8: Corrections
- Page ID
- 44939
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Learning Objectives
After reading this section, students will be able to:
- Understand where the basic concept of punishment comes from
- Recognize the different ideologies of why and how people are punished
- Understand how punishment has evolved in the world, and how that has shaped punishment in the United States
Up to this point, we have spent much time on understanding crime, how it is policed, and how it is prosecuted in the courts. This section will cover the last third of the justice system, corrections. This section will focus on a brief history of corrections, to include the philosophical underpinnings of why and how we punish people.
Critical Thinking Questions
- Why are we more punitive at times than others? What changes our punitive values?
- What are some of the pros/cons of each of the four correctional ideologies?
- Does crime change depending on our collective correctional ideology, or practice?
- Does punishment change, based on our correctional ideology? How?
- What are some key explanations for the rise in the prison population in the U.S.?
- 8.1: A Brief History of The Philosophies of Punishment
- This page examines the history of punishment in the U.S., influenced by societal fears and perceptions of safety. It outlines correctional ideologies such as retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation, using contrasting narratives to illustrate public sentiment. The text critiques traditional punitive methods for their high costs and poor efficacy, while advocating for a gradual shift towards rehabilitation in correctional practices.
- 8.2: Retribution
- Retribution, arguably the oldest of the ideologies/philosophies of punishment, is the only backward-looking philosophy of punishment. That is, the primary goal of retribution (in its original form) is to ensure that punishments are proportionate to the seriousness of the crimes committed, regardless of the individual differences between offenders, other than mens rea and an understanding of moral culpability. Thus, retribution focuses on the past offense, rather than the offender.
- 8.3: Deterrence
- This page explores the evolution of punishment ideologies, highlighting the contrast between forward-looking approaches aimed at reducing recidivism and backward-looking approaches focused on past offenses. It emphasizes the concept of deterrence, divided into specific and general forms, and outlines key principles such as marginal and absolute deterrence.
- 8.4: Rehabilitation
- This page discusses the rehabilitation ideology in corrections, focusing on its goals of punishment, societal protection, and offender rehabilitation to prevent recidivism. It outlines historical methods such as penitentiaries and reformatories, which prioritized humane treatment.
- 8.5: Prisons and Jails
- This page explores the history and current operations of prisons and jails in the U.S., detailing their emergence, types, and functions. It aims to enhance understanding of historical influences on modern management practices and encourages critical analysis of operational processes and facility differences.
- 8.6: A Brief History of Prisons and Jails
- This page outlines the historical evolution of jails in the U.S., starting from English county jails and focusing on key developments such as the Walnut Street Jail in the 1790s. It discusses the rise in county jails and their integration with sheriff's offices, highlights a trend towards larger facilities, and notes the existence of approximately 3,300 jails today, with variations in counts attributed to different facility types and reporting methods.
- 8.7: Types of Jails
- This page discusses the diversity of jails in the U.S., highlighting their varying sizes, functions, and management structures, with most housing under 50 detainees and some exceeding 350,000. It distinguishes between older generation jails with linear designs and indirect supervision and newer generation jails that utilize a podular design with direct supervision, facilitating closer interactions between deputies and detainees.
- 8.8: Who Goes to Jail?
- This page discusses the role of jails in the U.S. as facilities for a varied population, including felons, misdemeanants, and individuals with mental health issues. It highlights that over 700,000 people are incarcerated at any time, with about 11 million processed each year, and notes that roughly 63% of inmates are not convicted. Jails also hold individuals for federal and military agencies, emphasizing their importance within the broader criminal justice system alongside prisons.
- 8.9: Growth of Prisons in the United States
- This page discusses the evolution of correctional facilities in the United States, starting with the Walnut Street Jail as the first purpose-built prison, followed by the Eastern State Penitentiary (ESP), known for its solitary design. It contrasts ESP's approach with the Auburn Prison model introduced in 1819, which focused on silent group work. The Auburn system became the dominant model, shaping many modern prisons. Currently, the U.S. has around 1,700 state or municipal prisons.
- 8.10: Types of Prisons
- This page details the management and organizational structure of U.S. prisons, categorizing them into state, federal, and private systems. State prisons are managed by state Departments of Corrections, while federal facilities operate under the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The emergence of private prisons since the 1980s has sparked discussions about transparency and ethical concerns, particularly regarding profit motives within the penal system.
- 8.11: Prison Levels
- This page explains the classification levels of prisons, which differ by jurisdiction and correspond to the severity of offenses. Classifications include minimum, low, medium, high (maximum), and super-maximum, with minimum facilities holding non-violent offenders and super-max institutions housing the most dangerous inmates. Moreover, intake centers evaluate offenders for proper classification based on their criminal history and behavior.
- 8.12: Who Goes to Prison?
- This page compares the demographics and characteristics of individuals in prison and jail, highlighting that prisons mainly house convicted felons serving sentences over a year, primarily for violent crimes. The U.S. prison population is approximately 1.7 million, predominantly male (93%). Although there has been a slight decline since 2015, the overall number has significantly increased in the last 45 years.