Essay on History of Corrections

Restorative Justice, according to Google, is a system of criminal justice that focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community at large. It does not have a place in our society for several reasons. It is ineffective because it doesn’t punish people, doesn’t change them, and makes the situation even worse in most cases.

Ever since the first prison opened in the United States in 1790, incarceration has been the center of the nations criminal justice system. Over this 200 year period many creative alternatives to incarceration have been tried, and many at a much lower cost than imprisonment. It wasn’t until the late 1980’s when our criminal justice systems across the country began experiencing a problem with overcrowding of facilities. This problem forced lawmakers to develop new options for sentencing criminal offenders.

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.

Restorative justice is rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community. Restorative justice programs are conferences held to enable offenders, victims and community members to meet face to face to discuss the crime that was done and determine the best way to repair the harm. Usually when offenders hear their victims describe the effect the crime had on them, they often feel sympathy and express remorse. Restorative justice conferences give the victims and community member’s justice and satisfaction. I believe the system is good because it gives criminals time to try and better themselves and try to change, and also gives justice and closure to the victims.

As a country, we should care about all of our citizens and work toward bettering them, because we are only as strong as our weakest link. When it concerns the issue of corrections it should not be a discussion of punishment or rehabilitation. Instead, it should be a balance of both that puts the spotlight on rehabilitating offenders that are capable and willing to change their lives for the better. Through rehabilitation a number of issues in the corrections field can be solved from mental health to overcrowding. More importantly, it allows offenders the chance to do and be better once released from prison. This paper analyzes what both rehabilitation and punishment are as well as how they play a part in corrections. It also discusses the current reasons that punishment as the dominant model of corrections is not as effective as rehabilitation. After explaining rehabilitation and punishment, then breaking down the issues with punishment, I will recommend a plan for balance. A plan that will lower incarceration rates and give offenders a second chance.

I agree that rehabilitation should be the primary goal in sentencing. Rehabilitation teaches a criminal how to interact with the community after being away for a set amount of time. Days in prison and jail can hinder the positive thoughts in one’s mind. Anger and depression can build up, and make the criminals want to act out again. The rehabilitation process can even mend burnt bridges with family and friends.

The U.S. corrections system, a subdivision of the criminal justice system, continues to undergo change. From its beginnings as laws written in stone, the corrections system has sought to punish offenders. The origin of the corrections system dates back several thousand years and has witnessed various perspectives and goals. The best method of administering punishment to these prisoners has remained an issue of dispute for many years. Events through history, such

The History of prisons goes through many eras. Many of these eras have a major impact on today’s prison system. The different was that the system worked and didn’t work really showed what was possibly and what should not be tried again. Each era tried to do something new are recreate something that had already been done by making changes to the way that they treated the inmates all the way to how they were housed and how much contact they had with one another. The different eras gave the present day prison system many great things to think about. Such as large capacity housing so you can properly use all the space in the prison and hold it to capacity. There is also the parole system that gives inmates a chance to work get out early and spend the rest of their sentence on the outside. These many great traits that the prison system today has all come from the hundreds of years of trial and error that occurred throughout the world.

Rehabilitation, what is rehabilitation? Rehabilitation is the action of restoring someone to a normal life through training and therapy after incarcerated, addiction or illness. Rehabilitation can be used for an offender who has committed a crime and is incarcerated, someone who is struggling with addiction or illness. Rehabilitation was originated in 1779 by the British Government as part of the Penitentiary Act, rehabilitation would consist of punishment along with treatment for the offenders. (Benjamin Disraeli 2004). The purpose of rehabilitation is to treat the offender in order for the offender to return to society and be able to contribute, rehabilitation is also a punishment for breaking a law.

Restorative justice- an approach to corrective justice that focuses on meeting the need of all concerned.

With the exception of probation, imprisonment has been the main form of punishment for serious offenders in the United States for over 200 years. Americans can be said to have invented modern incarceration as a means of criminal punishment. Although Europe provided precedents, theoretical justifications, and even architectural plans for imprisoning offenders, Americans developed the blueprints for the typical prisons of today and devised the disciplinary routines, types of sentences, and programs that prison systems of other countries subsequently adopted or modified (Rafter & Stanley 1999).

While incarcerated the individual may have the opportunity to receive rehabilitation. Does it mean that the individual will be rehabilitated? One can only imagine. This is a debatable issue. Is punishment or rehabilitation more effective in combating crime?

Advances in Psychology offer us a greater lens to study the tangible effects of incarceration on the brain and whether there are long-term side effects that could persist well after release. It is crucial to understand these negatives as the repercussions of ignorance could result in a severe rise in recidivism as well as permanent damage to the psyche of those sentenced to incarceration.

The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation focuses on rehabilitation. In 2004 when the state of California changed its name to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, it turned its main focus on rehabilitating its inmates so they can be better integrated back into society upon release. The department really focuses on helping offenders so when their sentence is completed, they can have better jobs, career skills, a better education, more life skills, and more confidence, so they are more capable of success. When Arnold Schwarzenegger became governor, California went under a department wide reorganization to try and cut down on recidivism rates. The state now offers education, job training, and cognitive behavioral treatment,

To consider what corrections will look like in five years, one would have to start by looking at its history to start. During the 1700’s, the basic punishments were aimed more on the body than the mind; prisoners were whipped, publically humiliated in pillories, and subject to harsh labor; this way of punishment changed in the late 18th century with Benjamin Rush and the Quakers, who improved conditions for the prisoners housed in the “Walnut Street Jail” in Philadelphia (“History and Development of Corrections 1700-Present”, n.d). Also, the ideas of the Quakers was expanded upon with the development of the Pennsylvania System, which allowed prisoners to serve sentences in isolation or separate from others; this wasn’t a strong practice of corrections due to prisoners acting out and being driven insane due to the lack of socializing with others. The other major system was the Auburn System or the “congregate” system; this system was defined by inmates “serving in silence,” so that they wouldn’t corrupt other prisoners (“History and Development of Corrections 1700-Present”, n.d). The Auburn System failed due to harsh punishment being instilled