Prison System And The War On Drugs

In societies where labor was in demand, benefits to the community came from the criminal's punishment of work (Mauer).
             After the Industrial Revolution, people began to think differently about crime and punishment. The current system did not seem to be controlling the criminal behavior that was occurring. The nation's leaders decided that it was time to establish a new form of punishment and deterrence for both capital and noncapital offenders. They built housing units to hold criminals, as means of solitary confinement and occupying them with labor and Bible studies in their cells. Although the basic format was confining offenders to solitary cells, there were variations in the types of activities done in the penitentiary itself. The Auburn model in New York required inmates to work during the day; without engaging in conversation or exchanging glances. In any model used, there was a belief that the less communication the offenders had, the less opportunity they had to engage in criminal plotting or to reinforce each others negative orientation (Mauer). Different states adapted different models for use. They followed the same methods of solitary confinement, but they tend to vary in some ways on how the institution was operated. Hard work, social isolation, strict regimentation, the silent system, and corporal punishment were all part of the correctional philosophy at this time.
             Many things have not changed from the thinking of these days. For example we are quick to lock people up without hesitation. Punishment is the method our criminal justice system imposes most often. It seems that when a crime is committed, the initial response is to punish or remove the criminal from the rest of society. We send people through the system only to see them return. Our prisons consist of "revolving doors", which means that we let people out of prison and these same people return. Reasons for this have been attributed to the lack of rehabilatation in prisons, imposition of stricter sentencing as well as other programs that do not exist to help offenders when they are out.