The Punishment Of The Prison System - 1842 Words

Prisons are closed institutions. They are established and funded by governments to hold people against their will, but why punish (Zyl Smit, 2010)? What is the purpose of prison? This fundamental question stirs up a significant amount of debate. The government, citizens, educators, and even prisoners are divided about the right answers. There is disagreement in the US about the purpose of the prison system. On the one hand, the regulations of the prison system may seek deterrence, incapacitation, or retribution to avoid appearing too soft on criminals (Zyl Smit, 2010; Rossum, 2003). On the other hand, the regulations of the prison system may seek to opportunities to resocialize prisoners or to effect changes in the character, attitudes, or behavior of the convicted offender (Zyl Smit, 2010; Harvard Law Review, 2010). Which approach is the most effective for a society that decides to punish? What do we do about those who commit crimes? This questions seems to have a more definitive answer in the US. The last four decades of American criminal justice have been shaped by the public appeal to get tough on crime (Colgan, 2006). Since the mid-1970s, the United States has engaged in a race to incarcerate that has resulted in a prison population expanded to a level previously unknown in any democratic society (Burt, 2010). The US has over 2 million of its citizens incarcerated, which accounts for 25% of the world s imprisoned population (Forman, 2011). The system hasShow MoreRelatedThe Punishment Of Prison System825 Words   |  4 Pages In principle, prison system plays important role in the society through reforming and punishing offenders sent to prison and preventing potential offenders. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of in prisoners in the US prisons system, because prison is used as the primary correction facility for offenders while ensuring justice to offended (Guerino 20). Prisons comprise of offenders who are above the county jail level. Further, inmates comprise of people from differentRead MoreThe Punishment Of The American Prison System1874 Words   |  8 PagesWhenever you imagine prison, you think up ideas and violent images that you have seen in the movies or on TV.    Outdated clichà ©s consisting of men eating stale bread and drinking dirty water are only a small fraction of the number of horrible, yet just occurrences which are stereotypical of everyday life in prison.    Perhaps it could be a combination of your upbringing, horrific ideas about the punishment which our nation inflicts on those who violate its’ more serious laws that keeps people frightenedRead MoreThe Increased Prison Population and Improper Punishment System1083 Words   |  5 PagesSocial scientists and organizational psychologist have given additional acknowledgment to the influence of social and cultural issues in organizational system (Carter, 2000, p. 2). This clearly indicates that how these issues affect many fields of society and how important is their resolution. Many key global events of the last decade have captured attention on issues of nationalism and cultural diversities. As Hallinan and Jackson says, â€Å"Within the context of the post 9/11 era a complex and arguablyRead MoreThe Death Of The Prison System1142 Words   |  5 PagesThe prison system has seen huge changes from the American Colonel days to now. At first punishment was a way to inflict pain in suffering onto prisoners. By doing this it set an example to detour crime. Punishment throughout time has changed with the building of prison systems and labor being implemented. Today punishment is carried out much different than in the past. Punishment is way to keep order and discipline throughout society. Punishments focus more now on rehabilitation then it does toRead MorePurpose and History of Punishment785 Words   |  4 PagesPurpose and History of Punishment The American society of punishment has been heavily based on British law, which has in turn grown from Western capital punishment and personal retribution. In the seventh century A.D. leaders in government have begun to realize that crimes harmed society. The government started becoming more involved in controlling crimes and punishment for the crimes being committed. To protect the citizens the leaders of the governing body assembled a set of laws that were passedRead MorePurpose and History Paper783 Words   |  4 Pages* * Prison development dates all the way back to the early Roman times and even then there were forms of punishment for criminals. In today’s society we have come a long way from the Roman times with the way prisons are ran and punishments are enforced. With this development, there are two types of prison systems – Pennsylvania and Auburn. These systems have helped form the prison system today and the impact and involvement of prison labor over time. History of Punishment The use ofRead MoreThe Prison System Should Be Abolished1237 Words   |  5 PagesLike Angela Davis, I believe that the prison system needs to be abolished. The prison system which is a significant part of punishment is incompetent and deeply flawed in the United States. Prison system reform needs immediate attention while abolition permanently will require time. Nietzsche’s theory of punishment explains how punishment come about in society and Davis’s critique of the prison system helps back my argument that the prison system needs to be abolished. Traditionally, there haveRead MoreHistory and Purposes of Prisons884 Words   |  4 Pagespenitentiaries. Correctional facilities no matter if they are prisons, jails, or penitentiaries are all part of the criminal justice system. Their overall goal and objective is to house offenders with the hope to rehabilitate them and reintegrate them into society to have a positive impact. Penitentiaries have a strong history with society and will continue to serve an important purpose within the criminal justice system. History of Punishment Punishment is defined as a penalty inflicted for an offenseRead MorePurpose and History Paper865 Words   |  4 Pagesreference to the history of punishment for crimes, which date back as far as 450 B.C., some of the earliest methods of punishment are replaced by more efficient and humane methods of punishments or corrections. Punishments back then were harsher, brutal, and inhumane because people strongly believed in the retributive approach to crimes committed by individuals. Punishments such as whippings, brandings, torture, beatings, and mutilations were in efforts to make the punishment as relevant as possibleRead MoreEssay on Criminal Rehabilitation in the United States Justice System1640 Words   |  7 PagesNationally, every 7 minutes, another person enters prison. And every 14 minutes, someone returns to the streets, beaten down and, more often than not, having suffered a great amount of violence during his or her incarceration. Professionals will tell you that incarcerati on really does very little to stop crime, but we go on spending billions of dollars in order to lock up more and more people. We have become the country with the highest incarceration rate in the industrialized world. (National Criminal