Chapter 9: History and Structure of Confinement

 

History of Correctional Institutions

 

Prior to 19^th century:

·        Punishment consisted of banishment, slavery, restitution, corporal punishment, execution.

·        Earliest prisons were for holding offenders for trial or for execution.

·        The first penal institutions in England were run by shire reeve on fee system where inmates had to pay for care. As a result the poorest inmates died of starvation or maltreatment.

 

Wall Street Jail: Pennsylvanian jail established during the late 18^th century that used solitary confinement for serious offenders.

 

American developments during the early 19^th century:

·        Pennsylvania system: Prisoners were placed in individual cells to prevent them from contaminating each other.

·        Auburn system (developed in Auburn, NY): A prison system where prisoners congregated during the day, but were housed separately at night. Became the architectural model upon which most prisons are based.

 

American developments during the late 19^th century:

·        Prison industry developed. Prisoner labor was contracted out to private industry.

 

Twentieth century reforms:

·        Prisoners given more freedoms and privileges.

·        Development of specialized facilities such as farm centers.

·        Prison industry curtailed. Organized labor opposed the use prison labor in private industry. Federal legislation was enacted making it a federal offense to transport goods across state lines for private use.

 

Modern era:

·        Prisoner rights era (1960-1980): Curtailed by conservative courts after 1980s.

·        Increased violence within prisons resulting in improved conditions and tighter discipline.

·        Medical model (treatment) replaced by ideals that incarceration is control, punishment, and incapacitation.

 

Types of Correctional Facilities

 

Jails

 

Jails: Generally state or county run facilities with purposes of:

·        detaining persons for trial

·        holding convicted persons awaiting sentences

·        the incarceration of those serving misdemeanor sentences

·        holding persons who have violated probation/parole

·        Housing felons from overcrowded state prisons.

 

Today there are approximately 600,000 jail inmates in 3500 jails

One half are convicted offenders and one half are detainees

Since 1970: 79 inmates/100,000 to 219 inmates/100,000 (400% increase)

 

Prisons

 

Prisons:

·        State correctional facilities.

·        Bureau of Prisons at federal level.

·        Types of prisons- maximum, medium, and minimum security facilities.

·        One half of prison inmates are convicted of violent crimes, many with firearms or other weapons.

·        Most prison inmates are young, male, poor, drug and alcohol abusers, uneducated, recidivist, and violent.

 

Alternative Correctional Institutions

 

Examples include-

·        Farms ·        Camps ·        Shock incarceration in boot camps

·        Community facilities such as halfway houses ·        Private institutions

 

The prison population has almost doubled (292 to 420 per 100,000 population) from 1990-1996 because of a change in public opinion demanding a more punitive response to crime. If this trend holds, 5% (1 in 20) of the population will spend time in prison sometime during their adult life.