Prison Era Timeline

1790-1825

The Penitentiary Era

Philosophy: Rehabilitation, Deterrence

1790

Walnut Street Jail was turned into a Penitentitary by the Pensylvania Quakers

Emphasis on rehabilitation through penance

Bible Study encouraged

Solitary confinement is the rule

1825-1876

The Mass Prison Era

Philosophy: Incapacitation, Deterrence

1825

Solitary confinement became expensive.

First prison to to abandon the Pennsylvania model was the New York State Prison at Auburn

Auburn system featured group workshops

Corporal punishment was used to maintain the rule of scilence.

1876-1890

The Reformatory Era

Philosophy: Rehabilitation

1876

Captain Alexander Maconochie "father of parole" came up with mark system which allowed immates to make parole if they showed good behavior

Sir Walter Crofton, the Irish System has 4 stages The Elmira Reformatory opened under the direction of Zebulon Brockway but proved to be a failure

1890-1935

The Industrial Era

Philosophy: Incapacitation, Restoration

1890

Contract system private businesses paid to use inmate labor

Piece-price system Goods were produced by prisoners under supervisoin

Lease system Prisoners were taken to work site and supervised

Public account system The system eliminates private contractors

State-use system Prisoners made products to be used by other states

Public works system Prisoners maintained roads and highways

1935-1945

The Punitive Era

Philosophy: Retribution

1935

Characterized by belief that prisoners owed debt to society that could only be repayed by rigorous periods of confinement

Large maximum security prisons flourished and prisoners routines became monotonous and frustrating

1945-1967

The Treatment Era

Philosphy: Rehabilitation

1945

Based on the medical model of corrections- offenders were sick and needed the right treatment for rehabilitation

1967-1980

The Community-Based Era

Philosophy: Restoration, Rehabilitation

1967

deinstitutionalization, diversion, and decarceration

Tried to keep offenders out of prison by using halfway houses, work-release programs, and open institutions

1980-1995

The Warehousing Era

Philosophy: Incapacitation

1980

Imprisonment rates increased.

Judges felt rehabilitation programs were failures so they implemented the just desert model

Nothing-works doctrine was believed over the treatment philosophy

1995-2012

The Just Desert Era

Philosophy: Retribution, Incapacitation, Deterrence

1995

Imprisonment seen as deserved for irresponsible behavior

Some states reintroduced the chain-gang, or abolished parole

2012- Present

The Evidence-Based Era

Philosophy:

Cost-Effective Workable Solutions

2012

Due to the Great Recession, the need for more cost effective solutions arose.

Legislation questioned locking up nonviolent, elderly, and sick offenders