...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
...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
...The purpose 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...
Words: 872 - Pages: 4
...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...
Words: 797 - Pages: 4
...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...
Words: 1059 - Pages: 5
...(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...
Words: 751 - Pages: 4
...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
...Purpose and History Paper The purpose and history of the correction system is important to know when trying to understand where the system stands today. The correction system today has come a long way from where it was many years ago. This paper is going to discuss the history of punishment and the history of prison development. It will also discuss the Pennsylvania system and the Auburn system and how they compare. The final topic that will be discussed will be the impact and the involvement of prison labor overtime. There were several people that were involved in the development of understanding crime and punishment. The first link between crimes to punishment was suggested by a man by the name of Cesare Beccaria. Cesare Beccaria was the founder of the Classical School of Criminology. The theory behind the Classical school was based on the link between crime and punishment based on free will and hedonism. It is suggested that the purpose of punishment is to prevent crime. It is more important to prevent crime than to inflict punishment upon somebody. The classical school relates that the accused has the right to a speedy trial, humane treatment, and no use of torture. Imprisonment should be used more often for punishment reasons and that the punishment should defer the accused from committing the crime. The classical school also believes that people have the ability and the freedom to choose the actions they perform (Seiter, 2011). Jeremy Bentham was the creator of the...
Words: 1214 - Pages: 5
...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...
Words: 1610 - Pages: 7
...The Purpose and history of penitentiaries The history and purpose of penitentiaries started during the year of 1790 the first prison was created to house criminals. Criminals while in jail were expected to read the bible and to concentrate on the crimes they committed. The term penitentiary began to be use to help to describe the facilities used to hold the prisoners serving sentences. The History of Punishment The earliest history of punishment was extremely brutal and 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 Puritans’ linking of crime with sin. Bolections of expected community were dealt with severely using corporal and capital punishment to help control with the behavior of criminals and others in society. The corporal punishments were created so that the punishment was equivalent to the crime. For example if you were a thief during this time your fingers were cut off. If a person was caught laying their tongues were taken out. Another punishment known as transportation was common where criminals were removed from society was developed. Whipping in the town center was a usual punishment for slander, public intoxication, and small theft. A vast majority of the forms of punishment were done publicly to embarrass the criminal and deter others from committing similar acts. John Howard plays an important role in history as a...
Words: 432 - Pages: 2
...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...
Words: 930 - Pages: 4
...Purpose and History Paper of Penitentiaries Ericka N. Williams CJA/234 May 14, 2013 Matt Holquin The development of prisons date as far back to the early Roman times, which forms of punishment were being used for offenders suspected or convicted of criminal activity. Prisons have developed and modified the effectiveness and appropriateness of punishment over time to function the way they do in today’s society. The correction process is among three of the major components of the criminal justice system, but could not be successfully complete without the police and the courts. There are two types of systems that prisons use to design and enforce punishment among offenders – Pennsylvania and Auburn. The systems tweaked and modified the original ideas, in order to form a prison system that would be effective and serve the purpose intended for criminals and impact and distinguish the amount of involvement of prison labor over time. History of punishment The history of the word punishment derives from the Latin word peonalis. Before the word punishment was used penology was the term used, which meant “punishment.” The term penology was later replaced by the term corrections. Our criminal justice system has a broad perspective of corrections for the criminal offenders convicted of criminal acts against another person or community. The use of punishment in earlier days resulted in public shaming, which was thought to prevent the accused from committing future crimes. These...
Words: 1345 - Pages: 6
...Nance This paper use some information found in the CJi Interactive Multimedia and weeks readings. Have a description of jail’s place in corrections its role throughout history; a summary of the history of state and federal prisons. Comparison of the similarities and differences between security levels in jails, state prisons and federal prisons. Explanation of factors influencing growth in jails, state, and federal prisons. In colonial america where humiliation, workhouses, and corporal punishment to was used to punish criminals by 1790 where penitentiary era begins. In 1786, Pennsylvania Quakers said honest labor was a humane way to deal with convicts and to provided labor for public projects wearing thee ball, chain and bright unstylish clothes to prevent escapes. In other colonies had replaced public humiliation with incarceration and early lockups were under local control with mixing convicts of both genders from petty thieves to violent offenders. Our nation took shape each county and state maintain its own incarceration system where jails were maintain by the local sheriff’s department housed small infractions like loitering to severe crimes like murder until disposition. State or federal authorities in prisons provided confinement for offenders sentenced to over one year of incarceration. Penitentiary Era in 1790, attribute to separate and silent system, sought penance in total solitude, created or aggravated mental instabilities,handicrafts introduced to help maintain...
Words: 876 - Pages: 4
...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
...Purpose and History of Penitentiaries Luis Ortega CJA/234 Carlos Zuniga June 3, 2013 In today’s corrections system it is known that it is very much populated and continues to grow in number of inmates that are confined within these walls. Penitentiaries continue to pop up all over America for the fact that crimes are still being committed and offenders will be tried in a court of law and from there will receive a punishment whether it be probation, community service, or jail time. A lot of people do not know much about the prison system and how it works and how it came to be. I would even say that a majority of people only understand that prisons are where the bad guys go and serve their time behind bars, but there is more to it that just that. In order to understand what prisons are about and what purpose they serve we must look at the history of penitentiaries and how they have evolved over time. The history of the punishment can be dated all the way back to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Criminal activity back in those times was not lightly tolerated just like today, except that back then you could receive harsh punishment for what feel today as normal for example sex or what they called back in those times fornication. According to "The Howard League for Penal Reform" (2014), "Sanctions for criminal behaviour tended to be public events which were designed to shame the person and deter others; these included the ducking stool, the pillory, whipping, branding...
Words: 965 - Pages: 4
