Chapter 
13 
Corrections: 
History, 
Institutions 
and 
Populations
History 
The History 
of 
Correctional Institutions
The History of 
Correctional Institutions 
Original legal punishments included: 
 Banishment 
 Slavery 
 Restitution 
 Corporal punishment 
 Execution 
The first penal institutions were foul 
places devoid of proper care, food, 
and medical treatment
The History of 
Correctional Institutions 
The first American jail was built in James 
City in the early 17th century 
The origin of corrections in the United 
States is usually traced to 18th century 
developments in PA 
 Under pressure from the 
Quakers, the PA legislature in 
1790 called for renovation of the 
prison systems 
Use of mutilation and physical punishment
The History of 
Correctional Institutions 
The Pennsylvania System (1818) 
 Placed each inmate in a single cell for the 
duration of his sentence 
 Based on total isolation and individual penitence 
 Reflected the influence of religion and religious 
philosophy on corrections 
Eastern State 
penitentiary 
built in 1829 
outside 
Philadelphia, PA
The History of 
Correctional Institutions 
The Auburn System (1816) 
 New York 
 Tier system 
Cells were built vertically on 5 floors of the 
structure 
 Congregate system 
Most prisoners ate and worked in groups 
 Philosophy of Auburn System: 
Crime Prevention though fear of punishment and 
silent confinement
The History of 
Correctional Institutions 
Types of prison systems/themes 
Contract system 
 Officials sold the labor of prison inmates to private business 
for use either inside or outside the prison 
Convict lease system 
 Contract system in which a private business leased 
prisoners from the state for a fixed annual fee and assumed 
full responsibility for their supervision and control 
Public account system 
 Employment was directed by the state and the products of 
the prisoners’ labor were sold for the benefit of the state
The History of 
Correctional Institutions 
Prison Reform Efforts @ 1870 
 The National Congress of Penitentiary and 
Reformatory Discipline 
 Zebulon Brockway 
Warden of Elmira Reformatory (NY) 
 He was an advocated for: 
 Individualized treatment 
 Indeterminate sentencing 
 Parole 
 greatest achievement in his 
rehabilitation style model was to 
bring a degree of humanitarianism 
into the prison environment
The History of 
Correctional Institutions 
Prisons in the 20th Century 
Time for prison reform… 
 No more stripes 
 No more code of silence 
 No more lockstep shuffle 
 Movies, radio, visiting, mail 
 Specialized prisons 
 Prison industries 
 Great Depression 
 significant event in history made it mandatory to limit 
the amount of prison made goods allowed for sale in 
the late 1920s and early 1930s.
Video: Nightline 
Corrections
Video: Prison Anger 
Management Program
Jails 
What is a Jail 
Populations 
Conditions 
New Generations
Jails 
Jail 
 A correctional facility designed to hold 
pretrial detainees and misdemeanants 
serving their criminal sentence 
Five Primary Purposes 
a. Detain accused offenders 
b. Hold convicted offenders 
c. Confinement for misdemeanor offenders 
d. Probation/parole violations 
e. Prison overcrowding
Video: Correctional 
System
Jails 
Jail Populations and Trends 
 Decline in crime 1995 – 2008 while 
increase in jail populations 
 The jail population has been declining 
since 2009 
 9 in 10 jail inmates are adult males 
 12% of jail inmates are women 
 At one time, thousands of minor children 
were housed in jails as runaways, truants, 
and criminals
Jails 
Jail Conditions 
 Low-priority item in the criminal justice 
system 
 County level administration results in lack of 
regulation 
 Physical deterioration 
 Many jail inmates are sexual abuse survivors 
 Many jail inmates suffer from mental illness 
 Inmate-on-inmate victimization occurs most 
often in the victims cell
Jails 
New-Generation Jails 
 Modern designs to improve effectiveness 
 Continuous observation, both direct and 
indirect
Video: Women in Maximum 
Security Prison
Prisons 
Types of Prisons 
Maximum security prisons 
Super maximum security prisons 
Medium security prisons 
Minimum security prisons
Prisons 
Maximum Security Prisons 
 Houses dangerous felons and maintains 
strict security measures, high walls, and 
limited contact with the outside world 
 Byword is security 
 Prisons are designed to eliminate hidden 
corners where people can congregate
Prisons 
Super Maximum Security Prison 
 Houses the most predatory criminals 
 Can be independent correctional centers 
or locked wings of existing prisons 
 Lock inmates in their cells 22 to 24 hours 
a day 
 Effectiveness has achieved mixed review 
 Fear that long hours of isolation may be 
associated with mental illness and 
psychological disturbances
Prisons 
Medium Security Prisons 
 Less secure institution that houses 
nonviolent offenders and provides more 
opportunities for contact with the outside 
world 
 Promote greater treatment efforts
Prisons 
Minimum Security Prisons 
 Least secure correctional institution which 
houses white-collar and nonviolent 
offenders, maintains few security 
measures, and has liberal furlough and 
visitation policies 
 Inmates are allowed a great deal of 
personal freedom 
 Criticized for being like country clubs
Alternatives 
Alternative Correctional Institutions 
Prison Farms and Camps 
Shock Incarceration in Boot Camps 
Community Correctional Facilities 
Private Prisons
Alternative Correctional 
Institutions 
Prison Farms and Camps 
 Found primarily in the South and the West 
 Been in operation since the 19th century
Alternative Correctional 
Facilities 
Shock Incarceration in Boot Camps 
 Shock incarceration 
Short term correctional program based on a 
boot camp approach that makes use of a 
military like regime of high intensity 
physical training 
 Boot camp 
A short term militaristic correction 
facility in which inmates undergo 
intensive physical conditioning 
and discipline
Alternative Correctional 
Facilities 
Community Correctional Facilities 
 Community treatment 
The attempt by correctional agencies to 
maintain convicted offenders in the 
community rather than in a secure facility 
Includes probation, parole, and residential 
programs 
 Halfway house 
A community based correctional facility that 
houses inmates before their outright release 
so that they can become gradually 
acclimated to conventional society
Alternative Correctional 
Institutions 
Private Prisons 
 Corrections Corporations of America 
 There are about 450 correctional facilities 
run by private firms 
 Little sound evidence that private prisons 
are cheaper to run and/or produce better 
results 
 Some state governments still view private 
prisons as a low cost alternative

Chapter 13

  • 1.
    Chapter 13 Corrections: History, Institutions and Populations
  • 2.
    History The History of Correctional Institutions
  • 3.
    The History of Correctional Institutions Original legal punishments included:  Banishment  Slavery  Restitution  Corporal punishment  Execution The first penal institutions were foul places devoid of proper care, food, and medical treatment
  • 4.
    The History of Correctional Institutions The first American jail was built in James City in the early 17th century The origin of corrections in the United States is usually traced to 18th century developments in PA  Under pressure from the Quakers, the PA legislature in 1790 called for renovation of the prison systems Use of mutilation and physical punishment
  • 5.
    The History of Correctional Institutions The Pennsylvania System (1818)  Placed each inmate in a single cell for the duration of his sentence  Based on total isolation and individual penitence  Reflected the influence of religion and religious philosophy on corrections Eastern State penitentiary built in 1829 outside Philadelphia, PA
  • 6.
    The History of Correctional Institutions The Auburn System (1816)  New York  Tier system Cells were built vertically on 5 floors of the structure  Congregate system Most prisoners ate and worked in groups  Philosophy of Auburn System: Crime Prevention though fear of punishment and silent confinement
  • 7.
    The History of Correctional Institutions Types of prison systems/themes Contract system  Officials sold the labor of prison inmates to private business for use either inside or outside the prison Convict lease system  Contract system in which a private business leased prisoners from the state for a fixed annual fee and assumed full responsibility for their supervision and control Public account system  Employment was directed by the state and the products of the prisoners’ labor were sold for the benefit of the state
  • 8.
    The History of Correctional Institutions Prison Reform Efforts @ 1870  The National Congress of Penitentiary and Reformatory Discipline  Zebulon Brockway Warden of Elmira Reformatory (NY)  He was an advocated for:  Individualized treatment  Indeterminate sentencing  Parole  greatest achievement in his rehabilitation style model was to bring a degree of humanitarianism into the prison environment
  • 9.
    The History of Correctional Institutions Prisons in the 20th Century Time for prison reform…  No more stripes  No more code of silence  No more lockstep shuffle  Movies, radio, visiting, mail  Specialized prisons  Prison industries  Great Depression  significant event in history made it mandatory to limit the amount of prison made goods allowed for sale in the late 1920s and early 1930s.
  • 10.
  • 11.
    Video: Prison Anger Management Program
  • 12.
    Jails What isa Jail Populations Conditions New Generations
  • 13.
    Jails Jail A correctional facility designed to hold pretrial detainees and misdemeanants serving their criminal sentence Five Primary Purposes a. Detain accused offenders b. Hold convicted offenders c. Confinement for misdemeanor offenders d. Probation/parole violations e. Prison overcrowding
  • 14.
  • 15.
    Jails Jail Populationsand Trends  Decline in crime 1995 – 2008 while increase in jail populations  The jail population has been declining since 2009  9 in 10 jail inmates are adult males  12% of jail inmates are women  At one time, thousands of minor children were housed in jails as runaways, truants, and criminals
  • 16.
    Jails Jail Conditions  Low-priority item in the criminal justice system  County level administration results in lack of regulation  Physical deterioration  Many jail inmates are sexual abuse survivors  Many jail inmates suffer from mental illness  Inmate-on-inmate victimization occurs most often in the victims cell
  • 17.
    Jails New-Generation Jails  Modern designs to improve effectiveness  Continuous observation, both direct and indirect
  • 18.
    Video: Women inMaximum Security Prison
  • 19.
    Prisons Types ofPrisons Maximum security prisons Super maximum security prisons Medium security prisons Minimum security prisons
  • 20.
    Prisons Maximum SecurityPrisons  Houses dangerous felons and maintains strict security measures, high walls, and limited contact with the outside world  Byword is security  Prisons are designed to eliminate hidden corners where people can congregate
  • 21.
    Prisons Super MaximumSecurity Prison  Houses the most predatory criminals  Can be independent correctional centers or locked wings of existing prisons  Lock inmates in their cells 22 to 24 hours a day  Effectiveness has achieved mixed review  Fear that long hours of isolation may be associated with mental illness and psychological disturbances
  • 22.
    Prisons Medium SecurityPrisons  Less secure institution that houses nonviolent offenders and provides more opportunities for contact with the outside world  Promote greater treatment efforts
  • 23.
    Prisons Minimum SecurityPrisons  Least secure correctional institution which houses white-collar and nonviolent offenders, maintains few security measures, and has liberal furlough and visitation policies  Inmates are allowed a great deal of personal freedom  Criticized for being like country clubs
  • 24.
    Alternatives Alternative CorrectionalInstitutions Prison Farms and Camps Shock Incarceration in Boot Camps Community Correctional Facilities Private Prisons
  • 25.
    Alternative Correctional Institutions Prison Farms and Camps  Found primarily in the South and the West  Been in operation since the 19th century
  • 26.
    Alternative Correctional Facilities Shock Incarceration in Boot Camps  Shock incarceration Short term correctional program based on a boot camp approach that makes use of a military like regime of high intensity physical training  Boot camp A short term militaristic correction facility in which inmates undergo intensive physical conditioning and discipline
  • 27.
    Alternative Correctional Facilities Community Correctional Facilities  Community treatment The attempt by correctional agencies to maintain convicted offenders in the community rather than in a secure facility Includes probation, parole, and residential programs  Halfway house A community based correctional facility that houses inmates before their outright release so that they can become gradually acclimated to conventional society
  • 28.
    Alternative Correctional Institutions Private Prisons  Corrections Corporations of America  There are about 450 correctional facilities run by private firms  Little sound evidence that private prisons are cheaper to run and/or produce better results  Some state governments still view private prisons as a low cost alternative

Editor's Notes

  • #3 Learning Objective Nine
  • #4 Learning Objective One
  • #5 Learning Objectives One & Two - Even though he himself was voluntarily committed to the asylum shown here, Vincent van Gogh captured the despair of the nineteenth-century penal institution in this detail from an 1890 painting sometimes titled Prisoners Exercising. The face of the prisoner near the center of the picture looking at the viewer is van Gogh’s.
  • #6 Learning Objectives One & Five - Eastern State Penitentiary, built in 1829, was at the time the largest and most expensive public structure in the country. Designed by John Haviland, it consisted of an octagonal center connected by corridors to seven radiating single-story cell blocks. Each cell had hot water heating, a water tap, toilet, and an individual exercise yard the same width as the cell. There were rectangular openings in the cell wall through which food and work materials could be passed to the prisoner, as well as peepholes for guards to observe prisoners without being seen. Each cell contained a skylight so that the inmate could look to the heavens.
  • #7 Learning Objectives One & Five
  • #8 Learning Objective One
  • #9 Learning Objective One - Prison in the late nineteenth century was a brutal place. This line engraving from 1869 shows an inmate undergoing water torture in New York’s Sing Sing Prison.
  • #10 Learning Objective One - Elmira Reformatory, training course in drafting, 1909. Inmates stand at drafting tables as guards watch and a supervisor sits at a fenced-off desk at the front of the hall. Elmira was one of the first penal institutions to employ education and training programs.
  • #12 Learning Objective Six
  • #13 Learning Objective Nine
  • #14 Learning Objective Seven
  • #16 Learning Objective Seven - One problem faced by female inmates is forced separation from their children and families. A number of institutions have created programs to remedy this loss. Here, Harris County, Texas, inmate Gwendolyn Jackson and her son Jarell, 8, share a laugh together during a Christmas event for 15 female inmates in the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Reentry Services Program. The inmates had presents donated by Navidad en el Barrio to give their children. The women are minimum risk inmates who have had good relationships with their children. The female inmates are also working with Reentry Services in setting goals for a successful transition back into the community in efforts to reduce recidivism. Children accompanied by adults can visit inmates on routine visitation days but without physical contact.
  • #17 Learning Objective Seven
  • #18 Learning Objective Eight
  • #19 Learning Objective Nine
  • #20 Learning Objective Nine
  • #25 Learning Objective Nine
  • #26 “The Life of Jesus Christ” - a three-and-a-half-hour play with a cast of 70, plus a mule, two horses, a lamb, and a camel - made its debut in a three-day run at the prison farm at the Louisiana State Penitentiary. The production featured men from Angola and women from the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, who traveled nearly two hours by bus each morning to this 18,000-acre prison farm on the Mississippi River. Much of the cast was in rehearsal on and off for two years. Shown here on right is Levelle Tolliver, who plays Judas. Tolliver, a talented actor, shot a man in the head in 1993.
  • #27 Inside the Ordnance Road Correctional Center in Glen Burnie, Maryland, 19-year-old inmate Kenneth Lee puts sheets on his plastic covered mattress. He serves his prison sentence one weekend at a time, living in a dormitory-style room housing a dozen men. Alternative correctional institutions have sprung up around the nation as a response to overcrowding and high recidivism rates.
  • #29 Learning Objective Nine