A
prison is a state or federal confinement
facility that has custodial authority over
adults sentenced to confinement. The
use of prisons as a place to serve
punishment is a relatively new way to
handle offenders
 Do
prisons today truly punish offenders?
Should they? Why/not?
 Were
often cruel and torturous: Generally fit
the doctrine of lex talionis: Law of retaliation
 “An eye for an eye”
 Early






forms of punishment included:
Flogging
Mutilation
Branding
Public humiliation
Workhouses
Exile
 If
we brought back such punishments as
flogging, public humiliation, workhouses
etc. would it have an affect on crime and
the correctional population?
 It
is unknown when the first prison was
established.
 Punitive imprisonment noted in Europe in the
Middle Ages. American prisons began in the
late 1700s.
 Early confinement facilities stressed
reformation over punishment.
 The
Penitentiary Era - 1790—1825
Philadelphia Penitentiary begun by
Quakers for humane treatment of
offenders.
 Rehabilitation through penance (solitary
confinement and Bible study). Known as
the “Pennsylvania System.”
 The Mass Prison Era - 1825--1876
 Auburn Prison (New York) featured group
workshops and silence enforced by
whipping and hard labor. This Auburn
system was the primary competitor to the
Pennsylvania system.
 The
Reformatory Era - 1876—1890 The
reformatory style was based on the use of the
indeterminate sentence. Elmira Reformatory
attempted reform rather than punishment.
 Used a system of graded stages . Gave way to
the system of “parole.”
 Ultimately considered a failure, since
recidivism was still a problem.
 The
Industrial Era – 1890-1935 - Prisoners
used for cheap labor in the era of the
industrial prison.
 Labor unions complained that they could
not compete.
 The passage of the Hawes-Cooper Act and
Ashurst- Sumners Act limited inmate labor.
 The
Punitive Era – 1935-45 - Characterized by
belief that prisoners owed a debt to society.
 The Treatment Era – 1945-67 - Medical model
suggested inmates were sick and needed
treatment. Most treatments include individual
or group therapy.
 The Community Based Era – 1967-80 - Led to
innovations in the use of volunteers and the
extension of inmate privileges.
 Programs include: Half-way houses , Workrelease
 The Warehousing
Era – 1980-95 - Public and
judicial disapproval of release programs and
recidivism led to longer sentences with fewer
releases. Nothing works doctrine .
Warehousing of serious offenders designed to
protect society.
 Prison overcrowding became widespread.
 The Just Deserts Era – 1995 – present - Based
on the justice model.
 Emphasis on individual responsibility and
punishment. Imprisonment is a proper
consequence of criminal and irresponsible
behavior. Chain gangs, “three-strikes,” and
reduced parole.
 In
state prisons:
 50.5% are violent criminals, 20.4% are
property criminals , 21.4% drug law violators,
In federal prisons: 55% are drug law violators
 The rate of imprisonment for African American
males is seven times that of white males.
 Bureau of Justice Statistics states that a black
male in America has a 32.3% lifetime chance of
going to prison; white males have a 5.9%
chance.
 Do
drug law violators belong in prison?
Does it depend on the type of drug
crime?
 The
size of prisons vary.
 One out of every four prisons is a large,
maximum-security prison house almost
1,000 inmates. The typical state prison is
small. It costs about $62 a day per
inmate. In 2003, it cost almost $67 billion
to run the nation’s prisons and related
programs.
 Jails—Locally
operated, short-term
confinement facilities.
 Original purpose—confinement of suspects
following arrest and awaiting trial.
 Current use—confinement of those convicted
of misdemeanors and some felonies, as well as
holding suspects following arrest and awaiting
trial.
 Most
people process through jails are
members of minority groups:
 56% minority
 38.6% African American
 15.6% Hispanic
 44% Caucasian
 Typical charges:
 12.1% drug trafficking
 11.7% assault
 10.8% drug possession
 7% larceny
 Prisons
are a type of total institution—
enclosed places where people share all
aspects of their daily lives.
 Residents of total institutions: may be
sent their forcibly are cut off from larger
society
 operate like “small societies”, form
distinctive value systems and life styles
 Mean
Dude: Quick to fight , Dangerous: best
left alone. Receives frequent write-ups for
violations . Spends a lot of time in solitary .
Prison subculture supports role of mean dude
by: Expecting prisoners to be tough, Values
that say “only the strong survive”
 Hedonist:
 … builds life around limited pleasures in
prison (smuggling, gambling, drug running,
homosexuality, etc.).
 Opportunist:
… takes advantage of positive
experiences prison has to offer, such as
schooling, trade programs, counseling, etc.
Retreatist - attempts some form of
psychological retreat from realities of prison,
often becoming heavily involved in drug and
alcohol use leading to depression and mental
illness.
 Legalist - the “jail house” lawyer—fights
confinement through the law.
 Radical - views himself as a political prisoner,
society = the oppressor.
 Religious: has
strong religious ties and
may be “born again.”
 Colonist: - views prison as “home”
 Has many friends inside . Often holds
position of power and/or respect . Does
not look forward to leaving prison. Has
been known to commit new crimes to
return to prison
 The
Gang Banger - are affiliated with
prison gangs and depend upon the gang
for defense, protection, and a channel for
goods and services.
 Although
women represent only around
seven percent of the total prison
population, they are increasing at a faster
rate than male inmates.
 According
to the NIC, women offenders
are:
 Disproportionately women of color
 In their early to mid-30s
 Most likely to have been convicted of a
drug-related offense
 From fragmented families that include
other family members who also have
been involved with the criminal justice
system
 Women
offenders often share the
following characteristics:
 sexual or physical abuse, substance
abuse, multiple physical and mental
health problems, single motherhood,
limited vocational training, sporadic
work histories
 Why
do you think there are fewer
problems in female prisons?
 How should programming for women
differ from that of men?
 Most
female inmates are housed in
centralized state facilities. Institutions
housing women:
 Usually are located in towns with fewer than
 25,000 inhabitants.
 Typically not designed to house female
inmates. Some also house men.
 Few have programs especially designed for
 female offenders.
 Few major disturbances or escapes
reported.
 High rates of substance abuse.
 Few work assignments.
 The
Task Force on the Female Offender
 recommends the following changes:
 Make substance abuse programs
available.
 Build greater literacy skills.
 House females in separate facilities.
 Develop programs allowing women to
keep children in the facility.
 Ensure equal access to assistance with
programming.
 That’s
it for tonight everyone…our last seminar!
 I hope you have enjoyed the course and I wish
you all success in your classes next term!
 Don’t forget there is a discussion board in
Week 10, so make sure you submit your posts.
 As
always, if you have questions, please feel
free to contact me.
 It’s
been my great pleasure having you all in
class. I wish you the best!
 Cheryl