Essay On The Prison System

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Introduction The prison system in the United States was not always like it is today. It took mistakes and changes in order to get it to the point it is at. Some people think that prisons should still be being changed while others feel that they are fine the way they are. It is hard to make an argument for one side or the other if one does not know about the history of prisons as well as the differences between prisons structures and differences in prison management. Knowledge of private prisons is also needed to make this difficult decision. History of United States Prisons In the 1700’s the United States consisted of the colonies. Prisons were not yet made due to the low population of the colonies and the colonies taking their own justice. Ways to punish people in that time were whippings, the dunking chair, the stocks, and the scarlet letter. Basically, public humiliation was used as a deterrent to control the people. This stopped working when the population began to grow bigger, so other methods had to be used. Cesare Beccaria was a member of the Classical School of penology and influenced the way people thought about punishment. He suggested that punishments should be defined and judges should not have total power. He also stated that laws had to be public and clear. He also said that punishments should be the “minimal possible” in order to deter others from committing similar crimes. This lead to imprisonment being the main punishment used to deter crimes. The Philadelphia Society for Assisting Distressed Prisoners helped to write the new criminal code of 1786, which included hard labour as a form of punishment within a person’s jail sentence. The Philadelphia Society for Assisting Distressed Prisoners bec... ... middle of paper ... ...acility. Prisons and Jails Compared Jails and prisons are similar in that they both detain the criminal element. Jails are used for short term holds (like less than 1 year sentences). Jails are locally owned. They also hold inmates awaiting trial or sentencing, or both. Prisons are run by the State or by the Federal Government and also sometimes by private corporations as described above. Prisons are long term facilities typically holding felons and other people with a sentence of more than 1 year. Conclusion The prison system in the United States can be quite confusing. State, federal and private prisons, management and supervision techniques, as well as policies are varied. Sorting out the differences between state and federal prisons as well as the difference between prisons and jails can help a person be more informed. Knowledge is power.

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