Running head: PURPOSE AND HISTORY OF PENITENTIARIES 1

Purpose and History of Penitentiaries

Kimberly Washburn
CJA/234
September 7,2012
Edward C. Ley
PURPOSE AND HISTORY OF PENITENTIARIES 2


Purpose and History of Penitentiaries
In this paper it will discuss the purpose and history of penitentiaries. Some of the topics,
that will be discussed will be the history of punishment, the history or prison development, the
comparison of the Pennsylvania system and the Auburn system, and the impact and involvement
of prison labor over time.
In the 1800s, prisoners would have to serve set amounts of time in crowded prisons, and
there was little care of rehabilitation or preparing them for being released. The first half of the
twentieth century, the criminals continued to be confined in prisons with an under determinate
sentences, but there was a developing emphasis on work and with the possibility of
rehabilitation. (Scribd. (2012)) About the middle of the twentieth century, the prison sentences
began to be for indeterminate terms, the prisons then accentuated rehabilitation programs, and
the parole board experts decided when a prisoner could be released based on their readiness for
the returning to the community. The parole board was a move that made a major change in the
sentencing structure, and the philosophy, it not only had an effect of the prison operations, but
also effected the supervision that was given to the offenders that they received once they were
released. This approach lasted until the last two decades of the twentieth century.
Until the late 18
th
century, prisons were mostly used for the confinement of debtors who
were unable to meet their obligations, was a holding place of the accused persons that were
waiting to be tried, and of convicts that were waiting for their sentences of either death or
banishment to be put into effect. Slowly imprisonment came to be accepted not only as a way for
holding these persons, but as a means of punishing the convicted criminals. Back in the 16
th

century a number of houses of correction had been established back in England and on the
purpose to reform the minor offenders. Its main emphasis was on the strict discipline and hard
PURPOSE AND HISTORY OF PENITENTIARIES 3


labor of the offenders. Because of the unsanitary conditions, as well as the lack of provisions
for the welfare of the inmates, in the houses of correction caused widespread agitation and
brought about changes in the methods of handling criminals.(Scribd. (2012)) Solitary
confinement became the ideal form of imprisonment, in the 18
th
century, they believed that the
solitude helped the offender to become penitent and that penitence then would result into
reformation in the offenders.
It was first tried in the United States at the Eastern State Penitentiary, which was opened
in Cherry Hill in Philadelphia in 1829. Each prisoner in that institution remained in his cell or its
adjoining yard, working alone at trades, such things like weaving, carpentry, or shoemaking, and
was allowed to see no one except for the officers of the institution and sometimes a visitor from
the outside.( Seiter, R. (2011). This method was known as the separate system and became
the model for most institutions that were constructed in other U.S. states as well as through much
of Europe. Then there was the development round about 1840 of the mark system by Captain
Alexander Moonachie at Norfolk Island, which was an English colony that was located east of
Australia.( Seiter, R. (2011). In place of the prisoner being required to serve a fixed sentence,
they were required to earn marks or credits proportional as to the seriousness of their offense.
The credits could accumulate through good conduct, hard work, and study; they could be denied
or subtracted for indolence or misbehavior. After the prisoner had obtained the required number
of credits they were eligible to be released. This system emphasized on training and
performance, rather than contracted on solitude and was a good mechanism toward reformation.
The Pennsylvania system opened its first two prisons known as the Western State
Penitentiary in Pittsburg in 1826, and the Eastern State Penitentiary in Cherry Hill just outside of
Philadelphia in 1829.(Seiter, R. (2011). Western Penitentiary was built in an octagon with small
PURPOSE AND HISTORY OF PENITENTIARIES 4


dark cells, inside cellblocks to provide solitary confinement, with no labor possible. It was then
remodeled in 1833 to provide cells on the outside of the blocks to allow light through windows
and this increased the cell size, which allowed inmates to labor within the cell. Eastern
Penitentiary was built with seven cellblocks extending from the hub in the center of the prison
walls. Each of the cell blocks were long and narrow, with cells on the outside and a corridor
down through the middle.( Seiter, R. (2011). The cells had a door through the wall into a small
recreation yard, in which the prisons were allowed brief exercise periods by themselves each
day. Pennsylvania system was known as the separate and silent system because the silence was
enforced and the inmates were not allowed to see or talk with each other at any time for any
reason.
Pennsylvania system had several problems with it and its methods, first, was it was
almost impossible to keep inmates from seeing and communicating with one another. Second, it
was very expensive to operate, because as the requirement to keep inmates separate this meant
that a increased the number of staff was needed. Third, there was very limited productivity by the
inmates, which was the main requirement to work alone in their cells, this did not allow much in
the way of production of good for resale which was desired out come. Fourth, opponents of the
operation of the Pennsylvania prisons stated that solitude imposed on the inmates made many of
them mentally ill. Finally, the planned operations was changed, they put two inmates together in
the same cell so they could learn from each other.
The Auburn System which then opened its prison in New York in 1817. The cells were
back to back and stacked five tiers high to make it easier to keep inmates separate. But the design
did not allow for the recreation yards for use by the individuals as did the Eastern Penitentiary.
(Seiter, R. (2011). Auburn adopted the separate and silent system from the Pennsylvania
PURPOSE AND HISTORY OF PENITENTIARIES 5


system, but because of the problems that Pennsylvania had were too serious they opted to do it
differently. So in 1823, Auburn changed and began its unwieldy design and made if more
efficient to operate. Auburn officials determined they would continue to keep the inmate in
separate cells at night, but allowed them to congregate during the day. This being the case
Auburn system became known as the congregate and silent system, but the officials continued
with the silence and strict discipline. (Seiter, R. (2011). The first half of the nineteenth century,
the Auburn style of silence, hard labor, separation at night, congregation during the day to
maximize production of goods, and the strict discipline was the approach that became adopted by
most of the American prisons.


PURPOSE AND HISTORY OF PENITENTIARIES 6


References
Question.com. (June 2012). What is the difference between Pennsylvania system and the auburn
system? Retrieved from http://www.question.com/what-is-the difference -betwee-
pennsyliva-19686.html
Scribd. (2012). History and Development of Prison. Retrieved from
http://www.scribd.com/doc/40472015/History-and-Development-of-Prisons
Seiter, R. (2011). Corrections: An introduction (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Pearson/Prentice Hall.