Introduction
Since their discovery in old days, jails have been used to restrain and contain offenders in the United States. Since the emergence of penitentiary in the 19 th century, jails in the United States have become an integral part of the criminal justice system. Since their formation, history indicates that, minorities have always assumed a sizable jail population. Indeed, reports indicate that, minorities have been overrepresented in most American jails. Notably, black men and women have dominated American jails since their formation. Reportedly, from 1850, when the state published jail statistics, it was revealed that, over 50% of all the persons in jail were black people and other minority individuals (Kreager & Kruttschnitt, 2018). In the ensuing analysis, the focus is mainly on the history of US jails, from the time they were established to date.
The first US jail was the Walnut Street Jail, which was established in 1790 in Philadelphia. Particularly, this jail was aimed at utilizing incarceration in punishing the offenders. It contained individualized cells and mostly, it offered the jailed persons a chance for penance. History indicates that, the influx of jails was evident during the Jacksonian era, which happened between 1820 and 1830 (Kreager & Kruttschnitt, 2018). From the time they were formed, the US jails were supposed to focus majorly on personal reform and punishments. Generally, jail was seen as a place for reclaiming wayward persons. Criminals would be isolated from the corrupt world, and their characters reshaped through imposed solitude. In that light, two forms of jails were established, referred to as separate and congregate systems.
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The Separate System
This form of jail began in Walnut Street Jail in Philadelphia, and as such, it is often called the Philadelphia or Pennsylvania System. It comprised of a solitary confinement with manual labor, where offenders were separated from each other and from the external world. They were subjected to cells all the time, and they would not be allowed to interact even during meal time. The offenders in these jails would only communicate to the prison staff, chaplain, and the officials from Philadelphia Prison Society (Kreager & Kruttschnitt, 2018). Whenever they would leave jail, they were supposed to put on masks. This form of solitude was supposed to make the offenders spend time meditating on the wrongs, reading the Bible, in preparation for their lives after jail sentence.
This system of jail geared towards preventing the criminals from mutual pollution, and as such, the separation principle was emphasized. The system operated on the belief that, the moment the offender in put in jail, they should remain there with minimal disturbance and interruption, until the punishment expired. The time spent by the jailed persons was synonymous to the early middle Ages heretics (Tillotson & Colanese, 2017). The sentences were aimed at depriving off freedom, although the major objective was geared towards attaining personal reform and purity. The bottom line was to realize conversion and character change. The craft work for the jailed was intended to direct their thoughts towards simple nature things, and reconnect them with their maker. Although this form of jail was seen as destructive and oppressive, solitary confinement played a major role in transforming offenders.
The Congregate System
This form of system was discovered in Auburn Prison and simply referred to as Auburn System. Individuals in this system would spend time and sleep in solitary facilities. However, they were allowed to meet during meals and work. However, only their bodies interacted, and silence dominated. They could not know each other since social interaction and communication was disallowed. Penance and purity was equally south by this system. Nights were dominated by solitary penance and hard labor during the day (Tillotson & Colanese, 2017). Dead silence was evident, with the only sounds being that of tools and machines. During the period they were in jail, the offenders were expected to reflect and repent. The congregate from of jail had many similar features of the separate system, in terms of silent labor and solitary cells, but it assumed a contemporary lifestyle approach. The system aimed at producing obedient and docile inmates. In the 19 th century, the congregate system was used to bridge the short supply of workers and as such, it offered an affordable quarantine against the world corruption.
Reformatory Age in the United States
In 1870, jail reformers organized a meeting in Cincinnati and formed a National Prison Association. The organization led to many changes in jail in the late 1800s. The new changes were listed in the Declaration of Principles (Thompson, 2010). The declaration supported a model of reformation as opposed to the use of sentences, punishment and progressive categorization of inmates. The new innovations would eventually become the elements of revolution within American jails. The Elmira Reformatory was the first one to embrace the new changes in the penology. The warden in-charge of the Elmira Reformatory supported the idea that, imprisonment was supposed to reform the offenders, and as such, he came up with individualized reform plans (Thompson, 2010). He supported the plan to implement the Declaration of Principles within jails. Judges who supported the new principles adopted the indeterminate sentencing approach. First time offenders were punished with modified indeterminate sentences. While on sentence, the offenders were monitored and once it was established they were fully reformed, they would be released before the sentence expired. In the event the offender failed to demonstrate proof of reforming, they would be subjected to maximum term.
Jails in America: 1900s-End of World War II
Following the end of the Second World War, most states in the United States embraced the prison farm concept. Farms within jails were profit oriented and the practice was rampant in Texas and Arkansas. The Arkansas prison system was categorized as the worst in the southern prison farm period. The Arkansas prison system resembled the Mississippi prison system, since inmates were put in charge of each other (Freudenberg, 2001). The inmates were referred to as trusties and were trusted with the daily farm operations. The trusties were allowed to carry weapons and they controlled other significant services such as medical services and foods. There was a supervisor in charge of the farm, whose major role was ensuring that prisons realized profits. Inmates were controlled through constant punishments and use of torture was rampant. Inmates were whipped, and pliers would be used to pinch their genitals, ears, noses and fingers.
Progressive Era in Jail System
Between 1900 and 1920s, the Age of Reform was witnessed in the jail system, especially on ensuring that human treatment was meted on inmates. During this period, emergence of individuals supporting the use of social and psychological means to reform offenders was witnessed. They supported the idea of using social workers, psychologists, lawyers and psychiatrists to handle offenders. The Big House era was also seen in the 1900s, which characterized the concrete and steel jail facilities. It was followed by the Medical Model, which supported the use of biology and psychological fields to rectify offenders (Clear, Rose & Ryder, 2001). The major principle behind this model was in ensuring the jails were rehabilitative in nature. The reintegration model came in the 60s and 70s, and it aimed at looking at the external environment as the major cause of crime. It was soon followed by the crime control model, which was characterized by use of death penalties, and supervised probations among other approaches.
Modern Day Jails
Since the formation of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) in 1930, jails have become highly centralized organizations with over 30,000 persons employed to supervise thousands of inmates (Seigafo, 2017). The correctional facilities have been improved immensely, and budgets improved to cater for both the inmates and jail staff. The American Correctional Association has been in the forefront in ensuring salaries, conditions and training is offered to all staff.
Conclusion
The history of jails in the United States is comprehensive and wide. It dates back to the 1790, when the first jail, Walnut Street Jail in Philadelphia was established. In 1820 and 1830, the United States witnessed an influx of jails aimed at reforming and punishing offenders. As seen in the above analysis, reforms continue to be witnessed in the jail system, with social workers, psychiatrists and other professionals being brought on board to assist in reforming the inmates. Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) continues to bring reforms in the jail system, in a bid to cater for the needs of both the inmates and the jail staff.
References
Clear, T., Rose, D.R. & Ryder, J. A. (2001). Incarceration and the community: the problem of removing and returning offenders. Crime Delinquency. 47:335–351.
Freudenberg, N. (2001). Jails, prisons and the health of urban populations: a review of the impact of the correctional system on community health. J Urban Health. 78:214–235.
Kreager, D. A., & Kruttschnitt, C. (2018). INMATE SOCIETY IN THE ERA OF MASS INCARCERATION. Annual review of criminology, 1, 261–283. doi:10.1146/annurev- criminol-032317-092513
Seigafo, S. (2017). Inmate’s Right to Rehabilitation during Incarceration: A Critical Analysis of the United States Correctional System. International Journal of Criminal Justice Sciences . Vol 12 Issue 2
Thompson, H. (2010). Why Mass Incarceration Matters: Rethinking Crisis, Decline, and Transformation in Postwar American History. The Journal of American History, 97 (3), 703-734. Retrieved from www.jstor.org/stable/40959940
Tillotson, S. E., & Colanese, J. A. (2017). Jails in the Early American Republic: Transcarceration, Decarceration, and Rabble Management. The Prison Journal, 97(1), 118–139.
