First Colonial Jail Essay

The first colonial jail in America was established in Jamestown, Virginia after settlers from England came and founded Jamestown in the year 1606. The first colonial jail was influenced by England's correctional system. The next colonial jail was built in Boston, Massachusetts in the year 1635. These early colonial jails were not common because to the colonists it made more sense to have the person working rather than keeping an able body in a shack and having to pay for food and shelter. It was not uncommon for homes, inns, and other structures to be used as or considered a jail or house of incarceration in the early years of America. Inmates in early jails were required to pay a fee for their upkeep since these areas did not have the money or food to afford keeping people in jail. Citizens who were wealthier could easily pay their way out of the jail. If the offense was too severe then they could at least ensure that they had better accommodations than other, average inmates. Jailers in early America were given a certain amount of money to make sure inmates were fed and clothed, but in some cases the jailers would …show more content…
Rehabilitation allows for the criminal to get the help that he or she needs to hopefully one day be able to go back to society to be a contributing member. An example of rehabilitation would be if a citizen was taken to jail for drug use and possession and the judge ruled that the defendant will have to go to jail for a certain amount of time and following their incarceration attend a drug rehab. The model the United States uses for sentencing and corrections is called the justice model. The justice model is a “process of determining sentences according to fair and just sentencing policies. The model is based on retributive notions of deserved punishment; the sentence should fit the crime. Under the model, offenders would receive their just deserts— nothing more, nothing less”