Prison and Working Inmates Essay

Submitted By Johnie-Bruner
Words: 798
Pages: 4
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David Bruner
CJA234-Introduction to Corrections
30 January 2014
Steven Moe
Introduction to Corrections

Over the history of incaceration there are some very drastic changes in the way of punishment within penitentiaries and the history of prison development. Mostly, in the comparison of the Pennsylvania system and the Auburn system, and the impact and involvement of prison labor over time.
In the 1800's, punishment inside the correctional facilities was quick and harsh. Physical discipline was believed to be normal and encouraged in order to maintain good order and discipline inside the institution. Flogging and lashes were the most common punishments for inmates that acted out while serving a prison sentence. Many inmates were beaten beyond what would be considered reasonable because there was no standard in the law at this time. “The law stated that six blows on the naked back with the "cat" or six-stranded whip was the most punishment that could be assigned for any one offense.” Moving forward to todays punishment, you still have death row on the extreme side of punishment, but for the everyday crime, inmates receive additional time to their sentences, solitary confinement, disciplinary isolation, disciplinary diets, and loss of luxuries that they would normally receive during their time in prision or jail. With the growth of policies and procedures along with the rise in population, it is harder and harder to administer punishment that actually impacts inmates who are serving time. Many policies and procedures are placed for their protection and the protection of the detentions officers but cannot always be carried out effectively with the ratio of inmates to guards.
In the 1820s, The Pennsylvania System was a penal based method operating under the concept of solitary confinement. The Philadelphia Society believed this system would encourage and assist in the inmate's reformation by creating an environment of loneliness which would encourage them to quickly get back on track and serve their time amongst the general population. Inmates were housed in cells 12' long x 16' high x 7.5' wide and had recreation yards or exercise yards attached. The exercise yards allowed the inmates to get out of their cells and enjoy the outdoors and possibly some sunlight while still being incarcerated. During their time in these facilities, they were kept completely separate from all other inmates in order to achieve the solitary living. Their only other interaction with people was with the jail staff and the occasional social visit. Later on in the 20s, they started to incorporate work into the facilities which offered cheap labor for the economy and gave the inmates a chance to do something productive which would make their time pass by quicker. Among many jobs available to them, some of the work the inmates were allowed to produce was shoemaking and weaving.
In the late 1820's, the Pennsylvania system was revised by the United States and the Auburn System was established. In the Auburn system, inmates would work during the day and then at night would follow the solitary living style with some slight modifications. Inmates would be kept in a solitary situation at night and would have the rules strictly enforced when it came to silence among
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