During the colonial times criminal law was based on religion, public humiliation, and rationality. The populations were so small at that time that criminal acts were dealt with immediately and on a case-by-case basis (Meskell, 1999, 841). There was no need or money for an institution such as a prison. Instead people saw punishment, as a lex talioni, meaning the level of punishment should match the level of the crime committed. This meant insanely brutal and harsh punishment. The punishments included floggings (beatings with a whip or rod), branding, mutilations (removing limbs of criminals), stocks and pillory (extreme public humiliation), and the worst was hanging. According to Meskell and his article about the history of prisons “Towards
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The Reformation Movement took place in the late 1800’s. The result of the movement was the Declaration of Principles. This included rewarding good behavior, and rejecting determinate sentencing. The Declaration focused on reformation versus punishment as the major goal. Elmira Reformatory was the first correctional institution under the Declaration of Principles and Zebulon Brackway was the first warden. His goal was to improve the skills of inmates and provide extracurricular outlets. The facility was made for first time male offenders. Female inmates unfortunately had no private facilities before the Reformation Movement. The Declaration of Principles called for separate facilities for women and the Indiana’s Women’s Reformatory was the first all female facility opened in 1873. By the early 1900’s no improvement of reformation had really occurred so the focus went back on capital punishment. Focuses now included uniforms, and the code of silence, since the end of the reformation period. Without the ideals that grew from colonial times and the trial and errors throughout the years criminal prison system would not be the same …show more content…
Within prison specifically Santos describes that there still exists drug wars, gangs, segregation, murders, and an underground economy. He describes prison life as a unique network that the prisoners use as a standby for tangible family life. Santos describes life in USP Atlanta, saying “One wouldn’t expect drugs to be so prevalent in a prison surrounded by doublewide fences…in the early 1990’s, however, USP Atlanta was infested with drugs”(Santos, 2004, 114). He also describes prison society and the difficulties a prisoner faces in prison. In order to stay out of trouble and out of drugs but not get bullied by other prisoners you have to make sure the right relationships are formed in
The Reformation Movement took place in the late 1800’s. The result of the movement was the Declaration of Principles. This included rewarding good behavior, and rejecting determinate sentencing. The Declaration focused on reformation versus punishment as the major goal. Elmira Reformatory was the first correctional institution under the Declaration of Principles and Zebulon Brackway was the first warden. His goal was to improve the skills of inmates and provide extracurricular outlets. The facility was made for first time male offenders. Female inmates unfortunately had no private facilities before the Reformation Movement. The Declaration of Principles called for separate facilities for women and the Indiana’s Women’s Reformatory was the first all female facility opened in 1873. By the early 1900’s no improvement of reformation had really occurred so the focus went back on capital punishment. Focuses now included uniforms, and the code of silence, since the end of the reformation period. Without the ideals that grew from colonial times and the trial and errors throughout the years criminal prison system would not be the same …show more content…
Within prison specifically Santos describes that there still exists drug wars, gangs, segregation, murders, and an underground economy. He describes prison life as a unique network that the prisoners use as a standby for tangible family life. Santos describes life in USP Atlanta, saying “One wouldn’t expect drugs to be so prevalent in a prison surrounded by doublewide fences…in the early 1990’s, however, USP Atlanta was infested with drugs”(Santos, 2004, 114). He also describes prison society and the difficulties a prisoner faces in prison. In order to stay out of trouble and out of drugs but not get bullied by other prisoners you have to make sure the right relationships are formed in