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First Punishments
The focus behind corrections in the 1700's was to punish people for wrongdoing rather than rehabilitation like today. Punishments included economic sanctions, hanging, public humiliation, and indentured servitude. -
First Parole
In 1907 New York adopted the first Parole system. This was a result of a changing idea behind prison being a place of reform instead of punishment. "According to this model, a judge’s sentence at trial was provisional, or indeterminate, and reflected a range from a minimum to maximum sentence. The amount of time a prisoner actually served reflected his or her willingness to reform." This was the begining of new ideas for corrections. -
Treatment
After the war, there was an interest in prison reform and we began to see an interest in the "medical model" and treatment should be used to fix and "ill" prison sytem. The doctrine used was call Deinstitutionalization. -
Warehousing model
People were realizing that the treatment was not working and thus adopted the "nothing works" doctrine. Frustration with crime led to the warehousing model. The idea was to lock up criminals so that they are no longer a menice to society. -
Just Deserts Era
1995 to present: The "Just Deserts Era" is a way of thinking that is in reaction to and embarrassing recidivism rates. It is a simple approach to corrections that says if you commit a crime you suffer the consequences. "Failed rehabilitative efforts and the negative effects of warehousing and prison overcrowding led to a renewed emphasis on individual responsibility. This philosophy based on retribution, incapacitation, and deterrence has become the operational principle for todays corrections".
