In 1869, New York passed an act to build a reformatory in Elmira for young offenders under indeterminate sentences. The goal was to reform the inmates. Elmira Reformatory only accepted first offenders between the ages of 16 and 30. The first Elmira Reformatory in the United States was opened in 1876. It used the principles of the Irish system, indeterminate sentences, and parole. When Elmira reformatory opened in 1876, Zebulon Brockway was given its superintendent. He thought rehabilitative programs with conditions release were a key element of the operation of the Elmira Reformatory. This system was classification, it allowed inmates to earn privileges for their own work, and behavior was implemented. Inmates spend most of their day in education programs and learning trades. Once inmates started showing reformation, the prison administrators would release them. (Seiter, 2014))
Being in the Elmira Reformatory has three grades in where to place an inmate, depending on their behavior. When …show more content…
Alexander said that Mr. Brockway is not only the director of the establishment, but he also lives and thinks with each induvial inmate, he lived among the inmates. The predominance of intellectual, ethical teaching and religious teaching was a reformatory influence at Elmira Reformatory. Mr. Brockway came up with a plan of a system of self-support among the prisoners. He wanted to open a n with every inmate in the Elmira Reformatory, and to charge him with his board, lodging, clothing, medical treatment, etc. By opening this system plan he wish to open it will credit him with his labor and its actual cost to the State. He wanted the prisoners to have the surplus, and not to be liberated if the balance was against him. (Weston,
Being in the Elmira Reformatory has three grades in where to place an inmate, depending on their behavior. When …show more content…
Alexander said that Mr. Brockway is not only the director of the establishment, but he also lives and thinks with each induvial inmate, he lived among the inmates. The predominance of intellectual, ethical teaching and religious teaching was a reformatory influence at Elmira Reformatory. Mr. Brockway came up with a plan of a system of self-support among the prisoners. He wanted to open a n with every inmate in the Elmira Reformatory, and to charge him with his board, lodging, clothing, medical treatment, etc. By opening this system plan he wish to open it will credit him with his labor and its actual cost to the State. He wanted the prisoners to have the surplus, and not to be liberated if the balance was against him. (Weston,