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The Walnut Street Jail
The Walnut Street Jail was the first true penitentiary of it's time. Established in Philadelphia, the Walnut Street Jail was the basis for the first modern prison in America. The penitentiary included single cells, isolated prisoners, and a focus on reform rather than harsh punishment. -
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US Prison System
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Jacksonian Era
The Jacksonian Era, named after former President Andrew Jackson, was highly influenced by the Industrial Revolution along with the growing division between the North and the South. This revolution created penitentiaries on a larger scale with a vision to isolate corrupting prisoners from an already decaying world. -
The Woman's Reformatory Movement
This movement lasted nearly 75 years and produced approximately 21 institutions. These prisons were designed differnetly from that of their male counterparts. The architects felt that the women behaved more mildy and did not need so many restrictive barriers. This movement was monumental in promoting woman's equality. -
The Big House
Big Houses were maximum security prisons established in the beginning of the 1900's. And from these Big Houses, Correctional Institutions also began to emerge. These types of facilities, with their distinct look, evolved to the instiutions that we have come to recognize today.. -
Contemporary Prisons
Prisons today have evolved from previous systems used in the past. Racial tensions and inmate-on-inmate violence is more prevalent than ever. New laws are changing the way prison systems function. More people are being incarcerated, causing overpopulation in the prison system. This is causing even further reforms in today's criminal justice system.
