CRM 110 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Walnut Street Prison, Eastern State Penitentiary, Prison Farm
9 Dec 2016
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The first institutions for incarceration of prisoners in colonial america and the us were local jails. Served primarily for detention prior to trial or execution rather than for punishment or rehabilitation of the criminal. Prisoners were responsible for providing their basic necessities of life with their own funds or with the help of outside benefactors. In 1790, the pennsylvania legislature passed a law calling for the renovation of the. Prisoners were required to work and were paid for labor, and early release could be earned for good behavior. Penitentiary, a correctional institution based on the concept that inmates could change their criminality through reflection and penitence. Prisoners had individual cells and were required to learn a skill to help support themselves. Prisoners were kept in isolation from one another to avoid corrupting influences. A silent system was enforced which required prisoners to communicate only with guards or prison officials; communication with other prisoners was forbidden.
