...| Prisons | | | | | | Our country has come a long way in the way that it disciplines those who break the laws. Once convicted, criminals can be sentenced to many different punishments depending on the crime they committed. Punishments can range from lenient, such as probation or community service, or more severe, such as jail or prison. Punishments increase in severity depending on the severity of the crime committed. A person who has committed a non-violent crime will have a better chance at seeing a probation sentence than someone who has committed a violent crime. Prior criminal record also plays a role in the sentence an offender receives. Even if the crime committed was not violent, if the offender continues to commit the same crime, their sentence will increase. The main idea behind prisons is to provide a facility that houses individuals being punished for committing a crime. There are several different types of prisons that people may be sent to depending on the kind of crime they committed. The most well-known are medium to high security facilities that are also referred to as general population prisons. These are the penitentiaries that most people would think of, where inmates who were found guilty of crimes ranging from theft to assault and even murder are housed. Minimum security prisons typically house convicted criminals who have not committed a crime of violence against another person. These misdeeds are better known as white collar crimes...
Words: 960 - Pages: 4
...The history of prisons in 1800 Harold Flower CHS/230 December 8, 2011 Vashell Anderson The history of prisons in 1800 Prisons before the 1800’s did not have women prisons. In those days the prison were mixed with men, children and women all in the same prison. The prisons in the 1800’s that held women prisoners were treated just like the men in those prison the women also had to do hard labor which consisted of sewing, laundry, cleaning and cooking. All the women were to act like lady’s but also had to be treated like men in those prisons the women talked about how they were over worked and that they wasn’t fed enough in the prisons of the 1800’s. After the 1800’s the prisons started to change this was depending where and what prison you was in at that time there was no toilets in most cases the toilet was a bucket and it might not have been emptied too often. There were prisoners that didn’t do much at all but sat around and waited to die also at that time the cafeterias were not established so the food was forced through the cell bars and you had to eat what they fed you and it wasn’t much and it tasted really bad. You was lucky to be fed every day in today’s prison you do get three meals a day, schooling, and do jobs that are inside the prison also there are some prisoners allowed to work outside the prison walls, there is clean running water with bathrooms and showers, and the best part is that the prisoners have bunks instead of laying on the ground. In the 1800’s...
Words: 508 - Pages: 3
...The History of Prisons R May 23, 2012 The History of Prisons Both state and federal prisons were designed to serve the same purpose. They are alike in the sense that they both confine criminals. At the same time there many differences in which make each system unique. Both are primarily operated by state governments. Adults convicted of felony crimes may be imprisoned in one of the approximately 1,800 state, federal, local, or private prisons in America. State prisons confine felons with more than a year to serve with an array of offenses. Federal prisons confine federal offenders. State prison systems have been in use since the early 1800’s. The state prison system is made up of several small prisons that house most of the United States prison population. The criminals within the state prison system are charged with an array of offenses from drug offenses to violent crimes and have more than a year to serve. One of the major problems within the state prison system is overcrowding. The use of federal prisons began in the 1890’s. The Federal Bureau of Prisons confines felons convicted of federal crimes and houses pretrial defendants in federal jails in several large cities. At one time, the federal system was considered a model for state systems, but it has suffered from many of the same problems plaguing state systems in recent years, including an influx of drug offenders that has caused pervasive overcrowding and continuous...
Words: 298 - Pages: 2
...History of Penitentiaries Nelly Madrigals CJ234 May 12, 2014 Sidney Hammond History of Penitentiaries The prison system is a very important component of our society. The prisons house and rehabilitate offenders to ensure that once they do get released they will no longer be a danger to the community they live in. In the early 16th century the very first prison opened and through out the centuries the prison system evolved to what we have now. This paper will cover the history of punishment, prison development, a comparison of the Pennsylvania system and the Auburn system, and the impact and involvement of prison labor over time. (Seiter, 2011) In the early 16th and 17th century prisons were used only to hold people meanwhile they are awaiting punishment. Very rarely was prison used as punishment. In these prisons men, women, girls, boys, were all held together no matter what the crime was that they committed. The guards of these prisons were negligent, therefor, people died of diseases like goal fever. In the18th century hard labor and imprisonment was beginning to be seen as the right punishment for petty offenders. Those who were convicted were shipped out to British colonies like America, Australia, and Van Diemen’s Land. Another type of punishment used was a prison hulk, which, were located inside these ships. The ships were anchored in the land and the prisoners were sent out in the early morning to work hard labor, and at night they would be loaded and chained...
Words: 1084 - Pages: 5
...History of State and Federal Prisons Kamiah Merchant CJS/230 6/21/2015 Both federal and state prisons are different in their own way. They also share some of the same values such as crowdiness in both prisons. Both prisons basically share the same purpose and that is to incarcerate those that have done wrong. Prisons confine felons serving sentences of longer than a year. They are operated primarily by state governments, although the Federal Bureau of Prisons confines federal offenders, three large cities operate their own prisons, county jails in several states now hold felons serving long sentences alongside pretrial defendants and sentenced misdemeanants, and private prisons hold contracts to house state and federal prisoners. Since they are both ran by the federal government they all are considered by one name and that is the Department of Corrections. It was established as an office within the federal Justice Department, where it remains today. Some time ago there were not too many federal crimes and very few criminals doing federal prison time. When the Civil War ended both offenses and offenders began to climb at a high. Once many crimes were starting to be committed, our prisons started to overcrowd rapidly. Not only the prisons took on the crowdiness but the local jails did as well. In the federal prison system there were many levels of security. These levels ranged from minimum to administrative security. Depending on the crime you would commit then this was...
Words: 409 - Pages: 2
...The Joliet Prison was over crowed and needed renovating Illinois government decided a new prison was needed and they decided on what is now Statesville which officially opened on March 9, 1925. When it opened “it was considered one of America’s foremost penal institutions”, yet from the start there were problems with administration and the managing of the prison. Through these years of the depression the prison was over crowded the prisoners did nothing and gangsters with political connections took over. It was not until 1935 when Joseph E. Ragen was appointed warden did things change, at that time the warden governed over both Statesville and the Joliet Prison. Ragen was there until 1961; while he was there he made big changes in the...
Words: 795 - Pages: 4
...Francisco Lara CJR 240 March 1, 2011 History of the Prison System Prison is an institution for the confinement of persons convicted of criminal offenses. Throughout history, most societies have built places in which to hold persons accused of criminal acts pending some form of trial. The idea of confining persons after a trial as punishment for their crimes is relatively new. During the 15th century in Europe, the penalties for crimes were some form of corporal punishment like whippings for less serious crimes and execution or enslavement for more serious offenses. In early 16th century England, vagrants and petty offenders were committed to correctional institutions known as workhouses. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the government transported convicted felons to the English colonies. The punishment was thought of as the hard labor to which the prisoners were consigned. It wasn't until the 17th century that the idea that persons convicted of crimes could be punished by confinement and released after a period of time. During the 17th century, England and other European countries like Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands began imprisoning debtors, delinquent juveniles, minor misdemeanant, and felons. Early jails were mostly dark, overcrowded, and filthy. Prisoners were herded together indiscriminately, with no separation of men and women, the ...
Words: 3246 - Pages: 13
...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...
Words: 378 - Pages: 2
...History of State and Federal Prisons Kenneth Washington CJS/230 Theresa Degard History of State prisons The state prison systems of today were founded on the nineteenth-century penitentiary, which was based on the legal reforms of the eighteenth-century Age of Enlightenment. One more name for the state jail is the Department of Corrections which has quite a lot of security levels. For jails there is maximum security which is one earliest as well as the biggest. Additionally, it has much security in order to protect the inmates. Also there is higher security which is a bit less rigid like the maximum security. Next there is medium security that several states have in the smaller and jails which is more constructive. Additionally, in place of walls there are fences. Typically the prisoners are not as harmful having fewer people who break free. Also there is minimum security in the jails which normal contain the rooms and dormitories. Moreover, there are lots of security guards too. Typically individuals with less serious sentences as well as brief sentences are put I minimum security. Lastly, we have the open security jails that contain work -release programs, society based services, in addition to half way homes. These kinds of programs with the jails overpopulations in addition to attempting to rehabilitate the culprit and prepare them back for community. History of Federal prisons The federal jails were signed into by President Hoover...
Words: 377 - Pages: 2
...History of State and Federal Prisons Joshlyn Aday CJS/230 John Feltgen November 14, 2013 Since the beginning of the criminal justice system, when the English brought over the concept that is the foundation for our criminal justice system today, there has been a sought out concept: There must be a reason for punishing criminals other than simple vengeance. This usually happens within the criminal justice system, but not often do people have to pay for the crimes that they’ve done. As a result, the first penitentiaries, predecessors of prisons today, were built with a view to behavior modification procedures (Foster, 2006). Today we have these institutions called state and federal prisons. They’ve had their number of changes throughout the years for modification. Just as any one thing throughout the world, they have their differences as well as their similarities. Looking to the past, we can pinpoint some sort of starting line for the development of what we call the prison system. In Norfolk, England circa 1875, nearing the end of the Age of Enlightenment, Sir Thomas Beever announced the grand opening of Wymondham Gaol. Towards the end of the Enlightenment, the Western civilization, looking inward, believed it was more civilized and reformations began to touch every aspect of life, including dealings with criminals. Belief in the scientific method drove society to find more humane ways of dealing with the lawless while perhaps transforming these into law-abiding, productive...
Words: 679 - Pages: 3
... 2012 Joyce Allman CJS/230 George Brothers History of State and Federal Prisons The state prison system has been in existence since the early 1800’s with the building of Sing-Sing prison. Sing-Sing prison is one of the oldest state penitentiaries in existence today and is still in use. The state prison system is comprised of a network of small prisons that hold most of the United States prison population. Since the beginning of penitentiaries in each state growth has been a rising issue. Many states have to provide millions of dollars to their prison systems. The original history of the federal prison system started back in the 1890’s but it was not until 1930 that president Hoover signed a bill establishing a federal prison system that would actually start the building of actual federal facilities. The federal system had been relying on the state and local levels of government to house their prisoners. This served a huge purpose in the federal system because it would ease the payment of prisoners being held at the state and local levels. The growth of the federal system continued to rise since the United States government created more federal laws with the times of bank robberies and white-collar crimes. Within the federal prison system, there are some security levels, which classify prisoners and institutions as minimum, low, medium, high and administrative. The main type of criminal in the federal prison system today is a drug seller and or a political person...
Words: 282 - Pages: 2
...History of State and Federal Prisons Latoya Morris CJS/230 6/25/2014 Anthony McBride History of State and Federal Prisons History of State Prisons. Today, the state prison systems are based off of the legal reforms in the 18th century, but founded in the 19th century. The state jail has held another name for the recent years which is the Department of Corrections and with that it holds many levels of security that is needed for the separation of different prisoners. The three levels of security are maximum, medium, and minimum security. Each level has a different way of handling and dealing with the inmate and not overstepping boundaries to make sure that inmate is treated accordingly. The state prison also has a lot of security guards. There are programs and society services that help the inmate with rehabilitation such as work release programs and placing them in a halfway house to get them back on their feet and acclimated to society and the communities. History of Federal Prisons. The federal prisons are under the administration of President Hoover in the early 1930s. Federal prisons did exist in the 1890s but there was no core system to make sure that these prisons were being run accordingly. Not many federal crimes were executed till after the civil war, so they really didn’t have a use for a federal prison. The new system was brought up and made up of multiple institutions with thousands of inmates. The federal prison is similar...
Words: 369 - Pages: 2
...History of State and Federal Prisons Melissa Undisclosed Raymond Delaney Jr. CJS/230 May 11, 2012 University of Phoenix History of State and Federal Prisons The prison system today is run by both the State and Federal Government. The State and Federal Government has known to be a very strict authority that watches our prisons closely. The State and Federal Prison Systems have a lot of similarities with a few differences. Both of these systems are unique in their own kind of way. In this paper, I will guide you through the history of State and Federal Prisons, along with their uniqueness. The State Prison System has been around since the early 1800’s, and was ran by the State Government. What I find really unique about the State Prison System is that they classified their criminals as “Blue Collar Criminals.” The Federal Prison System started back in the 1890’s, but actually wasn’t signed until the 1930’s. In the 1930’s, the Federal Prison System was established and they started the construction of actual “Federal Facilities”. The Federal Prison System classified their criminals as “White Collar Criminals”. The State Prison Systems consists of different levels of security; minimum, low, medium, and maximum. The facilities decide where they need to put the inmates depending on the severity of their offense and depending on their prior history being incarcerated such as trying to flee or escape if applicable. Minimum security facilities usually hold criminals that classified...
Words: 645 - Pages: 3
...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...
Words: 371 - Pages: 2
...History of State and Federal Prisons Your Name Here CJS 230 July 7, 2011 Jean O’Gallagher Axia College of University of Phoenix State prisons are primarily operated by state governments. Overcrowding is a persistent problem in most state and federal prisons. By the end of 2001, state prisons were operating between 1 and 16 percent over capacity. This makes the prisons more difficult to operate, and puts the health and safety of inmates and staff at risk. The prison systems known today are based on eighteenth century Age of Enlightenment. The Walnut Street Jail was the first “so-called” penitentiary opened in the United States. The most common name for this system of prisons today is the “Department of Corrections.” There are merely more than 1 million men and women housed in the confinements operated by the states. Most of the states started with only one state prison, and now they have grown to as many as 100 in the state of Texas. The type of institution that the states used to start their initial prison on was based off of the Auburn model, and was expanded from their based on the special needs (women and younger offenders) was accepted. May 14, 1930 marked the birth of the Federal Bureau of Prisons which was created by an act of Congress by President Herbert Hoover. The first U.S. Penitentiary was an old military prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; this penitentiary began to house prisoners in 1895. The third penitentiary was the first newly constructed federal...
Words: 394 - Pages: 2
