The correction system was basically functioned through principles that were commonly used in England in the early 1700s. Prisons were virtually nonexistent before the 1700s; prison was not considered a serious punishment for crime, and was seldom used. Instead, governments imprisoned people who were awaiting trial or punishment whereupon they would receive the more common capital or corporal types of punishment. Common punishments at that time included branding, imposing fines, whipping and the death penalty (capital punishment).
The authorities punished most offenders in public in order to discourage people from breaking the law; this falls under the theory of deterrence. During the 1700s, many people criticized the use of executions, and other harsh punishments. This was the beginning of the early prison reform. As a result, governments turned more and more to imprisonment as a serious form of punishment. The first prison in the United States was The Walnut Street Jail created a regimen of hard work and reflection in order to do penance for criminal offenses.
The operations of the jail focused on these points, Inmates were kept in individual cells, Inmates were not permitted to talk to each other Inmates often wore masks as they were moved through the prison to hide their identity Inmates were provided work such as handicrafts during the day During the evening hours, inmates were encouraged to read the Bible and repent for their crimes. Prisons were dark, dirty, and overcrowded. They locked all types of prisoners together, including men, women and children, plus dangerous criminals, debtors and the insane.
The Essay on Capital Punishment Death Inmate One
... still used in 3 states a sone form of capital punishment. The inmate would not get blindfolded, unlike most methods, then they ... row inmates. Most of all, it does not protect society any better than life in prison without parole. (Doyle 1) Most people are ... 18-23 Guernsey, Jo Ann B, Should We Have Capital Punishment. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 1993"Methods of Execution - Gas Chamber." Death ...
One form of imprisonment was transportation. At the beginning of the 1800s, prison reformers began to emphasize the importance of keeping prisoners alone. It was thought that if they had time to reflect in solitary confinement, prisoners would see the error of their ways and become reformed. Prisons were built consisting of many tiny cells where the prisoners lived and worked alone. Each cell had its own exercise yard. Prisoners were separated to prevent them from seeing other inmates.
By the 1850s, however, the separate system had been largely superseded by the silent system, mainly because of overcrowding. In the silent system, the prisoners worked and exercised with other inmates, but they were forbidden to talk to, even look at each other. Later reformers introduced the idea of an indeterminate sentence, dependant on the prisoner’s behavior. Good conduct and hard work led to privileges and association with other inmates. There, prisoners gained marks for good conduct and hard work, or lost them for bad behavior.
When they reached the required number of points, they could be released. Other reformers introduced the idea of a conditional release, whereby a prisoner was released before the end of his sentence provided he complied with certain conditions. If not, he was returned to prison. This led to the parole system, widely used today. Reforms in the 1900s have led to further improvement of prisons. Prisons began to develop rehabilitation programs based on the background, personality and physical conditions of the inmate. This approach made rehabilitation programs more meaningful.
But despite such efforts, attempts to rehabilitate offenders had disappointing results. Many failed because of poorly trained staff, lack of funds, and ill defined goals. The differences between the correction systems back then and today are many. During the 19th century an offender experienced physical pain and torture as punishment for committing crimes. Corporal punishment was often used and most of the time punishments were carried out in the public. The purpose was retributive, to deter others, and to humiliate the offender.
The Term Paper on Alternatives To Prison Offenders Prisons Jacobs
... offender, which is comparative to ISP's, and still remarkably less than prison. (Jacobs et al. 91) Probation ... controversial, military-type program geared to motivate prisoners, teach them respect, and break destructive ... due to continuing, extreme distresses within the prison system. It is obvious that both State ... States housed 329, 821 total inmates in State and Federal prisons. (Allen et al. 221) ...
In the 20th century, rehabilitation became the focus in society; however, full dedication to rehabilitation was never achieved. Few offenders on probation and parole receive intensive care, treatment programs seriously lacked the needs of prisoners, and these treatment programs were often used as a punitive measure. In today’s correctional system the growth of probation as an option gives offenders the opportunity to prove they are learning from their criminal mistakes. Probation in the current era is a necessity due to the high cost of incarcerating individuals. Probation methodologies have become more sophisticated.
A casework style of probation supervision emphasizes helping the offender successfully complete probation while the surveillance style standard probationers make up a regular caseload; higher risk offenders are part of an intensive-supervision caseload while offenders with particular problems are assigned to a special caseload. Probationers are subject to a number of requirements, including maintaining employment, not leaving the jurisdiction, repayment of fines and court costs, not committing further crimes, and other special conditions. A probationer is entitled to due process during a probation/parole hearing.
Recidivism rates are high but can be managed with closer supervision and the additional of special conditions such as mental health counseling and drug & alcohol treatment. The numbers of offenders incarcerated in prisons has increased dramatically since the 1980s. Those numbers have stabilized as alternatives to incarceration have developed. Studying incarceration rates helps criminal justice policy-makers identify trends and forecast prison needs. With the use of determinate sentencing and a greater emphasis on drug crimes in the 1980s, there is significant racial disparity between who is arrested and imprisoned.
These policies have resulted in more minority prisoners. Male offenders tend to commit more crimes than females and those crimes tend to be more violent. There are more whites in prison than any other race. The correctional system faces many challenges do to prison budgets being slashed and some correctional facilities must shut down as a result. Overcrowding when a prison closes, inmates have to transfer to other facilities. This means the remaining institutions must deal with a bigger population, overcrowding causes tension among the prisoners.
The Essay on 100 000 Offenders Prison Violent
The purpose of prison is to punish the offender and act as a deterrent to those who commit crime. Prison is necessary to contain dangerous and violent offenders; it is not an effectual system of criminal reform because it does not stop re-offending. Our prisons have become community wastebaskets and the only way to put the boot in this costly tendency is to supply effective drug treatment, mental ...
