CJS 230 Week 1 DQ 2

CJS 230 Week 1 DQ 2

How would you describe prisons during World War II? How do these prisons compare to those after World War II? What judgments can you make about the variations between the prisons before and after World War II?

Sample Answer

It was in the period of the 1800’s that the American penitentiary system developed as a means of alternative punishment. Previous sentences for crimes were considered inhumane and prisons evolved as a viable option. Both social and religious society played a role in defining the ideal for penitentiaries. This ideal was reformed hit and miss experiences. There was a variety of prison models developed in an effort to find the best one that would be fitting as a punishment for crime yet acceptable and humane in the eyes of society. Prison systems were determined to be a more constructive form of punishment for criminal offenders. According to Foster, penitentiaries were intended to be a more humane form of punishment when compared to dominant use of physical force that could be found in Western societies (2006). The new prison system was much cleaner and more habitable when compared to earlier jails. In the new system, there was an expectation of inmates to be both productive and isolated. This isolation was not just from society in general but from other inmates as well. The hope was that it would be possible to reform prisoners and teach them the value of working hard. Religion also played a role in the use of penitentiaries as a reformation to previous punishments. Repentance was the key idea behind this aspect. Advocates of penitentiary reform argued that isolation from other persons would allow prisoners to think about their……………………………………………………