1. The History of Corrections in America
Chapter 3
The History of Corrections in America

2. The History of Corrections
The Colonial Period
The Arrival of the Penitentiary
The Pennsylvania System
The New York ( Auburn ) System
Debating the Systems
Development or Prisons in the South and West
Southern Penology
Western Penology
The Reformatory Movement
Cincinnati, 1870
Elmira Reformatory
Lasting Reforms

3. The History of Corrections Cont.
The Rise of the Progressives
Individualized Treatment and the Positivist
School
Progressive Reforms
The Rise of the Medical Model
From Medical Model to Community Model
The Crime Control Model: The Pendulum Swings Again
The Decline of Rehabilitation
The Emergence of Crime Control

4. Evolution of punishment in America, 1600 – 2000 Flow Chart
Crime
Control
Model
1970s
Medical
Model
1930s s
Community
Model
1960s s
Progressive
Period
1890s s
Colonial
Period
1600s s
Reformatory
Movement
1870s s
Prisons in South & West
1800’s
Arrival of the
Penitentiary
1790s s

5. William Penn
William Penn (1644–1718) English Quaker who arrived in Philadelphia in Succeeded in getting Pennsylvania to adopt “The Great Law” emphasizing hard labor in a house of correction as punishment for most crimes

6. “Penitentiary”
an institution intended to isolate prisoners from society and from one another so that they could reflect on their past misdeeds, repent, and thus undergo reformation.

7. Benjamin Rush
Benjamin Rush (1745–1813) Physician, patriot, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and social reformer, Rush advocated the penitentiary as replacement for capital and corporal punishment.

8. principles of the “penitentiary”
isolate prisoner from bad influences of society - liquor, temptation, people
penance & silent contemplation
productive labor
reform (thinking & work habits)
return to society, renewed
key = solitary confinement
isolate from contagion
foster quiet reflection
punishment, since man is social animal
cheap  shorter sentence, fewer guards

9. “Separate Confinement”
A penitentiary system developed in Pennsylvania in which each inmate was held in isolation from other inmates, with all activities, including craft work, carried on in the cells.

10. competing models Pennsylvania system “Separate system” reform through
solitary confinement
eat, sleep, work in cell
religious instruction
reflection upon crimes
reform through
salvation
religious enlightenment
model for Europe
e.g.
Walnut St. Jail
Western Penitentiary
Eastern State Pen.

11. competing models Pennsylvania system New York system “Separate system”
solitary confinement
eat, sleep, work in cell
religious instruction
reflection upon crimes
reform through
salvation
religious enlightenment
model for Europe
e.g.
Walnut St. Jail
Western Penitentiary
Eastern State Pen.
New York system
evolved into “Congregate system”
hard labor in shops-day
solitary confinement-night
strict discipline
rule of silence
reform through
good work habits
discipline
model for US-economical
e.g., Auburn Prison, 1816

12. and the winner is…? Pennsylvania/Philadelphia model
Europeans applauded and replicated
New York/Auburn model
won out in US; more cost-effective labor; state negotiated contracts with manufacturers
but neither curbed crime nor reformed offr’s
various reforms tinkered w/ look, purpose
but icon of high-walled fortress remained: Attica, Quentin, Folsom, Sing Sing

13. Southern penology
Devastation of war and economic hardship produced 2 results:
Lease system
Private business negotiated with state for labor & care of inmates--Kentucky (1825)
Penal farms
State-run plantations which grew crops
To feed inmates
To sell on free market

14. Western developments
penology in west not greatly influenced by the ideologies of the east
prior to statehood, prisoners held in territorial facilities or in federal military posts and prisons
1852: San Quentin - California’s 1st prison
1877: Salem, Oregon prison - Auburn model
western states discontinued use of lease system as states entered into the union
e.g. Oregon, California, Montana, Wyoming

15. the Reformatory Movement (1870s - 1890s)
product of disillusionment with oppressive penitentiary system
focus remained  inmate change!
key features:
indeterminate sentences > fixed
offender classification should be based on character & institutional behavior
use early release as incentive to reform

16. Hallmarks of the reformatory movement
National Prison Association
precursor: American Correctional Asso.
strong religious influence (still)
Cincinnati meeting,1870  Declaration of Principles
“reformation is a work of time: and a benevolent regard to the good of the criminal himself, as well as to the protection of society, requires that his sentence be long enough for the reformatory process to take effect.”
e.g., Machonochie, Crofton, Brockway

17. “Reformatory”
an institution for young offenders emphasizing training, a mark system of classification, indeterminate sentences, and parole

18. “mark system”
a system for calculating when an offender will be released from custody, based on both the crime & his behavior in prison
devised by Alexander Maconochie (England),
at Norfolk Island penal settlement (off Australia, 1840)
at sentencing, offender is ‘given’ a number of “marks,” based on offense severity (a “debt” to society, to be “paid” off)
for release, offender must earn marks via
voluntary labor
participation in educational, religious programs
good behavior
adopted in Ireland, never England

19. the Irish system developed by Sir Walter Crofton
derived from Maconochie’s mark system
four-stage program of graduated release, based on offender performance
all sentences served in four stages;  move “up” w/ accumulation of marks
1.  solitary confinement - all start here
2.  public works prison - begin earning marks
3.  intermediate stage - (like half-way house) after earning enough marks
4.  ticket of leave - conditional release = precursor of modern parole

20. “reformatory” Zebulon Brockway
an institution for young offenders emphasizing training, a mark system of classification, indeterminate sentences, and parole: 1st time felons (16-30)
diagnosis, individualized treatment, reform
operation:
 intake interview: determine causes of crime
 individualized work & education program
 mark system of classification (work, school, behavior). move up OR down, with accumulation of marks:
begin at grade 2
can earn 9 marks/mo. for 6 months:
 grade 1; or
 grade 3;
then, 3 mo. good behavior:  grade 2 again.
administrators determine release date
Elmira Reformatory (Zebulon Brockway; )

21. Reformatory movement ends
failed to reform (like penitentiary)
brutality
corruption
not administered as planned
but, important features survived:
inmate classification
rehabilitation programs
indeterminate sentences
parole

22. the Progressive Era (1890s - 1930s)
age of reform: set tone for American social thought & political action until 1960s!
condemned ills of new urban society--big business, big industry, urban blight
 faith in science to find answers to crime, criminal behavior, treatment
 new faith in government action to eliminate social problems--slums, crime
trends of period
industrialization
urbanization
technological change
scientific advancement

23. the “Progressives”
socially conscious, politically active, mostly upper-class reformers of early 1900s
attacked excesses of emergent 20th century - big business, industry, urban society
believed science (positivism) + state intervention could/should solve social & political problems
advocated “treatment according to the needs of the offender,” not “punishment according to severity of the crime”
subscribed to “positivism”

24. “positivist school”
an approach to criminology and other social sciences based on the assumption that human behavior is a product of biological, economic, psychological, and social factors, and that the scientific method can be applied to ascertain the causes of individual behavior
subscribed to by Progressives

25. principles of Positivist School
behavior (including crime) is NOT the product of free will.
behavior stems from factors beyond control of the individual
criminals can be treated so they can lead crime-free lives.
treatment must focus on the individual & his/her problem(s).

26. “progressive” reforms
2 strategies for CJ reform:
 improve general social, economic conditions that seem to breed crime
 rehabilitate individual offenders
4 planks in “progressive” platform:
probation (John Augustus, 1841)
indeterminate sentencing (by 1920s, 37 states)
parole (by 1920s, 44 states; 80% of releases)
juvenile courts (1899, Cook County)
By 1970s, most of these enlightened & well-meaning reforms seen as having failed to live up to their promise

27. The Medical Model (1930s - 1960s)
a model of corrections positing that criminal behavior is caused by social, psychological, biological deficiencies that require medical treatment
first serious efforts to implement truly medical strategies aimed at scientifically classifying, treating, rehabilitating criminal offenders
e.g. “medical” programs & institutions
psychology (Karl Menninger)
Maryland Patuxent Institution, 1955
sexual psychopath, sociopath laws
crime as sickness

28. The Community Model (1960s - 1970s)
model of corrections positing goal of CJS: to reintegrate offender into community
key features
prisons should be avoided; prison = artificial environment; prison frustrates crime-free lifestyle
need to focus on offender’s adjustment into society; not just on psychological treatment
probation
intermediate sanctions; (alternatives to incarceration)
parole

29. The Crime Control Model (1970s - 2000)
less ambitious, less optimistic, less forgiving view of man & ability of CJS to change him
crime better controlled by more incarceration & strict supervision
precipitating factors
public concern over rising crime in ‘60s
disillusionment with treatment
public clamor for longer sentences
distrust of broad discretion given to correctional & parole authorities