Running head: THE PURPOSE AND HISTORY OF

PENITENTIARIES

The Purpose and History of Penitentiaries

Frank Pflieger
CJA/234
March 24th, 2013
Helen Ford

THE PURPOSE AND HISTORY OF PENITENTIARIES

The Purpose and History of Penitentiaries

A prison is a word that describes facilities that keep under lock and key sentenced
individuals. A penitentiary often describes the prison building. The penitentiary was introduced
in the 18th century in England and Wales. During this time, the British society chose to do away
with physical penalty and introduced imprisonment with the intention of restructuring the mind
and body of the lawbreakers. The changes cemented the way for penitentiaries around the world
and Europe (Barnes, 1997).
History of Punishment
Many countries and cultures have come up with laws to safeguard citizens from crime.
These laws have been functional to keep the society from disorder. Many cultures used a wide
variety of punishments. In the present-day society, many countries have come up with
trustworthy justice system for doing away with their threats to the society. The code of
Hammurabi by the Babylonians is the foremost legitimate record to exist, though most nations
tend to keep an eye on the laws started by ancient Rome. A majority of the people accept the
earliest form of the law to be the Justinian code. Different nations dealt with delinquents in their
country with different ways since then life has become more enlightened as new punishments
became fashioned. In the barbaric times, torture was the form of penance used by the Roman
Empire. The Roman Empire soon fell, and different societies began their growth in the world.
The modern age took over, and prisons were built in the 19th century (Barnes, 1997).
In the 20th century, a new uprising took charge as the British rule began to fade leading
to change in the new world. The prisons became congested leading to probations given to petty
thieves and criminals rather than locking them up. Young offenders were removed from the adult

THE PURPOSE AND HISTORY OF PENITENTIARIES

court system and dealt with in the juvenile court. In conclusion, many cultures have come up
with means of stopping criminals, by creating a justice system to building prisons. No matter
how the criminals were stopped, they still oppressed innocent people.
History of prison development
Prisons started in the ancient times, and its concept formed by the ancient civilizations.
After years of inactivity in the prison setting, the modern system of prisons was presented in
England. The prisons in England started employing laws that were strict. It was at this time when
the renowned tower of London held its first detainees. As the centuries went on, the increase in
crime and joblessness brought the situation in England to a breaking point. The
penitentiaries were crowded and made it difficult to hold inmates for long periods of time before
their death. A new reform in prison became employed, and many prisoners were moved to prison
colonies located far away in America, Australia and Africa (Johnston, 2003).
Comparison of the Pennsylvania system and the Auburn system
The auburn system is also commonly known as the congregate system. It was applied at
the New York State prison at Auburn in 1819. Although it does include compassionate
conditions, many people thought it to be a less pure model in comparison to the Philadelphia
system. In this system, the prisoners were often together during the day but returned to their cells
during the night. The required work of the inmate was demanding, such as the construction of
roads and buildings. This system classified inmates by their race. Unlike the Pennsylvania
system, the auburn system generated income, making it more effective and practical (Johnston,
2003).

THE PURPOSE AND HISTORY OF PENITENTIARIES

The Pennsylvania system commonly referred to as the separate system, usually

encouraged privatization of the offenders. It was the leading system for over a century in
penology and a substantial forerunner of corrections done in the modern way. The system aimed
to keep the prisoners separate, avoiding distraction, and hampering their repentance. The
Philadelphia society introduced the idea of keeping prisoners in solitary confinement to alleviate
the miseries of the public prisons, and its most active members were Quakers.
Impact and involvement of prison labor over time
As a result of the tight labor market, major leading companies are banking on inmates for
labor. This deal is terrific both to the prisons as well as the companies involved. The advantages
of exploiting the labor provided by the prisoners are that there is a decline in union strikes,
immense health advantages, and unemployment benefits. On the other hand, the penitentiaries
are often guaranteed payment. Providing the inmates with jobs usually makes them active
enabling the prisons to be run more easily and also management of the institution is better
(Ignatius, 2002).

THE PURPOSE AND HISTORY OF PENITENTIARIES

References
Barnes, H. (1997). The story of punishment: A record of mans brutality to man. Montclair, New
Jersey: Patterson Smith Publishing.
Johnston, M(2003). The human cage: A brief history of prison architecture. New York: Walker
and Company.
Ignatius, M (2002). A just measure of pain: The penitentiary in industrial revolution1750-1850
New York. Pantheon books