European Prisons In The 19th Century

Between 1700 and 1900 a system familiar to our eyes emerged as a result of important changes. The 1800s very harsh and a lot of crime was done in that time. The laws, punishment and jail were similar, also very different from today's. In the 1800s the punishment was much more survivor and stick to it more than now. If you lived back in that time, it was usual to walk the streets and you see a hanging happening. This showing the cruelty and none caring of the people and how harsh the punishment was.

Throughout the years, the use of imprisonment has varied, along with its influences of society. It is thought that although prisons have been around since the thirteenth century, prisons as we know them now to be have only been around for the last three centuries. The first uses of prisons were not seen as a form of punishment instead they were used as a way of making people do something. People would be held in prison until they paid their debts, or awaiting trial and then leading up to their sentence. McGowen (1995) suggests that from the early 1700s ‘bridewells’ a house of correction have existed, however at that time being used merely for vagrants and drunks. At the end of the sixteenth century there was a shift in punishment to imprisonment, along with this came a new, more humane idea of reform. Criminals would spend their days of prison carrying out hard labour. However after the American Revolution, imprisonment took a step back and there was another change. There was mass overcrowding within the prison service and although the death penalty was still being used it was a symbol of the power of the state. Therefore, an everyday way of dealing with offenders would be transportation to the colonies, being either Australia or America.

    The increase in poverty in the 1800s and the rise of the industrial revolution had a direct correlation to the escalation of crime throughout the world. The Victorian Era was harsh on the poor and on those who pushed the boundaries of the law, meaning that living as a criminal was particularly risky. Many had “no other choice” because they had no occupation or job that gave decent pay. However, there were a good number of rich people who were involved in a recent surge in new ideas and manufacturing. The culmination of these different classes resulted in acts of misconduct that included theft and riots and murder in other cases. To make matters worse the system of justice in place across the world was not yet refined, especially the Wild West days of America and the United Kingdom.

Society has long since operated on a system of reward and punishment. That is, when good deeds are done or a person behaves in a desired way they SP are rewarded, or conversely punished when behaviour does not meet the societal norms. Those who defy these norms and commit crime are often punished by organized governmental justice systems through the use of penitentiaries, where prisoners carry out their sentences. The main goals of sentencing include deterrence, safety of the public, retribution, rehabilitation, punishment and respect for the law (Government of Canada, 2013). However, the type of justice system in place within a state or country greatly influences the aims and mandates of prisons and in turn targets

How did prison conditions for women vary by state in the 1800s? How were they similar? How did they differ from the conditions experienced by male prisoners? Women’s condition in the late eighteenth through the nineteenth centuries were awful. For example, in New York Newgate prison women were disconnected from mainstream of prison life, and they were later disconnected in penitentiaries. The women had no female prison officer to attend to their domestic, and medical arrangement. Newgate’s women were expected to wash and sew. Male prisoners were selected to shoemaking, and other manufactures. At Bellevue penitentiary women were exposed to unhealthy conditions. There was poor quality and quantity of the food, the absence of proper sanitary, and security precautions. In Auburn the women were held on third- floor attic above the penitentiary’s kitchen.

"The most common rate is 90%, though some prisons are able to snag a 100% promise from their local governments" (Mathews 2). Contracts stating the minimum capacity rate of the prison between the government and private prisons exist for all private prisons, which seems sensible because how else would the company guarantee profits. However the quotas these contracts call for presents a problem because "[w]hile incarceration statistics have skyrocketed, crime rates have increased much more slowly" (Smith 3). A cause for the rise in jailed rates is the quota presented by the private prison industry. Private prisons seek not to reform prisoners, but to increase profits, and so these prisons run like businesses. The largest private prison corporation, Corrections Corporation of America, have uncomprependle

Probation and parole are both alternatives to incarceration. People on probation serve their sentence in the community under supervision instead of any incarceration. People put on parole have been incarcerated and is serving their remaining time in the community under supervision of a parole officer. (Michael Carlie) The reason for parole is to transition prisoners back into society. If a person is a threat to the society, then they will keep them incarcerated until their time is over instead of parole.

Before confinement, punishments were handled with fines, confiscation of property, corporal punishment, and capital punishment. Punishments were commonly carried out in public to humiliate the offender and deter the public. Banishment and transportation were also used as punishment. Banishment refers to making the offender leave the community and live elsewhere. Many times offenders were sent to live in the

Some of the alternatives include probation, house arrest, and youth shelters. Probation is the most common alternative today. Probation is the release of an offender from imprisonment, which is subject to a period of good behavior. Juveniles on probation are given a probation officer and have guidelines they must follow in condition with their probation. Failure to comply with these guidelines can cause the juvenile to be placed back into jail, or they can receive other sanctions such as community service, etc.

Society's answer to the felon was usually given at the end of the rope or a swing of an axe” (Prisons should punish inmates) Around the 19th century many people felt that just executing criminals for minor crimes was harsh and barbaric. They felt that prisons would be a better a much better and more humane option Murphy also explains another reason prisons rose in popularity during this time frame. “In great part, the prison was an economic indulgence, for prior to the Industrial Revolution society could not afford prisons.” (Prisons

“Early” correctional history is normally put in a pretty large category ranging from 2000 B.C. to 1800 A.D. (Allen, 2010). This period obviously covers a wide range both in time and technological advances along with cultural standards. This period includes ancient Babylonia and Samaria, Rome, Medieval Europe, Renaissance Europe, to the rise of the modern penitentiary system in America. Throughout this large chunk of time there were obviously many different practices that came into being, but two main factors can be singled out as to what changed early corrections into what we know to this day.

Prison is the most severe type of punishment that America institutes. It is a physical and psychological attack on the prisoner. It affects the prisoners’ material possessions because they can earn little or no income while incarcerated, they may lose their job, and spend their life savings. It affects the prisoner’s body because he or she is under the control of others and very little freedom exists for him or her.

After watching this video, I believe that the most difficult thing about being in this prison during the 1800-1900's would be the isolation. Simply hearing how the walls were sound proof, they were punished for making noise, and they could only come out of their cells for baths once every two weeks, sent chills up my spine. According to studies, even perceived social isolation in humans alone can predict a cognitive decline, an increased chance for Alzheimer's, a lower permanent IQ, and more (Cacioppo, Hawkley, Norman, and Berntson,2011). If that can happen from perceived social isolation then one can only imagine how terrible living in constant social isolation would be.

Often now, it is believed that a prison sentence is not always the most effective way of

Over the past generation, the landscape of sentencing prisoners has changed dramatically. Over this same period, United States of America has made a number of modifications in one of the basis of American criminal justice policy, Prison Term. Prison Terms has taken the place of public flogging, death penalty and torture. Stastics has shows that many states has abolished death penalty. Today in order to deter the crime, Nowadays, only few states in the United States of America such as Texas, practices Death Penalty. Nevertheless, many fierce criminals are sentenced for a long prison term; in order to ensure public safety. In a response to fight against crime, there is an increase in the use of imprisonment. Conversely, many state legislatures have reduced prison term, discharging more prisoners (directly to the society) in order to maintain the prison management. A statistics of released prisoners over the decade/