importance on punishing people who commit acts unacceptable to the social norms of society. Because of this need, the development of prisons were constructed to house the individuals, so they can serve their time away from free individuals. Prisons are an intricate part of our history, starting from the late 1700’s up until now our system continues to redefine itself based on the needs of society. I will explore the evolution of punishment, prison system and how prison labor impacts over time. Punishment can be defined as the correctional goal with emphasis on inflicting pain or suffering. (Seiter, 2011) Punishment is used as a form of social control, it is viewed, that, a person will refrain from wrongdoing if the consequences impact their freedom. Since the ancient times of the Code of Hammarbi, banishment, and beheading punishment has been a part of how our culture deals with offenders. We can trace back punishment to the colonial days where punishment was based on community opinion and punishment was publicly displayed to ridicule and deter others from such behavior. This type of punishment started to transform into a more organized structure because of enlightened political philosophy, a more humane approach was sought. Incarceration became the vehicle in which the American justice system dealt with deviant behavior. Sir Alex Patterson...
Words: 893 - Pages: 4
...The Purpose and History of Penitentiaries By: Jeremy Rice Imprisonment as a form of criminal punishment only became widespread in the United States just before the American Revolution, though penal incarceration efforts had been ongoing in England since as early as the 1500s, and prisons in the form of dungeons and various detention facilities had existed since long before then. Prison building efforts in the United States came in three major waves. The first began during the Jacksonian Era and led to widespread use of imprisonment and rehabilitative labor as the primary penalty for most crimes in nearly all states by the time of the American Civil War. The second began after the Civil War and gained momentum during the Progressive Era, bringing a number of new mechanisms—such as parole, probation, and indeterminate sentencing—into the mainstream of American penal practice. Finally, since the early 1970s, the United States has engaged in a historically unprecedented expansion of its imprisonment systems at both the federal and state level. Since 1973, the number of incarcerated persons in the United States has increased five fold, and in a given year 7 million persons are under the supervision or control of correctional services in the United States. These periods of prison construction and reform produced major changes in the structure of prison systems and their missions, the responsibilities of federal and state agencies for administering and supervising them, as well...
Words: 938 - Pages: 4
...society. The subject of this paper pertains to research of past, present, and future trends in the development and operation of corrections. In some ways corrections are similar to the operation trends of two decades ago. In other ways the development of corrections has come far compared to corrections in the beginning. Other subjects of the paper include current and future issues for prisons and prison administrators and an explanation for why these issues overwhelm corrections. A last topic for discussion is the roles of alternate corrections as a developing trend. Conditions in the early era were inhumane because of prisoners starving, and trends of punishment were in the form of physical punishment. Examples of this were punishments, such as prisoners hanged, tortured, beheaded, or mutilated. This punishment was popular in England, but it had an effect on its American predecessors. Although the conservative e trend that emerged in the 1970s continued to...
Words: 1552 - Pages: 7
...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...
Words: 1567 - Pages: 7
...Federal Prison Comparison Team A CJA/234 Robin Marmon-Instructor September 22, 2014 There are many different types of prisons and federal penitentiaries throughout the Unites States of America and many of them are l out differently but all possess similar regulations as far as visiting, employment and rehabilitative services are concerned. It makes no difference if; you are young or old in age, have medical issues, race or ethnicity, if you commit a crime you are going to serve time in some type of correctional facility or be state property in some form such as; probation or parole. The type of correctional facility that you will be sent to really depends on the level of crime you commit. If it is a superior level crime you will be sent to a correctional facility but if it is a federal offense you will be set to a federal correctional facility which will each have a different level of security based on how extensive the crime is that you committed. Here is an example of a variety of different federal penitentiaries. General Manuel Noriega, former Panamanian Dictator from 1983 to 1989. Noriega is no ordinary man, after High School he had military preparation at Chorizos Military Academy in Peru. In 1962 graduated with an engineering degree. In 1967, he received counterintelligence training at the School of the Americas at Fort Gulick, when it was located in the U.S. Army base in Panama. Later he was also trained in psychological operations at Fort Bragg, North Carolina...
Words: 2963 - Pages: 12
...Marcus Alexander CJA/234 Introduction to Corrections June 23, 2014 Sherri Webster Jail and Prisons Comparison In the U.S. criminal justice system, when a person is arrested, the first place they are usually taken to is jail. From there, they see a judge and go through a court process. If further incarceration is needed, the individual is sentenced to serve time in either a county jail, state prison or federal prison. This paper will help discuss the history behind the jails and their use in addition to the history of state and federal prisons. While understanding the history of these three correctional facilities it will help to compare the different levels of security and how they work differently in each facility. A major problem in the United States, regarding the corrections system, is overcrowding. The effects of overcrowding are visible throughout the criminal justice system and there are different factors that influence the growth of jail/prison incarceration. The jails of the modern era can be traced back to the 1100’s in England. The first jail created was ordered built by King Henry II in 1166, and the English term gaol was used in place of the word jail (Seiter, 2011). Jails then were also used, as they are now, for the purpose of housing offenders that were waiting for trial, but also took in individuals who were homeless, poor or suffered from mental disabilities. Individuals that are incarcerated in the jails today get 3 meals a day, shelter...
Words: 1871 - Pages: 8
...prisons increase with such rapidity that many people in Black, Latino and Native American communities now have a far greater chance of going to prison than getting a decent education.” I agree with this because the way how the system is set to fail the minority population in ways that it can be very hard for them to survive especially for the males. The environment that they were brought up in can be their downfall because at times they are led to confine into actions that’s they sometimes have no control over. Which is sad because that is the life that they know. “In 1980s during what is known as the Regan era, politicians argued that “tough on crime” stance including certain imprisonment and longer sentences would help keep communities free of crime.” During this time, it is said that more institutions were built due to the mass number of incarcerations, yet it had very little effect on lowering crime...
Words: 559 - Pages: 3
...History of Punishment According to (Seiter, 2011) Cesare Beccaria is known as the founder of the classical school of criminology, the first organized theory of crime causation linked to appropriate punishments. According to (Seiter, 2011) Beccaria suggested that the purpose of punishment is utility or the prevention of crime. According to (Seiter, 2011) Jeremy Bentham is the creator of the hedonistic calculus suggesting that punishments outweigh the pleasure criminals get from committing crime. According to (Seiter, 2011) another way to remove offenders from society was through transportation or deportation. Transportation started in England and was used throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to send undesirables to the colonies in America. According to (Seiter, 2011) the first response to crime in the American colonies was based on the English criminal codes and incorporated the Puritans linking of crime with sin in developing a rigid and strict system of punishments. Violations of expected community behavior were death with severely using corporal and capital punishment carried out in public to deter both individual offenders and the broader community. According to (Seiter, 2011) whipping at the town center whipping post or placement in stocks and pillories was common punishment for minor offenses such as drunkenness, slander, or stealing something of minor value. Pillories were wooden frames with holes for offender’s hands and head. According to (Seiter, 2011)...
Words: 838 - Pages: 4
...engage in sexual intercourse. Often times the visits include family members, such as grandparents or children. The intention for these visits are “designed to help keep families together in an environment that approximates home… and serve as incentives for good behavior, reduce sexual activity among prisoners and strengthen families” (Seversonjan). Nonetheless, recent debates have ensued in state penitentiaries about conjugal visits. For starters, these visits are only allowed to a minority of prisoners who are legally married. Those that aren’t would get jealous about not being able to participate. There are also the dangers of sexually transmitted infections (such as HIV) or unplanned pregnancies. The program is also very expensive, costing the prison and tax payers lots of money. Originally, these visits were used as a bribe in the early 1900’s. Sex was used to push African Americans inmates to work harder in the fields. Still holding true today, conjugal visits are used “more as a way to control inmates than nurture relationships” (Seversonjan). Fifty years ago, during the pre-civil war era, a similar, but harsher system was in effect. Slaves and other minorities were not permitted to marry under US law. Marriage’s regulatory role in the past was denying slave’s matrimony because of marriages symbol of freedom; today the denial of conjugal visits indicates that convict’s marriages are less important than others due to their lower status as a prisoner with fewer rights which positions...
Words: 916 - Pages: 4
...Federal Prison Comparison Matrix Angel Kennedy CJS/255 March 7, 2016 Richard Gilbert Jail vs Prison Is there a difference between jail and prison, and if so, what factors separate the two? The belief each place is practically the same is a common misconception, however; there is one fundamental component in which governs the temporary or permanent placement of an offender. A jail’s and prison’s quality of food, facility resources, and availability of rehabilitative programs are all different, but; “the fundamental difference between jail and prison is the length of stay for inmates” (HG.org, 1995-2016) Jail and Its Place in Corrections The correctional mission of jails today is to use the combination of incarceration and rehabilitative methods to deter criminals from recommitting. Once officers have detained an offender, he or she is escorted to a local jail. Upon arrival, the criminal is taken into the "booking area" where he or she will undergo a process in which will determine placement: finger printing, photographing, stripping of personal property, examination, and bathing. If the criminal cannot make bond due to lack of funds or a bond was not given, the criminal will remain in custody until a trial is set, usually within the first twenty-four hours. According to BI, the average jail stay is twenty-three days, a sixty-four percent increase from fourteen days (2015). Rehabilitative programs are offered to those who have been sentenced to a year or more. The majority...
Words: 1239 - Pages: 5
