Prison system plays a significant part in promoting the well-being and sustainability of the global societies. The American prison system is an example of the prison system that has undergone significant transformation over decades to become what is seen in the present. The origin of the American prison system is traceable back to early ages before the 19th century when incarceration was introduced as a method of criminal punishment to those who violated the law. The early ages of the development of the prison system was characterized by a geographical widespread of the penitentiary systems that could serve the purposes of law. However, exposure of this system to significant changes such as scientific and political developments alongside reform movements resulted in the improvement of the prison conditions.
Traditionally, the prison systems of the U.S. were used for punishing people who evaded paying their taxes. The history of the U.S. prison system can be described using various stages that it has undergone over the last century. these eras include the penitentiary era,...
The penitentiary era occurred between 1790 and 1825. The era was under the philosophy of rehabilitation of offenders and deterrence of criminal acts in the society. This phase witnessed the introduction of human treatment of offenders by the Quakers. Rehabilitation was achieved using Bible study and solitary confinement. Crime of theft was the leading form of crime during this stage of the growth of the U.S. prison system.
The mass prison era featured between 1825 and 1876. The use of treatments such as hard labor and whipping of the criminal offenders characterized this period. The system was the key competitor of the Pennsylvania system of prison that persisted between 1790 and 1825. This stage of the history of the U.S. prison system was dominated by the cases of vandalism, stealing water from the standpipes, and failure of individuals to pay taxes to the government. The reformatory era came between 1876 and…
