The Development of Corrections

Title: The Development of Corrections Submitted by: Travis Hance Course: CJS230 Instructor: David Foltzer

The Development of Corrections What were womens prisons like before the 1800s? Before the 1800s, womens prisons were the same facilities housing male prisoners.

Staffed by male guards, and with little physical consideration, women inmates were put at considerable risk of unfair treatment and sexual harassment.

How have they changed? In 1816 Quaker Elizabeth Fry began to lobby on behalf of the female inmate population. She addressed the differences between male and female inmates and paved the way for segregation of male and female prison populations, female guard forces for female prisoners, and work loads that respected a womans capabilities.

What are the three basic arguments established in the 1800s that supported the separation of juvenile prisoners from adult prisoners? Reformers felt the importance of separation of juvenile prisoners from adult prison populations in order to both protect the juveniles best interests, and provide the best possibility of rehabilitation. They had three basic arguments: 1. The penitentiary regimen was too hard on tender youth. 2. Juveniles would learn bad habits from older criminals and be embittered by the experience of confinement.

The Development of Corrections 3. Adolescents could be reformed if they were diverted early enough into institutions designed specifically for people their age. (Foster, 2006).

What would happen if there were no distinction between prisons for juveniles and adults? I believe that if there were no distinction between prison systems we would see two serious problems develop. The influence of older criminals upon first time offenders would no doubt lead to a higher rate of juvenile recidivism. Second, the very real risk of juvenile abuse would be a serious problem. The best possible way to ensure that juveniles are protected and given the opportunity for rehabilitation is to continue a policy of segregation.

What was the purpose of prison labor? The purpose of prison labor in my opinion was punishment for crimes committed. A visitor to a northern prison of the late 1800s would have found a factory behind prison walls. Virtually all able-bodied inmates, men and women, did hard work six days a week. (Foster, 2006) This hardship provided those still free in society who would consider criminal acts a means for pause. In addition it also provided society with useful labor and products, while keeping the convicted population occupied. Labor was part of the regimen for two good reasons. First, it focused prisoners time and energy productively,

The Development of Corrections keeping them busy in unpleasant, sometimes traumatic, surroundings. Second, they turned out goods that were sold to recoup the prisons operating cost. The ideal was to turn a profit (Foster, 2006).

What caused the decline of prison labor? The Great Depression was the motivating factor for the decline of prison labor. From 1929 onward a series of federal laws limiting shipment of prison-made goods made it increasingly difficult to provide productive employment for prisoners. (Foster, 2006). With unemployment at astronomical levels, opponents of prison labor argued that prisoners were depriving society of useful jobs, effectively taking food from the mouths of families. Laws were passed which forbade the sale of prison made goods across state lines, and some states even saw legislation passed which thwarted the highly successful and efficient production factories that many prisons had become.

The Development of Corrections References

A. Corrections: The Fundamentals, by Burk Foster. Published by Prentice-Hall.

Copyright 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Page 34

B. Corrections: The Fundamentals, by Burk Foster. Published by Prentice-Hall.

Copyright 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Page 39

C. Corrections: The Fundamentals, by Burk Foster. Published by Prentice-Hall.

Copyright 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Page 45

D. Corrections: The Fundamentals, by Burk Foster. Published by Prentice-Hall.

Copyright 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Page 47