American Prison System

The American Prison System

by

Stephen R. Sigmon

A Paper Submitted to
Dr. Charles Chrzanowski
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
Institutional Corrections CJ 7009

Northcentral University
June 21, 2010

Abstract
Criminal isolation and retributive punishment has continued in the American prison house systems well into the 20th century without significant changes to the methodology (Lithwick, 2009). In response to increasing public scrutiny, correctional administrators have considered changes in prison programs including, reevaluation of mandatory sentencing guidelines, improving reintegration programs, and non-prison incarceration options (Wormith et al., 2007). These issues are interchangeable to the issues faced by prison put righters in the middle of the eighteenth century when criminologists argued for greater governmental control over the prison system, with a stronger accent on rehabilitation verses punishment (Beha, 2008; Johnston, 2009). The reform initiative resulted in facilities specifically designed to hold offenders for broaden prison sentences, making the incarceration itself the punishment for the outlaw offence (Punishment, 2002).



Incarceration was intended to keep the offender away from the command public, punish and rehabilitate the offender (Penology, 2002). A secondary focus of punishment was the deterrence of the offender from committing any further criminal acts (Stahlkopf, Males & Macallair, 2010). The American penal is now facing the same issues in correctional facilities as were faced by the reformers in the 1700s (Beha). Overcrowding and poor living conditions have forced administrators to develop rough-and-ready rehabilitation strategies and re-entry programs (Austin, 2001; Zang et al., 2006). Prison administrators struggle with finding the necessary chemical equilibrium between punishment and rehabilitation while still providing requital for the victim (Wormith et al.). In the end, the struggles of prison administrators have been the same...If you want to perish a full essay, order it on our website: Orderessay



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