The Early American Correction System

Criminals are very fortunate today as compared with the brutal punishments received many years ago. Everything from corporal and capital punishment, slavery, and being confined to terrible conditions were all methods of punishment. The first societal form of punishment was the victim individually retaliating against the criminal. The violence became so bad that financial compensation took the place of personal revenge. As centuries passed, there were quite a few theories on what to do with criminals. Until the late 1700's, criminals were put to death, shipped to other countries to become slaves, and were thrown to wild animals just so society could literally get rid of them.

Then the Pennsylvania System was created by the Quakers who wanted more humane treatment for criminals. The basics of this system were that criminals needed constructive punishment and be in solitary confinement to repent and reattach to the Lord. They had the belief that criminals could be reformed. Prisoners were also put to work in the prison. The Auburn System was in full swing in the early 1820's. This system believed in complete silence, smaller cells, and it also had economic advantages over the Pennsylvania System. Therefore it lasted over a century. Eventually they both failed but thanks to the Auburn System, modern corrections use the idea of their old cells (cell blocks) and solitary confinement (although that is not for all prisoners). While these systems were going on a man named Alexander Maconochie created the concept of early release for hard work and good behavior. Although he never was able to see his concept alive, we in the United States use it now. Another idea we borrowed was the concept of parole off of Sir Walter Crofton and the Irish System. We also began to see reform as a possibility.

In the late 1800's Reformatory Systems were created. Some had education classes, early release, and punishment was not key. But just a few decades later the reformatory movement began to fail. In the 1930's there was a medical approach introduced. " A model of correction based on the assumption that criminal behavior is caused by social, psychological, or biological deficiencies that require treatment" (Clear & Cole, 2000,p.47). During this period rehabilitation was the theory and punishment was no longer the idea. Well once again, punishment is on the rise.

Our corrections system has evolved many times over many years. The theory went from retaliation, physical punishment, reforming, and back. It is very difficult to distinguish between prisoners who will reform to ones who will not. Since it is so hard to know what will work, we have to learn through trial and error. Some of theories on how to reform prisoners obviously did not work for a reason. Silence in no way drives people to repent and/or reform. In fact, I have often heard that it can make a person go mentally insane. Pure punishment mentally or physically also did not work. There is no way a prisoner who is beaten literally half to death and lives in the worse possible conditions can come out a reformed person. They will come out and feel so much hatred for people they might be a worse criminal than before they went in. Oh, banishment is just insane. People today care way too much for human rights and would not allow that to occur these days. Fortunately, many good theories did come from the centuries of trial and error. Needless to say correctional facilities are a good way for humane punishment, and to keep society safe. That is why they have been around for over two centuries. The Auburn System did contribute something positive to modern correctional facilities, jail cells, and cell blocks. I believe those are a benefit to tax payers. Education for prisoners is quite an idea considering that some convicts do come out prepared for society. Logically, with them having an easier transition from prison to society, we are all better off in the long run. Of course our society has used parole for quite a while.