History of American Prisons

History of American Prisons

Mrs. AuvilSocial Studies 9

VocabularyPenitentiary- from the Latin word

for remorseQuakers- religious group William

Penn was a part of (nonviolent group)

Prison- a public building used for the confinement of people convicted of serious crimes

400 - 1000 A.D. PunishmentsPeasants (poor people)

couldn't pay finesLed to corporal punishment

WhippingBrandingTorture

1400’s EnglandKing Henry VIII

started executions, banishment, mutilation, branding, and flogging for criminalsAnywhere from

murderers to robbers

First PrisonsIn Europe, prisons were only

used to hold people before they went to court

Meant for a short time only

The State of Georgia

Debtors, people who owed money to the king of England (King George), were sent to live in Georgia… our first “prison”

Georgia cont.Between 1717 and 1775, at least

10,000 convicts were sent to the Georgian colony

This was not a punishment though because they made friends with the Native Americans and had a good life

James City, VirginiaFirst American jail house in

colonies1600’s

James City Prison

Criminal paid for his crimes by giving up his land and belongingsNo property?

Go to prison and work there until victim is paid off.

Original Prisons1820- Walled institutions

“penitentiaries” replaced physical punishment

They were:OvercrowdedDirtyInmates attacked each other regularly

Original Prisons, contAll people together (old, young,

black, white, men, and women)Sheriff had a bar with very expensive

liquor for them to buy

There were fees to have cells locked, unlocked, get food, have heat, and clothes

1776Prisons who were

waiting for their trial might have traded their clothes for liquor. When the trial

wasn’t until after winter they froze to death!

Prostitution

“Certain” women purposely got arrested so they could have access to drunk male prisoners with money!

Death Penalty for…

MurderDenying “the true God” (going

against religion of state)Homosexual actsKidnapping

Prison and Fines for…Cheating on a spouseRapeDebtors

Quaker PrisonsQuakers of

Philadelphia came up with concept of penitentiaryPurpose was to have

criminals reflect on their crime and become truly sorry

Quaker Prisons cont.Their idea was solitary

confinementHoped criminals would reflect and

prayCalled Pennsylvania System

This was the FIRST long-term prison in the world!

Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of

Public Prisons1783- Benjamin Franklin (and

some others) started to change the cruel punishments of criminals

Created the Society in 1787Now called Pennsylvania Prison Society

Walnut Street Prison(First Prison in USA!)

Started in 1790Pennsylvania

System of prison design (solitary confinement)

Become overcrowded because of increased industry and cities

Walnut Street JailReduced crime rate

131 in 1789 to 45 in 1793Reduced escapes to ZERO in first 4

years

Walnut Street Prison cont.

Had workshop teaching tradesLarge rooms (18 feet square) for

30-40 occupantsSamuel Wood (first warden)Closed in 1835

Problem with this system:Solitary confinement caused

Nervous breakdownsSuicides

They thought silence would cause the prisons to not pick up each others bad attitudes

Auburn Prison (in NY)1821- New system

of prisons: “Auburn System”Inmates work 10

hours a day, 6 days a week

Gives sense of purpose, discipline, and order

Auburn SystemThree classes of

prisons:1. Always in solitary

confinement2. Allowed to work

and have occasional free time

3. Largest group- worked and ate together during the day, separate cells at night

Auburn System SCARY!Punishment with whip

to backInmates helped build

Sing Sing Prison, NY in 1825 and NO ONE tried to escapeThey slept outside with

no supervision!

Eastern Penitentiary System

Took down a cherry orchard to build it, so located in Cherry Hill, PA.

Opened in 1829 (not finished until 1835)

Promoted EXTREME isolationCaused suicides

Modern Prison? Each cell had its own small exercise

yard attachedCentral heating (even before the US

Capitol)Flushing toilet in each cell (before

the White House)Shower baths (first in the USA!)

Which is better?

Auburn System proves better than Pennsylvania System

Civil War Era1861-1865

Harsh and brutalStarted two other systems:

Contract System- sold inmates work to local businesses

Convict-Lease System- sold inmates as slaves to businesses (state gave up supervision and control)

Elmira Reformatory, NY1888-1920Z.R. Brockway (warden) created

“new penology”Elementary education for illiteratesLibrary hoursElmira College faculty teach inmatesVocational training shops

Mid-1930’s Freedoms

No more red and white striped uniforms (wore all grey instead)

Mingle around yard for 1-2 hours a day

Got movies and radio

Visitors and mail

Prisoner RightsIn 1971, the Supreme Court gave

prisoners some rights:Freedom of SpeechFreedom of ReligionFreedom from Restraints and Solitary

Confinement due to beliefs, religion, or race

Opportunity to wash, have clean bedding, clothes, heat, cooling, light, and nutrition

Habeas CorpusLaw that protects people from

being put into prison (or locked up) for wrong reasons

Security First, Rights Second

Mail may be searchedReading material may be deniedNewspapers may be edited

(meaning cut out so only certain things can be read)

Ankles and wrists may be shackled when they are moved

“Good Time”This is credit for time served on

good behavior Used to reduce sentence length

One day of “good time credit” for every three days that he/she behaves well